While members of Turlock’s Academica Soccer Club walked off the pitch of Davis Legacy Stadium for the final time in the 2024 USL League Two season on Saturday night, head coach Sergio Sousa did so for the final time at the helm.
After losing 3-2 to Davis Legacy SC, Sousa announced that he would be stepping down to fully focus on coaching at Merced College.
“I am very happy with where I am and who I am today. But I also wish to continue to grow. AC, you really matter to me. Although this is incredibly hard for me, I have to commit my time and efforts elsewhere,” Sousa said on social media Sunday. “I’m sad. I’m a little nervous. This is not easy. But I’m also excited for this new chapter.”
Sousa has led Academica’s men's program since 2017, though he and his family have been involved in the club for decades.
“I was born into this club,” he said. “My entire childhood, I looked up to my dad, my uncles and others that we called ‘family.’ I couldn’t wait to grow up to be able to be a part of the team. As a teenager, I finally got to share the field with all of them and I thought it was the coolest thing in the world. I always associated this club with family and friends. It has been a huge part of my identity.”
In his years as head coach, the semi-professional soccer club has gone from competing locally in LIGA NorCal to nationally in the National Premier Soccer League from 2018 to 2022 before moving to the USL League Two last year. Under Sousa’s leadership, the team won the 2021 NPSL title.
“Seven years ago, our club was at a low point. I wanted to be a part of bringing it back to the standard that its reputation is tied to,” Sousa said. “Together, we continuously elevated our club into what it is today… We created a real club - top to bottom - with youth teams, a men’s, and a women’s first team (in 2023).”
Academica finished the 2024 regular season with a 3-8-3 record, good for just seventh place in the eight-team NorCal division, a slight drop off from their 4-7-1 record achieved in their inaugural season a year ago.
The Turlock-based team had a goal differential of -5. Of their 21 goals, 10 came at home, which means a total of $750 was raised for Jessica’s House in Turlock, a nonprofit providing grief support to local children and families. At the start of the season, the soccer club announced that $75 would be donated to Jessica’s House for each home goal scored by their men’s and women’s squads. Between the men and women, $1,725 was raised.
In addition to the regular USL season, the club played an international exhibition against the Chivas de Guadalajara U23 team on June 7, a match that ended in a thrilling 2-2 draw in front of nearly 2,000 local fans packed inside Turlock High’s Joe Debely Stadium.
“There's a room full of trophies and photos of moments that I am very proud to say that I was a part of,” Sousa continued. “We always aspired for more. The club has become a model and a reference for anybody who is aspiring to bring quality ball to the Central Valley.”
Sousa will enter his fourth season as the head coach at Merced College this fall. He took the helm in 2021, several years after the school cut both the men’s and women’s soccer teams. This past season, the men’s team finished nationally ranked in the community college circuit after achieving a 14-4-5 record in the Central Valley Conference of the California Community College Athletic Association.
“Without Sergio, we’re not where we are today,” said Academica General Manager Michael Rocha. “The game got better in the Central Valley because of him. Although it's tough to see him step down, we couldn't be more excited for what's to come for him. In such a short time, he's turned Merced College into a national power and we can't wait to see what he does moving forward.”
“I want to say thank you to the club, its directors, its fans. Thank you for letting me continue to be a part of this for so long,” Sousa continued. “To all the players who have been a part of our club these past years, thank you for accepting me as your coach. AC allowed me to continue to invest in and improve my craft and profession. I was challenged and pushed here with every jump we made. Without those challenges, I couldn’t have put myself into the situation that I am in today.”
