Greenville is growing fast, and so is its sports scene–the newest addition being a professional soccer team. The Greenville Triumph joined the city’s building entertainment scene in 2019 for their inaugural season as one of three original expansion teams in the USL League One. Now at the top of the league, the Triumph offer a level of competition and a fan experience enticing for all of Greenville’s sports fans.
“Our environment, which combines tailgating, celebrations and chanting with play that is so focused on winning games and championships, is most comparable to college football,” said Doug Erwin, Chief Brand Officer, about the Triumph’s draw for young people and sports fans in Greenville. With a focus on improvement in all areas, the team’s front office, coaching squad, and roster continue to grow. In the months between their first and second seasons, the Triumph loaded on talent in their depth chart, welcoming a handful of powerful players. As the newest members of team Triumph, Alex Morrell, Lachlan McLean and Cesar Murillo have already made a significant impact.
McLean tallied his fifth USL League One Team of the Week honor, scoring both of Greenville’s goals against FC Tucson in a draw on the road this past weekend. Morrell, now two-time Player of the Week, matches McLean in appearances and has three goals on the season. Murillo came to Greenville from last season’s champions, North Texas SC, and has already shown strength in the defensive line with 15 clearances and 22 tackles.
“We’ve seen a roster of players that improved on an already successful 2019 season by bringing quality depth we lacked in our first year,” said Erwin. Veteran goalkeeper Dallas Jaye, 2019 Golden Gloves Winner and USL League One Goalkeeper of the Year, re-joined the Triumph’s defensive line, starting all 14 games, conceding only eight goals and recording nine clean sheets on the season.
Aside from the team’s on-field talent, their connection to the larger Greenville community is strong, growing game by game. Their slogan “Together We Triumph” was evident this summer in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Triumph and their community partners raised over $40,000 for Greenville’s United Way COVID-19 relief fund.
“We’re singular in our mission to keep everyone safe and healthy while providing an outlet for joy and happiness during the pandemic,” said Erwin, about the team’s continuing goals. The negatives of the pandemic and the late start to the season did not affect the Triumph’s force, who played the first six games of the 2020 season without a loss. With only two games remaining, the Triumph sit comfortably in first at 10-2-2 and have already secured their spot in the championship final for the second year in a row.
“Having made that game last year but coming up just short on the road to a great team, we realize the importance of hosting the game this year,” said Erwin, hoping the Triumph can claim their one needed league point to secure home field advantage. “We feel if we’re able to get that home field, we’ve got a fantastic shot at winning it all.”
The USL League One Final is scheduled for Oct. 30 at 8:00 p.m. between the Greenville Triumph and an undetermined opponent.
