Though the debut of their Pro team in the USL is still a year off, the historic first player is Leo Guarino. We have know him and his family for almost two decades and know Leo to be a great player and a fine young man as well. He was the initial singing for the academy out of almost two dozen players who will begin to train Feb 17. In Nov, the team with HC/SD Josep Gombau and TD & ex-Cosmos technical staff member Luis Gutierrez held a number of trials. Gombau is relocating from Barcelona in advance of the kick off for the USL Academy League, they will compete in the Northeast Div. Most players will hail out of the tri-state area of course including those out of Queens.
Guarino, at just 17, had been with the Cosmos and saw time in the last game, since Aug. of 2020, an attacking midfielder he has already had a great deal of success. While the USSDA existed, he was with the NYCFC academy from 2017-'20 and prior with the NYRB one from 2015-'16. His home club, Lynbrook/East Rockaway took a pair of NYS & LI titles over 2011-'15. During his time with NYCFC, he captained the side and was the top goal getter for their U-17's.
In other academy news.......
Piero Elias of Maspeth another teenager at 18, also came out of the NYCFC program, the Defensive midfielder will combine with the offensive minded Guarino and was with the Met Oval program 2015, 2018-'20. A Peruvian native, he was in camp with their U-18's.
What sets this Academy apart from the others is that it is fully funded as are some. Unlike most, they are providing at no cost housing, education and other necessities for the unique internationals to avail themselves to as they ply their trade with the latest of pro clubs in NYC.
The first such player to be in residence:
Po Rodriguez Subiras, an 18 year old GK out of Spain, Gimnastic de Tarragona, among the most historic of teams, funded in 1886, in Spain. They are in the 2nd div. there. He is a business management & Administration student in his city at, Universitat Rovira i Virgili.
Gombau stated "The QBFC Academy is one major step of many towards building our fist-ever professional team for Spring 2022 kickoff. It has been incredible to see the commitment of these young players. After months of planning and preparation, we are ready to come together and train as a team, an I am looking forward to soon unveiling our final QBFC Academy roster."