Tag Archives: westchester soccer club

Westchester Soccer Club Names George Gjokaj Sporting Director and Head Coach and Ray Selvadurai Technical Advisor

Westchester Soccer Club today announced that it has named George Gjokaj Sporting Director and Head Coach and Ray Selvadurai Technical Advisor for the club, effective immediately. These two veteran coaches and talent evaluators have over 60 years of combined experience in every area of the game, begin their new roles immediately.

‘When we looked at both the needs and the opportunity we have in re-focusing and building our organization from the academy level to the professional side, we realized that two professionals who were almost literally in our backyard were interested and available, and we are proud to welcome George and Ray to our team,” said Westchester SC Principal Owner Mitch Baruchowitz. “We have said from day one our success lies in the talent in our region that we need to develop, a fan base that needs to be cultivated and inspired, and to make sure that the level of play and execution on the pitch at our USL League One club mirrors our growth on every level, and we are confident that these two talented and well-respected soccer lifers are the ones to take us there.”

“I look at Westchester Soccer Club and understand the vast potential and impact we can have, especially as someone who has lived and worked on the development and coaching side right here in the area for decades,” Gjokaj said. “It will be an honor to help lead and realize that potential for years to come as we build and grow together in this amazing community.”

Gjokaj comes to WSC after serving as the head men’s soccer coach at Purchase College, and as the head of FC Westchester, one of the most prestigious programs in the nation. He has coached and mentored a constant stream of pro Pathway and collegiate level players since 1997. Gjokaj is a lifetime New Yorker having played youth soccer for BW Gottschee and collegiately at both Adelphi and St John’s Universities, captaining the Red Storm as a senior in 1995 and leading them to their fourth-straight NCAA Tournament appearance. George was also a key member of the scouting team that was responsible for building the player base for NYCFC in their launch season in MLS, a club that eventually won the MLS Cup. As a player Gjokaj spent time at FC Kaiserslautern before returning to the US to feature for NY Fever, North Jersey Imperials as well as Albany Alley Cats, all of the former USISL.

“Like George, being a native New Yorker who has been involved in every area of the soccer development pipeline I understand both challenges and potential, and I firmly believe that the potential here for both performance and business growth from the academy level through the professional side is very much untapped,” Selvadurai added. “I believe in working in a nurturing and cooperative atmosphere that will translate to success, and it is an honor to take on this role to help execute a vision that is very much needed not just in this area, but nationally as well.”

Selvadurai brings over 25 years of experience of coaching as the youth, college, pre-professional and professional levels to WSC. Most recently he has been the Director of Coaching for Manhattan Soccer Club, the largest youth and pre-professional soccer club in the New York City Area, where he oversees the youth soccer player, coach and team development of over 1,500 club registrants for both genders. Ray has developed a nationally recognized program that has produced four (4) youth soccer national championships, numerous NCAA and NJCAA college student-athletes, as well as several professional players overseas, in the USL (United Soccer Leagues) and MLS (Major League Soccer). With a keen understanding of the soccer landscape in the tri-state area and nationally, Ray will bring his expertise to advise the Westchester SC leadership in club operations, player relations and acquisition. He was a four-year starter and team captain as a senior and Brandeis University, earning All-UAA and NSCAA Regional All-American honors as well.

Westchester Soccer Club will begin its second season in USL League One in April, 2026.

Westchester Soccer Club Formally Launches Community Ownership Opportunity

Westchester Soccer Club, which began play this month in USL League One, today formally announced a community ownership opportunity, offering supporters from around the world the chance to own a piece of the club. The fan ownership program, which has seen great success in Europe and in other parts of the United States, will be a first for the New York region in any professional sport. Interest has also dramatically increased in the past week since the USL’s announcement to be the first professional sports league in the United States to adopt promotion and relegation in the next few years.

“Westchester SC wanted to provide its supporters with a platform to become deeply involved in the team’s future success. We believe the community ownership opportunity was a perfect vehicle to for all fans – from the soccer-crazy fans in the New York area to our supporters across the globe,” said Westchester SC Principal Owner Mitch Baruchowitz. “There are few better ways to show your fandom than to say you have a part of ownership, and for a small financial investment, we are providing an opportunity for fans to become part of the team’s legacy.”

The investment, which can be as little as $150, is open to potential supporters globally. Details can be found here: https://republic.com/westchestersc. By becoming an equity investor, fans will become owners of WSC and will support the team’s planned growth. Fans have the opportunity to participate in the investment round via Republic, with tiered bonus perks including exclusive owner’s merchandise, dinners and special events with the WSC squad, and special ticket opportunities.

Westchester SC officially launched their inaugural season in USL League One on Saturday March 8 with a 1-1 tie at Greenville Triumph SC. It was their first of four USL road matches to start the season before their home opener at The Stadium at Memorial Park in Mount Vernon, NY against Rhode Island SC on April 27. All WSC home and away USL matches will be broadcast by MSG Networks.

The program follows similar offerings amongst growing professional soccer clubs, including Oakland Roots SC, FC Chattanooga and Orange County SC in California, all of whom created and executed successful fan ownership opportunities in the past few years.

