The Soccer Prank That Went Too Far

Two British kids fooled the Houston Dynamo into signing the “Honduran Maradona”—all with a fake Wikipedia page and prank calls. This week, we dive into one of the greatest cons in American soccer history. It’s a proper April Fool’s story. Plus, we rewind back to USL 1984, unveil our next bus destination, and much more.

This week’s stories:

• 🐊 Florida Bound

• ⏪ USL 1984

• 🤡 The Soccer Prank That Went Too Far

• 🏆 Club World Cup Play-In

• 🗳️ Poll + Last Week’s Answers

• ➡️ And More

CLUBELEVEN
Florida Bound

We’re ready for our second soccer bus adventure, trading the gorgeous mountains of North Carolina for the incredible beaches and wetlands of Florida.

We’ll be visiting our friends over at FC Naples for their Open Cup game against the Little Rock Rangers on Wednesday, and we can’t wait!

Expect upgrades to the bus, new toys, and giveaways with Naples. It’ll be a special evening to celebrate Florida’s brand new club, its blossoming community, and American soccer in all its glory.

More info right here. If you’re in Florida, come check out our soccer bus and hang out 🐊

OUR HISTORY
USL 1984

Before we had the modern USL we all know and love, there was a short-lived USL back in 1984 (it folded in ‘85) featuring teams with awesome names such as the Jacksonville Tea Men, the Buffalo Storm, the Houston Dynamos, and the Charlotte Gold.

This last one was the final addition to the league, becoming part of the USL on April 1, 1984—41 years ago today.

I’ve always been fascinated by short-lived teams and leagues in our country. Back then, many around the States might’ve looked down on them as hopeless fools, but decades later, they should be remembered as brave pioneers. They fought for a sunrise they probably knew they’d never see, yet they still chose to give it their all and try to lay a foundation for all the things we get to enjoy today.

Here’s a brief history on that short-lived 1984 USL.

COVER STORY
The Soccer Prank That Went Too Far

Some say it’s one of the greatest cons ever pulled in American soccer history.

Two meddling British kids fooled the Houston Dynamo into signing the “Honduran Maradona” in 2013 after editing a player’s Wikipedia page and prank calling renowned newspapers.

The story goes that two teenage pals in England had always had a knack for pranks, duping hotels, newspapers and even politicians through absurd phone calls and classic Wikipedia editing. They’d almost gotten expelled from school because of the ever-growing intensity of their pranks.

So, when the 2012 Olympics rolled around, the two boys set their sights on a new goal: trying to get an unknown player from Honduras to the big leagues. It’d be their magnum opus. Probably their last prank before “growing up” and retiring from the game.

That’s when midfielder Alexander Lopez caught their eye during the tournament.

They glanced through his Wikipedia page and saw he had three goals in 28 games for Honduran side Olimpia. They swiftly changed those numbers to 11 goals, added an assists column, and deemed that he should have 20 to his name. Then, they dropped in his description that Olimpia fans affectionately referred to him as the “Honduran Maradona.”

A harmless prank up until that point, but they decided to take things one step further. They wanted to get his name on the British papers, so they started calling journalists raving about a Honduran wonderkid that was being scouted by many teams over Europe. In the end, they were able to get The Times to print that Wigan Athletic had agreed to sign Alexander Lopez for 2.5M pounds (which wasn’t true at all).

No big deal, just a complete falsehood printed on one of the oldest and most influential publications in England. The news was also picked up by outlets across the Atlantic.

Over the next few months, the two pranksters kept updating Lopez’ Wikipedia stats as a joke: 18 goals…34 assists…51 games played.

It seemed innocent enough, until they saw a press release from the Houston Dynamo in MLS that absolutely shocked them.

The club was announcing the $1m signing of a “young international with a bright future,” who had “registered 18 goals and 34 assists in 51 career league games.”

What had they done?

EXPANSION
Club World Cup Play-In

After much speculation over the past week, we finally got an answer from FIFA.

Club León’s disqualification from the Club World Cup left open one coveted spot in the tournament. This is how it will be filled if León’s appeal is unsuccessful.

