Jacques Francois’ American dream came true on Wednesday, thanks to the world’s game.
Born and raised in Haiti, Francois’ family moved to Florida when he was in high school to seek a better life. He found his way through soccer, landing a college scholarship as well as a spot on Orlando City SC’s Under-23 team.
Francois’ coach in Orlando was Darren Powell, who would soon become head coach of a USL team.
On Wednesday, Jacques Francois made his pro debut for San Antonio FC. He assisted on a Jason Johnson goal three minutes in, and that was just the beginning.
A beautiful 50-yard run and a rocket blast of a shot in the 70th minute gave Francois his first career goal, and just four minutes later, he added another goal from a Milton Palacios assist.
Francois’ debut gave San Antonio FC a 3-1 win over Corinthians FC in the second round of the U.S. Open Cup.
“You never forget your professional debut,” Francois said. “And I definitely won’t forget this. To get my first goal, and for us to get the win, I’m just so happy.”
Francois’ debut came in late May because he stayed at UNC-Greensboro to finish his spring semester. He was the Southern Conference Player of the Year at Greensboro, scoring eight goals in 19 matches as a senior.
Powell describes Francois as an “honest lad who works his tail off.” Francois joined the team about 10 days ago, and was a reserve against OKC Energy last week.
“We left the roster spot open for him because we were waiting for him to finish his semester,” Powell said. “We knew he would be an asset when he arrived. He’s improving daily, and has the ambition and drive to continue getting better.”
With a debut like that, Francois’ development may be a sight to behold.
SAFC advanced to the third round of the U.S. Open Cup and will travel to Iowa on June 1, where it will face the PDL’s Des Moines Menace. Des Moines defeated the USL’s Tulsa Roughnecks 2-0 on Wednesday.
With one more win in the U.S. Open Cup, SAFC will face the MLS’ Houston Dynamo in the fourth round in Houston.
The Corinthians roster was boosted by a group of players with national team experience. They were center back Oscar Mascorro, a 15-year pro who played in La Liga last season, Miguel Sabah, who retired from La Liga in January and scored five career goals for the Mexico National Team, Oscar Rojas, who has 28 caps with the Costa Rica National Team, and Juan Carlos Cacho, who has 11 caps with the Mexico National Team.
Mascorro stopped some chances from Francois early, but the rookie was determined to make his pro debut a perfect night.
“I did what I had to do best and that was to score goals,” François said. “I knew it was 1-1 and I knew I could score more for my team and for the fans. I just enjoyed the game.”
Jacques Francois’ American dream came true on Wednesday, thanks to the world’s game.
Born and raised in Haiti, Francois’ family moved to Florida when he was in high school to seek a better life. He found his way through soccer, landing a college scholarship as well as a spot on Orlando City SC’s Under-23 team.
Francois’ coach in Orlando was Darren Powell, who would soon become head coach of a USL team.
On Wednesday, Jacques Francois made his pro debut for San Antonio FC. He assisted on a Jason Johnson goal three minutes in, and that was just the beginning.
A beautiful 50-yard run and a rocket blast of a shot in the 70th minute gave Francois his first career goal, and just four minutes later, he added another goal from a Milton Palacios assist.
Francois’ debut gave San Antonio FC a 3-1 win over Corinthians FC in the second round of the U.S. Open Cup.
“You never forget your professional debut,” Francois said. “And I definitely won’t forget this. To get my first goal, and for us to get the win, I’m just so happy.”
Francois’ debut came in late May because he stayed at UNC-Greensboro to finish his spring semester. He was the Southern Conference Player of the Year at Greensboro, scoring eight goals in 19 matches as a senior.
Powell describes Francois as an “honest lad who works his tail off.” Francois joined the team about 10 days ago, and was a reserve against OKC Energy last week.
“We left the roster spot open for him because we were waiting for him to finish his semester,” Powell said. “We knew he would be an asset when he arrived. He’s improving daily, and has the ambition and drive to continue getting better.”
With a debut like that, Francois’ development may be a sight to behold.
SAFC advanced to the third round of the U.S. Open Cup and will travel to Iowa on June 1, where it will face the PDL’s Des Moines Menace. Des Moines defeated the USL’s Tulsa Roughnecks 2-0 on Wednesday.
With one more win in the U.S. Open Cup, SAFC will face the MLS’ Houston Dynamo in the fourth round in Houston.
The Corinthians roster was boosted by a group of players with national team experience. They were center back Oscar Mascorro, a 15-year pro who played in La Liga last season, Miguel Sabah, who retired from La Liga in January and scored five career goals for the Mexico National Team, Oscar Rojas, who has 28 caps with the Costa Rica National Team, and Juan Carlos Cacho, who has 11 caps with the Mexico National Team.
Mascorro stopped some chances from Francois early, but the rookie was determined to make his pro debut a perfect night.
“I did what I had to do best and that was to score goals,” François said. “I knew it was 1-1 and I knew I could score more for my team and for the fans. I just enjoyed the game.”