Duluth Welcomes Alumni Squad

Duluth FC is excited to announce we will be showcasing members of our original Duluth Amateur Soccer League (DASL) squad during our home match against the Sioux Falls Thunder on June 23rd. The DASL squad was originally fielded in 2015 and featured men from all sides of Duluth, including our founder and owner Tim Sas. Dressed in blue and green stripes, the original BlueGreens started it all long before the days of the APL, NPSL, and U.S. Open Cup.

We hope all our fantastic supporters show up not only to see the (current) BlueGreens chase after another strong season in the NPSL, but also to join us in thanking the people who joined and helped build this club three years ago, aiming only to create a place where they could have some fun and be part of something they loved.

For more, we talked to Mihailo Lalich, Duluth’s original captain and a central midfielder during the DASL days. Mihailo knew Father Tim Sas long before the club’s founding through the church and was good friends with the club founder by the time the idea of playing in DASL started to circulate in 2014. “At the time it sounded a bit ambitious, but I jumped at the chance to play competitively again, especially with Fr. Tim.”

Mihailo had played the beautiful game since the age of five, playing for the Milwaukee Kickers and the United Serbs. Both Milwaukee based organizations still exist and provide opportunities for adults and youth to play. Mihailo found the Milwaukee scene special not just for its passion but for its connection to a variety of international communities, “Milwaukee is gifted with a number of ethnic communities, most of which have their own soccer clubs. That soccer tradition made it a beautiful place to grow up and easy to fall in love with soccer.”

On the topic of motivations and goals, Lalich kept it simple, “I would say the driving force for all of us at the beginning was our love for soccer. We all had busy lives, families, jobs, and were more or less out of shape… the love for soccer definitely brought us together and motivated us to get out there.” That simple passion has now grown to a complex organization and Mihailo was quick to credit Father Tim as the core engine for Duluth’s rapid expansion. “I think Fr. Tim has always been thinking how he can make the team better. The success of the project can be attributed to his vision and hard work and passion for the sport.” He also appreciated the global presence within the club, calling back to the worldly and ethnic diversity that had made Milwaukee a beautiful place for the beautiful game. “I was so impressed with the multi-national backgrounds of the players. I think it is a great asset to Duluth and the whole Northland to have this level of competitive soccer and international flavor within our own home.”

We will be thanking Mihailo and all his teammates this weekend with a special recognition, come join us in showing some love for the original BlueGreens. Saturday’s match against Sioux Falls will be held at Public Schools Stadium, kicking off at 7:00 pm. Thank you for your continued support and loyalty to bringing the beautiful game to the beautiful city, see you there!

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