Jay Vega, a UDA NMSU student-athlete will be furthering his education in a PhD Program, working towards a degree in School Psychology while continuing to represent UDA NMSU on the field.

At UDA, our commitment to student success goes beyond the pitch. To help our students develop personal and professional growth during their university experience and beyond, we developed the Dream Maker Program alongside the UDA SUCCESS Foundation. 

The Dream Maker Program is dedicated to fostering the personal and professional growth of our student-athletes, helping them collaborate with their universities’ career and employability resources so they can grow their employability opportunities post graduation. 

Developed and led by Dr. Scott Johnson, in alignment with the visionary goals set by UDA founder Dr. Brian Haley, this program aims to equip UDA students with the skills and knowledge necessary to excel in their chosen fields.

Heading the Dream Maker Program is Dr. Scott Johnson. Holding a Ph.D. in management and marketing from Arizona State University, an MBA in international business from the University of San Francisco, and a BS in business administration-marketing from California State University, Fresno, Dr. Johnson brings a diverse range of knowledge to the program.

Having taught at the University of Greenwich in the UK, Dr. Johnson has a deep understanding of the European academic landscape. His experience in designing professional development and leadership courses, building external partnerships, and conducting assessment centers and team-building activities for students has equipped him with invaluable insights into employability.

Dr. Johnson's extensive background as a marketing executive and his three-decade-long tenure as a professor, program director, and business school Dean have allowed him to advise hundreds of students on career preparation and oversee their internships. By leveraging each student's unique experiences and strengths, Dr. Johnson fosters their career readiness competencies through supportive feedback and networking opportunities.

Our Dream Maker Program demonstrates our commitment to the comprehensive development of our student-athletes. Through close collaboration with universities, personalized mentorship, and access to industry insights, the program equips UDA students with the skills and knowledge necessary for success. 

Under the guidance of Dr. Scott Johnson, the Dream Maker Program has become a cornerstone of UDA's commitment to empowering its students both during their university journey and beyond.

For more information about the Dream Maker Program, please reach out to Dr. Scott Johnson at sjohnson@udasuccess.org.

​UDA Soccer celebrates after defeating Azteca FC 4-1 (after a 4-4 draw) in a PK shootout to qualify for the 2023 US Open Cup. Photo: Andrew MosierIt’s been three months since UDA’s epic 2023 US Open Cup qualifying win over three-time Open Cup qualifier, Azteca FC 5280. But even now, UDA technical director and coach Tahlon Drake has a hard time containing his emotions when he talks about it.

“It’s games like that that remind us why we do this in the first place. To qualify our first time out, on the road, in the cold at altitude, to come back and tie the game twice after going down a man, it was truly something special,” Drake said of the 4-4 heavyweight slugfest that was ultimately decided at the penalty spot. “And then for our ‘keeper to step up and make three saves in the shootout. The whole thing was just incredible.”

​“We had played Olympians before,” Drake said. “We knew it was going to be a difficult game. “They made it incredibly tough for us to play. I was incredibly proud of the way our boys handled themselves. Of the 18 cards shown in that game, we only received four of them.”

UDA played much of the game down a goal after 19-year-old goalkeeper Mario Castillo was caught off his line with a ball hit from near midfield. The game became a chippy, choppy affair. The tide turned in the 75th minute when Olympians were reduced to 10 men. UDA’s Jay Mustielis leveled the score in with just three minutes to play in regulation. In the second period of extra time Olympians went down another player making way for Keane Garcia to get on the end of Will Hanes cross to put UDA up 2-1. Alan Gudino put the game out of reach at 3-1 just before the final whistle.

The Fourth Round draw sent UDA to face Denver-based Azteca FC 5280, on one of the surrounding fields of Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, home of the Colorado Rapids (MLS). A massive storm had blown through earlier in the week dumping more than a foot of snow that had been plowed into piles at each end of the synthetic field.

Going into the match, Drake said the conditions were going to be a factor.

“Some of our guys have never even seen snow before,” he said before the match. “The cold and altitude are going to make things interesting for us.”

For the better part of the last decade, Azteca FC 5280 has reigned as one of Colorado’s top amateur sides, playing in the incredibly competitive Colorado Super League, qualifying for the Open Cup three times (2017, 2018, 2022). Azteca failed to advance beyond the first round in all three Open Cup appearances.

