Typhoon FC Interview

Typhoon FC performed the unthinkable this year by repeating as July 4th Men’s Soccer champions. How does a team whose players are spread throughout the country come together in just one day and win this prestigious tournament? We sat down with team founder David Xiong to ask these important questions:

HT: Your team won the J4 tournament for the second consecutive year. Going into it this year, were you confident that your team would win it again or is this win even more surprising than last year?

David: We were confident that we were bringing up a good strong team to compete in this years event but we did not anticipate that we would be able to win it again. As you know, with the rule being open there were a lot of good teams both all Hmong teams and all Non-Hmong teams. 
 
HT: Typhoon FC is compiled just once a year specifically to play in the J4 tournament. How many times does the team actually practice before the tournament? And how do you suppose with such little time to play as a team can Typhoon beat these other teams who are together all year round?

David: Yes, Typhoon FC is compiled only to compete in J4. We only meet one time on Friday night (one day before the tournament) to practice for the tournament.

Every team that comes to the tournament is loaded with skillful players but the only difference that separates us from the other team is that we seem to have the chemistry. There is a mis-conception that if you can recruit all the best players that you would be able to win tournaments. In my opinion we have some of the best players but without chemistry, we wouldn’t have been able to win.  
 
HT: There are some really good individual players on Typhoon. Can you name some of these individuals and where they are from and what kind of soccer background they each have on their resume?
 
David: Here is a list of our players with their jersey number and where they are from.
 
1 - Tou Yang (OK) 2 - Zong Moua (WI) 3 - Ek Lo (NE) 4 - Robert Yang (OK) 5 - Yot Lo (NE) 6 - Whougie Lo (NE) 7 - Lorchi Lo (OK) 8 - Timmothy Lor (MO) 9 - Des Fitzgerald (England) 10 - Henrique Sousa (Brazil) 11 - Steven Arosco (OK) 12 - Tuee Yang (GA)13 - Solo Moua (WI) 14 - Chang Yang (NC) 15 - Tomek Sawan (NE) 16 - Ko Fong Yang (OK) 17 - Ste Heu (GA) 18 - Meng Yang (GA) 19 - Xai Xiong (WI) 20 - Anthony Xiong (TX) 21 - Duke Lo (MN)
 
HT: Your team this year also included a few non-Asian players. There were rumors that some of these players were professional players. Can you address these rumors?

David: Yes, we did have a couple of non-Asian players on our team this year. No, they are not professional players.
 
HT: What is your personal opinion on the July 4th tournament? The organizers changed the rules to allow more non-Asian teams / players into the tournament. What is your reaction to these rule changes; Do you think it has improved over the years or do you think it has gotten worse? What would you do to improve it?

David: Yes, there were a lot of good Hmong teams and non-Hmong teams at the tournament this year. I am very concern that the rule change to J4 will in time affect young Hmong soccer players. I am concern that with the rule change there will be less and less young Hmong soccer players interested in competing in J4 since they will be competing with more and more semi-professional teams. 

I think we have forgotten about the reason why J4 exist. One of the many reasons why we (Hmong People) attend J4 is the see the best Hmong soccer player. Without Hmong people playing soccer at J4 there will be no reason to attend. LF doesn’t realize how this is going to affect J4 in the future. I am guessing there would be less and less Hmong people interested in attending J4.