29-07-2025
Hickory FC advances to championship match
Catawba County soccer club, Hickory FC, which has a huge following in the area, will fly out to San Francisco on Thursday to play for the league title.
Channel 9's Dave Faherty spoke with players and coaches about the support from the community and why the players, who are not paid, do it.
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'We love to play for you. It's been an absolute pleasure to represent this community,' Coach Carlos Rubio said. 'We know that with your support, whether it's in California or if it's here in Hickory, we know that we're gonna have that extra motivation to win that championship for you.'
The semi-pro team plays its home games at Moretz Stadium on the campus of Lenoir-Rhyne University in Hickory.
More than 6,000 fans were in attendance at their last game.
The hard work of the 26-player National Premier Soccer League team has paid off. They are just one game away from bringing Hickory a national championship.
Most of the players are college students from Europe and South America. They are provided housing and get travel expenses. Several of them say they play for the exposure and the love of the game.
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