“We knew Azteca was going to be good,” Drake said. “They qualified for the Open Cup in 2022. We knew they were very dynamic up front. But we have never been the kind of team to change the way we did things based on an opponent. That is one of the things we try to instill from the beginning. We play the way we play. Let everyone else adapt to us, not the other way around. We want to play thorough our attacking mids, with our number 10 stepping high and go at ‘em.

‘Go at ‘em’ is exactly what UDA did in what would become a qualifying match for the ages. UDA landed the first punch in the 14th minute when Gudino combined with Jose Rivan down the left flank resulting in an easy tap in from close range to put the visitors up 1-0.

Azteca responded immediately, leveling the score in the 20th minute, then smashing in a second at the 36th minute mark to go up 2-1. Then Daniel Ruiz Galan pulled UDA level just before the halftime whistle, slotting a Lucas Burch cross to the far post from close range.

After a hectic start to the second half, Azteca took the lead for a second time, going up 3-2, when a controversial penalty was given in the 63rd minute. Drake was shown a red card for his vociferous protests of the penalty call from the bench and will watch his club’s inaugural Open Cup match from the stands.

More importantly, UDA will also be without midfield lynchpin and captain, Gomez-Silva, who was shown a second yellow card with less than ten minutes to play in the Azteca match. Gomez-Silva was one of UDA’s top recruits, having spent time in the system of La Liga club Real Sociedad.

“Eric is tough to replace. He sees the game so well; he is so good on the ball. He is the leader,” Drake said. “We are going to miss his presence, his experience, everything a player of his quality brings. But we have someone we believe can step up do all the things Eric does so well.”
With time running out UDA began to throw numbers forward, almost making it look like Azteca was the team playing short-handed. Then Alfredo Villescas got on the end of a corner kick to pull the game level again, at 3-3, forcing extra time.

Azteca took firm control of the first overtime period, scoring on a recycled set piece in the 107th minute after UDA failed to clear the ball. After the goal, UDA threw everything they had forward. Just moments before the final whistle Garcia found himself inside the Azteca six-yard box with the ball at his feet. He slotted home the equalizer sending the game to penalty kicks, where UDA’s 19-year-old goalkeeper stole the show.

UDA’s Garcia shot first, making his attempt. Castillo then saved Azteca’s first shot to his left, but was ruled to have left his line before the ball was kicked. He saved the re-take, this time to his right. Blake Bastain put UDA up 2-0 in the shootout. Azteca then converted their second kick making it 2-1. Villescas converted his kick to make it 3-1, then Castillo made a one-handed save to his left, leaving it up to Gudino, who calmy put the ball straight down the middle to put UDA into the tournament proper.
“I think it says so much about what we are doing, how far we have come in such a short period of time,” Drake said. “Qualifying for the Open Cup was one of our goals when we started. To do it the first time out, the way we did it, is just incredible.”

US Open Cup Round One

With the 2023 Spring UPSL season not yet underway, UDA has been playing regional professional teams, and competing against college club teams to prepare for its Open Cup debut versus Park City Red Wolves, winners of the USL League Two Mountain Division for the past two seasons. This is the second consecutive Open Cup appearance. They list 3-2 at Las Vegas Legends (NPSL) last year. Like UDA, Park City are out of season. Park City kicks off its 2023 USL League Two season May 27.

“Honestly, we don’t know a lot about them,” Drake said. “The best we can do is go out and play the way we want to play and see what happens.”

UDA Soccer came out on top of an epic battle of wills, toppling US Open Cup mainstays Azteca FC 4-1 from the penalty mark after trading walloping blows in a 4-4 slugfest.
Keane Garcia pulled UDA level at four in the 113th minute from inside the six-yard box sending the game to kicks from the mark. But the hero of the match was 19-year-old UDA goalkeeper, Mario Castillo, who saved the first (twice) and third of Azteca’s spot kicks to put UDA Soccer through to the tournament proper in its first qualifying attempt.
“I am so proud of the guys for battling through all the adversity they faced today, between the travel and the cold and the altitude and then going down a man, they did not give up, they kept coming back, they kept fighting,” said UDA head coach Blake Ordell. “Then for Mario to make the saves he did in the shootout, it was incredible.”
With the win, UDA Socccer makes some modern US Open Cup history. UDA is a soccer academy at New Mexico State University that allows players to receive year-round training while enrolled at New Mexico State. They become the first Open Division Local team affiliated with a college or university to qualify for the Open Cup in the Modern Era (1995-present). Brigham Young University (BYU) qualified three times as a member of the Premier Development League (now USL League Two) in 2006, 2007 and 2015. Despite past attempts by teams from the University of Florida, Oklahoma University, Louisiana Lafayette, and this year with the University of Southern California (USC), no college-affiliated team has qualified through Open Division Local qualifying. 

