For those Albion San Diego fans anxiously awaiting if the team will return for 2024, it was recently announced that Capistrano FC will be moving up to play in the National Independent Soccer Association this coming season.

Albion and Capo FC faced each other in the 2022 NISA Independent Cup So Cal Final when the team from San Juan Capistrano was competing in NISA Nation. Capo FC began as a grassroots, community youth club in 2006 and most recently fielded sides in the Southwest Premier League, and United Premier Soccer League, and spent the past summer season in USL2.

“We’ve got a whole pathway now and we’re going to do USL2 for our college guys,” said Capo FC president, club director, and head coach Peter Carey. “We’ve had our youth club since 2006 and we’ll have a reserve team in NISA Nation.”

Before the move to the professional ranks, Capo FC’s first team was a standout member of the full-year NISA Nation league over the previous three seasons. The team also had an opportunity to take on Liga MX side Xolos de Tijuana on Saturday, Dec. 30 at JSerra Catholic High School where Capo FC plays its home games with the match ending in a 1-1 draw thanks to a second-half penalty conversion by midfielder Daniel Segal.

“We’re just trying to do something special in our community,” Carey added. “We want to create something similar to what they have in Europe and South America with a community that can develop kids and create a pro team that gives them someone they can look up to who is from the same environment.”

Capo FC had two players sign with USL Championship team LA Galaxy II last year along with another signed to play in Portugal and one more in Poland. The complete NISA 2024 slate of clubs, schedule, and playoff format will be announced in early 2024.