The 2020–21 Maryland Bobcats FC season was the club's first in the National Independent Soccer Association and first as a professional team.
Overview Following an application in late July 2020, Maryland Bobcats FC was admitted into the National Independent Soccer Association on October 13, 2020. The team had previously been members in leagues such as the United Premier Soccer League, where it went undefeated and won a national championship in fall 2019, and the National Premier Soccer League. Prior to officially joining NISA, Maryland competed in the inaugural NISA Independent Cup as a member of the NPSL and took part as a member of the Mid-Atlantic Region. Additionally, the team played a friendly against NISA member Chattanooga FC following the conclusion of the fall 2019 season.
On August 14, 2020 Maryland also joined in the Eastern Premier Soccer League, an amateur league affiliate of NISA, and began fielding a reserve team in it in spring 2021.
On March 24, 2021, former Nigeria women's national football team manager Samuel Okpodu was named head coach for 2021.
Roster Players
No.PositionPlayerNation
Staff Technical staff
Transfers In #Pos.PlayerSigned fromDetailsDateSource10 Maryland Bobcats FC (UPSL)Free transfer15 Maryland Bobcats FC (UPSL)Free transfer14 Maryland Bobcats FC (UPSL)Free transfer9 FC Baltimore ChristosFree transfer16 Loyola GreyhoundsFree transfer23 Maryland Bobcats FC (UPSL)Free transfer11 Wakefield A.F.C.Free transfer6 Maryland Bobcats FC (UPSL)Free transfer2 Maryland Bobcats FC (UPSL)Free transfer20 Maryland Bobcats FC (UPSL)Free transfer22 Maryland Bobcats FC (UPSL)Free transfer8 Maryland Bobcats FC (UPSL)Free transfer94 Maryland Bobcats FC (UPSL)Free transfer30 Maryland Bobcats FC (UPSL)Free transfer1 Maryland Bobcats FC (UPSL)Free transfer29 Maryland Bobcats FC (UPSL)Free transfer77 Loyola GreyhoundsFree transfer99 NTX RayadosFree transfer12 Germantown City FCFree transfer18 Maryland Bobcats FC (UPSL)Free transfer19 Tatung F.C.Free transfer7 Vandrezzer FCFree transfer5 Maryland Bobcats FC (UPSL)Free transfer24 Maryland Bobcats FC (UPSL)Free transfer3 Maryland Bobcats FC (UPSL)Free transfer4 C.D. Fuerte San FranciscoFree transfer28 Maryland Bobcats FC (UPSL)Free transfer13 Maryland Bobcats FC (UPSL)Free transfer17 Ohio Wesleyan Battling BishopsFree transfer26 SV Darmstadt 98Free transfer21 Philadelphia Lone Star FCFree transfer25 Loudoun United FCFree transfer27 FC Baltimore ChristosFree transfer47 Maryland Bobcats FC IIFree transfer
Friendlies
Competitions
NISA Independent Cup
Prior to joining NISA, the Bobcats were announced as one of the 11 non-association teams taking part in the inaugural NISA Independent Cup on July 1. The regional tournament acted as both a pre-season and chance to "provide a platform for professional and amateur independent clubs to play together on a national stage."
Maryland was drawn into the Mid-Atlantic Region alongside the New York Cosmos, NISA expansion side New Amsterdam FC, and fellow NPSL side FC Baltimore Christos.
On July 24, NISA announced that the Mid-Atlantic Region tournament was postponed due to a surge of COVID-19 cases in Maryland and the subsequent closing of the Maryland SoccerPlex to professional sports. On July 28, NISA announced a majority of the region's games would be played at Evergreen Sportsplex in Leesburg, Virginia. Following a weather postponement that forced the Bobcat's final game to be played at a neutral site, the team won the Mid-Atlantic Region title on October 10 when the Cosmos and FC Baltimore played to a 2–2 draw allowing Maryland to finish atop the table via goal differential.
Standings
Matches
2020 Fall Season
Initial details for the NISA Fall 2020 season were released on June 4, 2020. Maryland did not take part in the fall in an official capacity.
2021 Spring Season
NISA Legends Cup NISA announced initial spring season plans in early February 2021, including starting the season with a tournament in Chattanooga, Tennessee with a standard regular season to follow. The tournament, now called the NISA Legends Cup, was officially announced on March 10 and is scheduled to run between April 13 and 25. All nine NISA members teams taking part in the Spring were divided into three team groups and played a round robin schedule. The highest placing group winner automatically qualified for the tournament final, while the second and third highest finishing teams overall played one-another in a semifinal to determine a second finalist.
The Bobcats were drawn into Group 1 alongside Michigan Stars FC and the returning San Diego 1904 FC.
Standings
Group 1 results
Matches
Regular season The Spring Season schedule was announced on March 18 with each association member playing eight games, four home and four away, in a single round-robin format.
Standings
Results summary
Matches
U.S. Open Cup
As a team playing in a recognized professional league, Maryland would normally be automatically qualified for the U.S. Open Cup. However, with the 2021 edition shorted due to the COVID-19 pandemic, NISA has only been allotted 1 to 2 teams spots. On March 29, U.S. Soccer announced 2020 Fall Champion Detroit City FC as NISA's representative in the tournament.
Squad statistics
Appearances and goals
! colspan="14" style="background:#dcdcdc; text-align:center"| Goalkeepers
! colspan="14" style="background:#dcdcdc; text-align:center"| Defenders
! colspan="14" style="background:#dcdcdc; text-align:center"| Midfielders
! colspan="14" style="background:#dcdcdc; text-align:center"| Forwards
! colspan="14" style="background:#dcdcdc; text-align:center"| Left during season
Goal scorers PlacePositionNationNumberNameLegends CupSpring SeasonTotal1 FW99James 'Pele' Sesay1562 FW10Kay Banjo1233 MF12Bryan Argueta1124 MF27Khalid Balogun011MF77Nico Brown101
Disciplinary record NumberNationPositionNameLegends CupSpring SeasonTotal5 DFJavon Dawkins1020309 FWTunde Akinlosotu10001012 MFBryan Argueta10203016 DFDavey Mason10001021 MFYaya Fane20204022 MFAlex Kao00202025 DFJake Dengler00101026 MFJosselin Possian00101030 GKChristian Caulker21002147 FWTaylor Gray00101077 MFNico Brown10203094 DFTrey Cooper00313199 FWJames 'Pele' Sesay212041
References
External links