“She [CD Mexico] were really good. So quick on the ball,” recalled Bob Gansler, son of the former US men’s national team coach of the same name, who played for Bayern that year. “We didn’t have our best day, but they did [El Faro] were not afraid to attack in large numbers.”
Santiago Lopez remembers growing up with cup hero Angulo, who passed away a few years ago. Angulo’s son was the same age as Santiago and the two kicked the ball at halftime in El Farolito’s games at the historic Boxer Stadium, their home ground to this day.
“Everyone respected him [Angulo]’ Santiago said. “He was so deadly on the field.”
The semifinals were exciting and difficult, but the same cannot be said of this year’s tournament finals. CD Mexico drove through the game and defeated United German-Hungarians of Pennsylvania in an unequal score 5-0 to lift the trophy that now stands proud in the spiritual home of El Faro.
Downshift after 1993
Soon after, the team was known again as El Farolito SC. But it took them a while to get back to the highs they had in the early ’90s. “After 1993, the club really disappeared with the Open Cup,” Santiago said. “That wasn’t really a big priority.”
Coaches came and went, and the team competed only in amateur weekend tournaments and in the SFSFL, which was slowly declining in quality with the resurgence of professional sports, particularly Major League Soccer, formed in 1996.
It wasn’t until 2011 that Santiago decided to step in. At this point in El Farolito’s history, the team transitioned from the SFSFL to the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL).
“I had no interest in playing football or being involved with football,” Santiago said. Still, “I really wanted to help… and we kept winning. We won a few championships.”
In 2017, after winning the statewide NPSL’s Golden Gate Conference, El Farolito automatically earned a spot in the US Open Cup – the club’s first appearance since winning the championship.
It was nothing compared to their famous run a long time ago when El Farolito lost to SF City in the first round of the tournament. But the loss was a turning point in Santiago’s tenure as coach.
A return to the big stage
“Since then I’ve been fully focused,” said Santiago. “Not just win locally, win in NPSL or the league, but try to compete and qualify for the Open Cup.”
Santiago was determined to qualify again. He knew that finding the right balance between leading the entire team and helping run the restaurants was crucial to the club’s well-being.
Irene Lopez ensures that everything runs smoothly. She helps Santiago with smaller tasks like securing ambulances for games. She calls it a “routine” she’s grown accustomed to, but also says that “every year is special.”