Of course, it will be a showdown between two big North American clubs.

I know which one I’ll be rooting for…

CLUBELEVEN
The Supporters Section

Which one would give a better spectacle and why? We’ll highlight your best answers next week!

CLUBELEVEN
Aggregates

NOLA Ramparts: Absolutely love this. Awesome name, great crest, and a step towards pro soccer in NOLA.

Match-Worn Kit: You can get a match-worn Asheville City SC kit from their USOC duel last month, and in the process, support the Next Eleven Fund, aiding the recovery of youth sports in Western North Carolina. Great initiative. 

The Gambler: This one had me speechless. It’s been a divisive approach. 

NWSL Boston: Finally got the new name for the Boston club. Had a few friends texting me that “it’s decent.” What do you think?

Lou x Frankfurt: Oh, how I miss Louisville. We got to shoot at Churchill Downs for our magazine a few months back, and it was one of the best experiences ever. Might just have to swing by for this friendly between LouCity and the Bundesliga giants this summer.

FASHION
Ballard FC Drop

Ballard FC may only be three-and-a-half years old, but they represent a community in Washington state filled with history and nostalgia, which they’ve chosen to celebrate through a sleek, timeless kit inspired by classic vintage pinstripe jerseys of the past.

I’m a sucker for understated kits just like this one, plus the accompanying photoshoot had me sold.

I’ll be keeping an eye out for the release of the Salmon Bay FC (Ballard’s newest women’s team) away kit release on Wednesday too. I got a sneak peek and I have a hunch people will like them. Always pulling for Lu Barnes and her projects in the Seattle area!

TELEVISION
Open Cup on CBS

Sickos rejoice!

Last week, CBS announced that they will have all Open Cup matches from the third round, which begins on April 15, through the final streaming on Paramount+ with select matches available on CBS Sports Network and CBS Sports Golazo Network.

In short, CBS will be the official English-language home of the tournament through 2026.

Part of me will miss those good ole YouTube streams to watch these games, but man what an amazing bit of news. The oldest tournament in America, featuring amateur and pro teams alike, will be streamed on the same platform as the Champions League. The sky is the limit. Pure, unbridled American soccer to the moon.

CLUBELEVEN
Your Takes 🗯️ 

Last week, we asked you: How confident are you that USL will be able to implement pro/rel by 2027/28? Here are some of your best answers:

• “I’m skeptical. The move will require USL ownership groups to do something they haven't done in its history: actively pay larger transfer fees on the international market. Will we see $2-3 million dollar transfer fees into this new USL Division One? That is a tough question that I do not see an answer to just yet. Also, the academy model MUST be better. It has to for the survival of this new first division.” - Jeremy

• “I’m somewhat confident. They really don’t have a choice. They have to get it done if they want to survive in the long term. Getting the owners to agree to this is already massive but hopefully they can get all the other pieces lined up which won’t be easy.” - JD

In the poll, “I’m skeptical” and “I’m somewhat confident” finished level with about 40% of the vote each. There were others who voted “very confident” which ended up giving the win to the optimist crowd.

I have to say, I’m in the optimist camp as well. Jeremy brings up strong points, but I want this to happen so badly that maybe it’s clouding my rational judgement. It’s really one of those things where if the USL doesn’t follow through, it will be a wasted opportunity and something that could spell doom in the long term. I agree with the sentiment that it’s something that they have to do in order to set themselves apart, and it would also be something fantastic for the game here. Already getting chills just thinking about Portland Hearts of Pine duking it out with New Mexico United for a Division One title in ten years. We’ll be there no matter what.

UP NEXT
Ship Ship Ship

We’ve started shipping out packages with The Soccer Odyssey, and we hear they’ve already started arriving! If you placed an order, keep an eye out in the mail. We’ll continue fulfilling orders as they come in.

Thank you everyone for supporting our work and fueling the bus tour with your purchase of the mag! It’s a surreal feeling, and from the whole CLUBELEVEN team, it means the world 🙌

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Have a great Tuesday!

Pablo