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Energy Football Club comes to OKC; Coach Jimmy Nielsen expects a bright future for American soccer

Cassie Gage
/
Prodigal LLC/Energy FC

Professional soccer officially arrives in Oklahoma City this weekend.  KOSU’s Nikole Robinson Carroll explains.

If you’ve seen the green scarves around Oklahoma City, you might be aware of the new professional sports team in town.  Energy Football Club plays the home opener of its first season against Orlando Saturday night.  Coach Jimmy Nielsen says he has high hopes for his team, even though they’ve been together only 4 months.  He describes his international roster as a “young and hungry” group who have individual goals, but not to the detriment of the team’s performance.  The team’s record going into this weekend’s game is 2-2.
 
Nielsen says the increasing popularity of soccer stateside makes the U.S. a more desirable location for motivated young footballers to launch their professional careers.  Nielsen himself is an international transplant.  He’s originally from Denmark and played for Kansas City before being recruited to coach Oklahoma City.  You can find more information about Energy Football Club and buy tickets at energyfc.com.

Nikole Robinson Carroll joined KOSU’s staff in November 2013. She began her professional broadcasting career at WEKU in Richmond, Kentucky, but her passion for radio can be traced back to her childhood bedroom, where she would perform “radio shows” on a tape recorder. She holds a Master of Public Administration from Eastern Kentucky University and has worked for a variety of social service and nonprofit agencies.
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