Support TheCup.us and its coverage of the US Open Cup by purchasing a “We Want The Cup” shirt in your team’s colors. Visit THECUP.US SHO

​Miami, Florida – The United Premier Soccer League is proud to announce the inaugural UPSL Champions Cup set to take place in Querétaro, Mexico on November 3 – 6. With teams from both the U.S. and Mexico competing, the tournament will be the first of its kind at the semi-pro level in North America. 

The UPSL Champions Cup features four of the best UPSL teams competing against four of the best UPSL MX teams. The eight teams will be divided into two groups with each group including two teams from Mexico and two teams from the US. The winners of each group will face off in the tournament final to be held on Sunday, November 6th.
​ 
UPSL Founder and President, Leonel Lopez explains “The UPSL has a long history of players, coaches and owners with Mexican origins. It has always been a goal of the UPSL to expand further into Mexico and provide additional opportunities for players competing in Latin America. In addition to the launch of UPSL MX in 2020, the UPSL Champions Cup will help build this bridge and create an international platform for these athletes to compete on. The clubs in Mexico are very well-organized and have been playing at a very high level, the Champions Cup will provide a unique opportunity for them.” 

Representing the United States: 

• Foro 360 (Dallas, TX) 
• Davis Legacy (Davis, CA) 
• Chicago Nation FC (Chicago, IL) 
• UDA Soccer (Las Cruces, NM) 

Representing Mexico: 

• Deportivo Teziutlan (Teziutaln, Puebla) 

• FC Penamiller (Penamiller, Queretaro) 
• Altiplano FC (Apan, Hidalgo) 
• Marineros FC (Piedras Negras, Veracruz) 

The tournament will feature 2021 UPSL Fall Season National Champions Foro 360 from Dallas, Texas as well newly-crowned UPSL MX National Champions, Deportivo Teziutlan from Teziutlan, Puebla.  

Foro Sports Club owner, Bob Peinado explains the anticipation surrounding the first-ever Champions Cup event. “It’s great opportunity for our talented young players and is in line with our goal of developing top-level pros. What the UPSL is doing is providing an opportunity for teams at this level to not just compete for a national title, but for the first-time ever, play for an international title as well. With many of our staff and players of Mexican-descent, including myself, the Champions Cup provides a special opportunity for a lot of these first and second generation Mexican-Americans. It legitimizes the hard work we do over in the States and a meaningful experience to come down and compete against these top teams in Mexico.” 

UPSL MX provides a highly competitive platform for soccer clubs seeking an alternative to the current lower-tier structure in Mexico. This past season 40 clubs competed across two divisions. The UPSL MX operates under the umbrella of the UPSL brand, and is led by UPSL MX Commissioner Israel Valenciano. 

Commissioner Israel Valenciano explains “It is a great honor to have a tournament of this level in Mexico. We welcome everyone with open arms and great anticipation for this inaugural Champions Cup event. We can’t wait to see who will be crowned the first-ever UPSL Champions Cup winners. 
​
The first match-day of the Champions Cup is scheduled for Thursday, November 3rd.  Three days later, on Sunday, November 6th, the Champions Cup Final will be played. Games will be broadcasted live with commentary in both English and Spanish through VYRE Network. You can find VYRE on Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire, Android, iPhone, or your Smart TV by downloading the VYRE Network app for free or on their website at www.vyre.tv.  

About the UPSL
The UPSL was formed in 2011 and occupies the unofficial fourth tier of US Soccer. Across its Premier, Division 1 and Womens leagues there are more than 400 teams competing nationwide. The UPSL is now the largest Pro Development League in North America and is a National Affiliate member of the U.S. Soccer Federation (USSF). Each UPSL team is individually owned and operated. UPSL teams are eligible to participate in the U.S. Open Cup Qualifying Rounds through the league’s affiliation with USSF.
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More information about UPSL can be found at www.upsl.com or by following the league on Facebook (facebook.com/upslsoccer), Instagram (@upslsoccer) and Twitter (@upslsoccer). Contact UPSL: info@upslsoccer.com / Media: chris.korte@upsl.com

For UDA NMSU Goalie, JD Meyers, his dreams are now in reach. This week the all-star goalie who lead the NMSU team to the UPSL Elite Eight Tournament signed his first professional contract with the Chattanooga Red Wolves Soccer Club in Tennessee. 

