During their final practice at Crocker Amazon Soccer Fields, the team behind El Farolito Soccer Club trained with fire. Players shouted instructions and sprinted across the field, fighting for every loose ball. The intensity was matched only by the camaraderie between them.
The scene is a glimpse into what makes this team extraordinary: chemistry, confidence and community. On Saturday, August 2 at 5 p.m., El Farolito will face Hickory FC at the historic Kezar Stadium — once home to the San Francisco 49ers — as they fight to defend their NPSL title and cement their legacy in Bay Area sports history.
Best known as a beloved family-run chain of Mexican taquerías, El Farolito began with Salvador “Don Chava” Lopez, who opened the first location at 24th and Mission Streets in 1983. Proven successful, there are 12 El Farolito taquerías across the Bay Area.
His son, Santiago Lopez, now the team’s head coach, said Don Chava didn’t know anyone when he first immigrated to San Francisco. Starting a soccer team was hard. But in 1985, he managed to gather a group of players, and by 1993, they’d won the U.S. Open Cup, the nation’s longest-running soccer tournament, open to both pro and amateur clubs.
Today, many of the team’s newcomers have found what Don Chava once longed for but struggled to find: community.
“I found so much familiarity in this team when I first arrived in this country,” said Kevin Ortega, a 22-year-old midfielder from Colombia. He moved to the Bay Area with his family nearly two years ago and commutes from San Leandro to attend practices. During the week, he works as a DoorDash driver and picks up gigs painting houses and buildings. “It’s the professionalism in the team that makes me want to get better and improve.”
For outsiders unfamiliar with Farolito’s legacy, the odds of winning major silverware like the Open Cup might seem slim. The club’s amateur status means no one gets paid. But that label can be misleading. The current roster includes former professional players from Honduras, Colombia, the Ivory Coast, Brazil, Mexico, El Salvador and the U.S.
Most players also hold down full-time jobs: construction workers, delivery drivers, small business owners, contractors. What holds the team together is a shared passion, and a deep sense of unity.
Marco Da Silva, 45, is the assistant manager and a former Farolito player. He moved to the Bay Area from Brazil in 2005 and joined the squad the following year. He played until 2014 and has now been involved with the club for nearly 20 years. These days, he helps run Mama Mia Pizza with his family in Brisbane while helping guide Farolito into their second straight NPSL final.
“I think all of us Latinos demonstrate what we’re capable of. Not just in our jobs, but in sports,” said Da Silva. “We come from many different backgrounds, and this just demonstrates our valor as Latinos. We’ve become more united.”
Last year, Farolito stunned the reserve squad of Major League Soccer’s Portland Timbers in the Open Cup. They eventually fell to the Oakland Roots in the Third Round. This year, they reached the Third Round again — falling just short — but solidifying their reputation as a gritty, united team that can cause problems for anyone.
Now, they’re preparing to pressure early against North Carolina’s Hickory FC. Winning back-to-back titles would help ease the sting of those Open Cup heartbreaks and continue their rise in San Francisco sports history.
For Coach Lopez, this team is a reflection of the city itself: its immigrant roots and creative spark. The spotlight and success have raised the stakes, but also deepened his pride in what they’ve built together.
“These players that have been here one year [or] three years, they’re already a part of El Farolito and they know the history,” he said. “There is something about this place. The people who come from far away, they come here, and they contribute in a very positive way. It’s special.”
