Michigan Stars FC

Michigan Stars Football Club is an American professional soccer team based in the Metro Detroit area. The team currently competes in the National Independent Soccer Association (NISA).

Michigan Stars FC
Full nameMichigan Stars Football Club
Nickname(s)The Stars
Founded1982 (1982), appropriated from Dearborn Stars
Circa 1998 (1998), as Windsor Spartans FC
2014 (2014), as Michigan Stars FC
StadiumBarnabo Field[1]
Capacity4,000
OwnerGeorge Juncaj
Head CoachTrevor Banks
LeagueNational Independent Soccer Association
20223rd place
playoffs: NISA Champions
WebsiteClub website

History

The club was established circa 1998 as Windsor Spartans FC in Windsor, Ontario, Canada.[2] In 2012, the team moved to the Metro Detroit area in Michigan, and joined the National Premier Soccer League as FC Sparta Michigan for the 2013 season.[3] In January 2014, the team was purchased by Dearborn Sports Enterprise (DSE) and rebranded Michigan Stars FC.[4]

The team went on hiatus for the 2018 season, and during this time, George Juncaj purchased a 50% stake in the club, ensuring that his sons would have a team to play on.[5] The team returned for the NPSL 2019 season and the 2019 NPSL Members Cup. In the beginning of September, Juncaj purchased the remaining 50% of the club and on September 21, 2019, Michigan Stars FC were announced as a National Independent Soccer Association expansion team that would take part in the league's Spring half of the 2019–20 season.[6]

Players and staff

Current roster
As of March 28, 2022[7]
No. Position Player Nation
1 GK John Hollinger  United States
2 DF Tekodah Lobsiger  United States
3 DF Edi Mujan  United States
4 DF Robert Juncaj  United States
5 DF Joseph Aidoo  Liberia
6 MF Bernardo Majano  El Salvador
7 MF Steven Juncaj  United States
10 FW Kyle Nuel  United States
11 FW Bryant Nardizzi  United States
13 FW Tom Suchecki  United States
14 FW Alexander Satrústegui  Spain
15 DF Andrés Chalbaud  Venezuela
16 GK Tatenda Mkuruva  Zimbabwe
17 MF Alexandre Frank  France
19 DF David Ivezaj  United States
20 MF Cyrus Tran  United States
21 MF Zachary Reynolds  United States
24 DF Israel Espinoza  United States
25 DF James Abraham  England
27 FW Leon Maric  Bosnia and Herzegovina
28 DF Kyle Nelson  United States
30 DF Devon Amoo-Mensah  United States
— DF Vasilios Zogos  Greece
— DF Jake Campbell  United States
— DF Iakov Shmelev  Russia
— MF Roger Rojas-Goodbold  United States
— MF Nemanja Gvodzic  Serbia

Year-by-year
Season League Div. Pos. Pl. W D L GS GA Pts. Playoffs U.S. Open Cup Top goalscorer Manager
Name Goals
2013 NPSL Midwest-Great Lakes 5th 12 2 2 8 10 34 8 Did not qualify Not Eligible[8]
2014 Midwest-Great Lakes West 4th 14 4 1 9 17 31 13 Did not qualify
2015 Midwest 9th 12 4 1 7 17 21 13 United States Mark Christensen
2016 Midwest-Great Lakes West 3rd 12 5 4 3 17 13 19 England Andy Wagstaff
2017 Midwest-Great Lakes 5th 14 3 6 5 26 30 15 Morris Lupenec
2018 On Hiatus
2019 NPSL Midwest-Great Lakes 6th 14 3 5 6 14 17 14 Did not qualify Did not qualify Montenegro George Juncaj
NPSL Members Cup 5th 10 2 2 6 9 17 8
2019–20 Spring[lower-alpha 1] NISA 8th 2 0 0 2 1 3 0 Canceled Canceled United States Travis Ward 1 Germany Alexander Strehmel
2020–21 Fall Eastern 2nd 4 2 2 0 6 2 8 Group stage Canceled United States Kyle Nuel 2
2020–21 Spring 8th 8 1 2 5 5 12 5 Did not qualify
2021 7th 18 5 6 7 24 24 21 United States Leon Maric
United States Kyle Nuel		 5
2022 3rd 23 10 8 5 27 15 38 Champions Second round Greece Vasilios Zogos 5 United States Trevor Banks
  1. Spring season cancelled before completion[9]

References
  1. "Tweet". Twitter. Michigan Stars FC. 26 April 2021. Retrieved 28 April 2021.
  2. Sharpe, Fletcher (22 March 2013). "FC Sparta Michigan joins crowded minor league soccer scene in Metro Detroit". MLive. Retrieved 11 October 2019.
  3. "GROWTH CONTINUES FOR NPSL". November 2, 2012. Archived from the original on 14 December 2013. Retrieved 14 November 2012.
  4. "MICHIGAN STARS FC TO COMPETE IN THE NPSL - National Premier Soccer League". Archived from the original on 2014-01-11. Retrieved 2014-01-11.
  5. "NPSL Members Cup competition thanking its lucky stars for Michigan entry". 2019-07-26. Retrieved 2023-02-14.
  6. "U.S. Soccer approves Detroit City FC, Michigan Stars to play in pro league NISA". The Detroit News. Retrieved 24 February 2020.
  7. "Roster". michiganstarsfc.com. Retrieved February 24, 2020.
  8. Josh Hakala (9 April 2013). "Great Lakes Division teams decline 2013 US Open Cup berths as NPSL entries finalized". TheCup.us. Retrieved 7 May 2013.
  9. Kennedy, Paul. "NISA cancels spring season, sets sights on August start to fall championship". www.socceramerica.com. Retrieved 28 April 2020.
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