"I moved out to Tennessee the same day I signed on August 17th. Everything happened so fast" Meyers stated.

"UDA and Coach Tahlon helped prepare me for the next level by providing great opportunities that I was able to take advantage of. I felt that I was constantly supported and pushed in my pursuit of becoming a professional footballer and was setup to be a leader of the NMSU program. Due to this I was able to find success reaching the next level" Meyers continued. 

To keep up with JD and his new squad, view the Red Wolves' schedule. 

​So far in the program's history, the NMSU team has made it one step farther in their season every year. Coach Drake claims that it all comes back to having goals and starting the season with intentionality. "At the beginning of every season, the boys and I sit down and set TEAM goals. In the last two seasons in the UPSL, the team has progressed one game further. For example in the Spring of 2021 (Season 1) the boys lost in the first round of playoffs, while in the Fall of 2021 (Season 2) the boys lost in the Championship match of the Arizona Division. This past season, the boys set a team goal of reaching the round of 32 and getting one game better every year. [This season] I was expecting the student-athletes to improve one step at a time through experience and hard work."

​As the season progressed, success came with it but so did the growth of the players. One of the biggest changes seen among the team was culture, taking ownership, and coming together as a family. "The biggest improvement I have seen within this group is a sense of belief within the team, the 'we versus me' mentality, and the boys attitude to fight for each other on and off the field" Drake stated. 

​In addition to the success of the season, the NMSU team gained a brand new home field on campus "[With] a field to call their own, the boys feel like they have a sense of belonging now" Drake continued. The team certainly leaned on home-field advantage by never dropping a game on their new pitch. 

The NMSU team's success wouldn't have been as sweet without a community of encouragement, "The support from the UDA families has been amazing! Traveling from all over the country and some families from outside the country, we couldn't ask for a better group of parents to cheer on the team!" Drake said. Outside of the UDA families' continued support, the local community has helped spread the word about supporting the NMSU squad.

As we reflect on this past season, we can't help but get excited for what's to come this fall and the chance to welcome in a new group of players and their families. "As Coaches, we're so looking forward to welcoming the incoming class of student-athletes. Coach Blake and I are excited about what we feel this group can be in the coming years. With all that being said, we can't wait to create relationships and help these young men achieve success on and off the field." Stated Drake. ​

The NMSU team is headed back to training this month, and we can't wait to cheer them on! Stay turned for an updated roster and game schedule at UDAUS.org
​

​Three years after forming at New Mexico State University, the men’s University Degrees Abroad soccer academy program finally has a dedicated practice and playing field on NMSU’s Las Cruces campus – a major milestone for the players, coaches and support staff.

“To be honest, it feels like we’re now legitimate collegiate soccer program,” said Jeff Thompson, UDA program director.
To celebrate the new soccer pitch – located on the lower deck of NMSU’s intramural fields – UDA will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony Saturday, May 14. The event, which is free and open to the public, will also include youth activities, food trucks, a 50-50 raffle and a match between UDA and El Paso’s Sun City AFC.

The team worked with NMSU’s Facilities and Services, an outside contractor and a turfgrass expert at NMSU to transform what was once an unremarkable open field into a pristine soccer pitch that closely meets professional standards.

To complete the project, crews installed fencing around the perimeter of the field.
​“It’s more like a true football pitch – we’re 75 yards wide, 110 yards long,” Thompson said.

“We want soccer fans from NMSU, Las Cruces and beyond to come out to our new pitch and experience what UDA is all about, starting with our ribbon-cutting event,” he said.
The festivities will start at 2 p.m. with youth activities. The ribbon-cutting will take place at 3:30 p.m., and the match against Sun City AFC will kick off at 4 p.m.

Free parking will be available at Rentfrow Hall. Visitors should bring chairs and blankets.
​
“Las Cruces is a big soccer community, and now is the time to support our team,” said Blake Ordell, UDA associate technical director and co-head coach.

NMSU and UDA teamed up in 2019 to create a developmental men’s soccer program. The program – UDA’s first in the U.S. – has 30 students, all of whom are seeking degrees at NMSU or Doña Ana Community College. ​