Westchester Soccer Club Adds Three More Players For Their Inaugural Season in USL League One

Westchester Soccer Club today added three more players to their roster for their inaugural season in USL League One. The three, midfielders Bryan Vazquez and Andrew Jean-Baptiste and defender Joel Johnson, join a growing mix of veterans and young, athletic talent as WSC readies to officially open their first season on March 8 in Greenville, SC against Greenville Triumph SC with their home opener at The Stadium at Memorial Park against Rhode Island SC on April 27. All three contracts are subject to approval by the league.

‘One of the key elements of our club will be making sure we have both depth and experience, and our latest three signees continue to add to both areas for us,’ said Simon Baines, Sporting Director of WSC. “All three will fit well into the structure we are creating.”

The three newest players include:

Andrew Jean-Baptiste (Brooklyn, NY) joins Westchester SC with over a decade of professional and international experience, most recently as center-back for Valour FC. Baptiste starred at the University of Connecticut, earning 2011 Big East Conference Defensive Player of the Year before being selected 8th overall by the Portland Timbers in the first round of the 2012 MLS SuperDraft. He played in MLS for Portland, Chivas USA, and the New York Red Bulls from 2012-2015, before heading abroad to join Swedish side Ettan Nyköpings BIS in 2016. In February 2019, Jean-Baptiste continued his European career until 2020, when he joined Canadian Premier League side Valour FC, where has played the past three seasons. Andrew has played internationally for both the Haitian National and US National teams in his career as well.

Joel Johnson Alajarín (Torrent, Valencia) is a right-back who spent the last eight seasons in USL League One, most recently for Charlotte Independence last season. Prior to his USL time, Johnson played on virtually every level of professional soccer in Spain, coming up through the club system of Valencia FC before joining Real Madrid C and then with Real Jaénand CD Buñol. He has also played internationally as a member of the Liberian National team since 2016.

Bryan Vazquez officially joins the professional ranks with the club having previously made one appearance as an amateur signing for FC Cincinnati 2 of MLS NEXT Pro during the 2024 season. The 18-year-old midfielder has previously made two appearances for the El Salvador U-20 Men’s National Team at the 2024 Concacaf U-20 Championship.

These are the newest additions to a roster that already include a strong group of Americans with USL experience, including: wing back Kemar Lawrence, fullback Samory Powder, midfielder Conor McGlynn and defender Stephen Payne and a trio of Dutch natives in midfielders Daniel Bouman, Dean Diego Guezen and striker Koen Blommestijn

The club will be announcing several more signings in the coming weeks, as they ready for their initial season this coming April. The full schedule is at https://www.westchestersc.com/

Westchester Soccer Club Announces First Three International Signings For Their Inaugural Season in USL League One


Westchester Soccer Club today announced their first three international signees for their inaugural season in USL League One, Dutch natives Daniel Bouman, Dean Diego Guezen and Koen Blommestijn. The three join a growing core of young, established veterans as WSC readies to officially open their first season on March 8 in Greenville, SC against Greenville Triumph SC with their home opener at The Stadium at Memorial Park against Rhode Island SC on April 27. All three contracts are subject to approval by the league.

‘We continue to look for young, athletic professionals who will be able to play at the highest level in the system we are building, and these three…Daniel, Dean and Koen…are great fits for our plan,’ said Simon Baines, Sporting Director of WSC. “Their knowledge of the game and their level of professionalism will complement the players with USL experience we have already signed, and should fit well in what is quickly becoming a very talented roster.”

The three internationals include:

Central midfielder and former Australian youth international Daniel Bouman (Blaricum, The Netherlands), who brings significant experience from his time in Australia’s highest division, the A-league, as well as time spent in second league Greece and Australia’s NSW, where his club was crowned champions. Most notably, the FC Groningen youth product was a mainstay with Australia’s U23 side, registering 8 caps and 2 goals. Bouman holds both Australian and Dutch citizenship.

Midfielder Dean Diego Guezen (Amsterdam, The Netherlands) has logged professional seasons with Polish I liga club Zagłębie Sosnowiec, PEC Zwolle and TOP Oss and will be making his North American debut with Westchester SC. The 26 year old played in the youth departments of AFC, Ajax, ASV De Dijk and IVV before returning to AFC and subsequently moving to Feyenoord before beginning his professional career in 2020.

Striker Koen Blommestijn (Amstelveen, The Netherlands) Koen Blommestijn played in the youth teams of Legmeervogels , SV Argon , ASC Waterwijk and FC Almere before joining the amateur division of AFC Ajax in July 2019. He made his professional debut in February 2022 for FC Volendam, and has played professionally for Telstar, Quick Boys, and again last season for FC Volendam.

These are the newest additions to a roster that already include a strong group of Americans with USL experience, including: wing back Kemar Lawrence, fullback Samory Powder, midfielder Conor McGlynn and defender Stephen Payne.

The club will be announcing several more signings in the coming weeks, as they ready for their initial season this coming April. The full schedule is at https://www.westchestersc.com/