Riverside Coras Rebrands as Club Xolos USA U-23

Riverside Coras is proud to announce a rebranding initiative that will see the club now operate as Club Xolos USA U-23.

“We are excited to develop the next Paul Arriola, Carlos Bocanegra, or Joe Corona in our region,” Club Xolos USA U-23 Executive Director Rob Lopez said. “The Inland Empire has been a hub for soccer talent, and having Club Xolos de Tijuana in our area will create a great opportunity for many local players to be seen and catapulted into the next level.”

The club will participate in the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) as a reserve satellite program.  They will also form a junior, boys, and girls academy.  

“We are delighted to establish this relationship with a club that has operated in Southern California for more than 50 years and has built a strong bond and contributed to its community,” Xolos Academy FC President Ramon P. Vazquez said.  “In the last three years of our relationship, we have witnessed that Riverside Coras develops talented players and launches them around the world to play at a higher level of soccer. It is no secret that the Inland Empire has a vast number of talented players with so much potential, and we look forward to providing the coaching, resources, and guidance needed to usher them into an opportunity to be scouted and play with Club Tijuana Xoloitzcuintles de Caliente.  Again, we are excited to establish a Xolos reserve satellite program in Riverside and the Inland Empire.”

Deportivo Coras originated in 1969 in Southern California when several former professional players from well-known Mexican professional club team Coras de Deportivo Tepic immigrated to the U.S.  Within the first five seasons of playing in the California Men’s Soccer League, Deportivo Coras had five consecutive championships and had one of the largest fan bases in the Los Angeles area. The La Opinión newspaper and several local businesses would support and sponsor the club team after seeing it win numerous local and state championships. 

In March 2015, Deportivo Coras relocated and joined the NPSL as Riverside Coras.  The club has been able to propel several players into the professional soccer leagues during five seasons in the NPSL.  Those players include Christian Zamora (CD Chivas/Deportivo Tepic), Sergio Buenrostro (Queretaro FC), Alonso Lara (FCA Darmstadt), Omar Aguilar Cruz (Mérida AD), Eric Gonzalez (Las Vegas Lights/Oakland Roots), Yosimar Hernandez (Reno 1868), and Julio Rabadan (Real Sport Clube).

“Riverside is a diverse and growing community with a strong sports tradition,”  Riverside Mayor Pro Tem Andy Melendrez said. “We look forward to Riverside families having a place to cheer on a local team while helping to create a positive economic impact in our city.  We welcome Xolos de Tijuana to the Riverside community and thank them for their investment in our city.”

Club Tijuana Xoloitzcuintles de Caliente was founded in 2007 and five years later, the club became champions of Mexico’s first division after an unprecedented run during the 2012 Apertura. The Xoloitzcuintles, under Coach Antonio Mohamed, beat CD Toluca in the LIGA MX championship final with a 4-1 aggregate score to become the youngest franchise to win a Mexican title.