On Sunday night, an amateur team from Brooklyn suited up for a game in the snow across the river in Paterson, New Jersey,
Osner’s FC made the trip from Brooklyn to historic Hinchcliffe Stadium for a friendly held months before their season in the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) is scheduled to begin. Their opponents? The 16-time Ecuadorian Serie A champions Barcelona SC.
The amateurs played valiantly in front of 3,600 fans and held the pros from Guayaquil, Ecuador at bay for most of the game. While the final score read 2-0 in favor of Barcelona, and most of the fans didn’t think much of the local talent coming in, Osner’s earned respect including from the opposition.
Pomp and Circumstance
While the rest of the New York area focused on things like hate-watching the Eagles in the NFL playoffs or the upcoming Major League Soccer season, the Toreros of Barcelona ventured to Hinchliffe Stadium.
La Gira Centenario, The Centennial Tour, is a preseason circuit Barcelona SC is running to celebrate the 100th anniversary of its founding. That included Noche Amarilla, Yellow Night, in Paterson alongside thousands of passionate supporters. It's a market the team knows well after drawing between 7,000-10,000 fans last year to a game against UPSL side Unisamba FC.
With a line wrapping around Hinchliffe, thousands of Barcelona supporters poured in early. Musical entertainment, an appearance by Paterson Mayor Andre Sayegh, and a stage on the field made the whole thing feel less like a soccer match and more like a party.
By the time the game actually kicked off an hour behind schedule, the fans in the stands had already sung Barcelona’s anthem more times than one could count. They were more than enthralled as the stars of the show took the field, with Venezuelan goalkeeper and recent signing José Contreras soaking up the spotlight.
That might have been the biggest thing for those fans to enjoy while Osner’s held Barcelona scoreless. While the group struggled to get the ball out of its own end, Osner’s found success on the wings against a young group of Barca players.
Osner’s FC defender Benedict Augustin explained that this wasn’t a surprise. The group thought Barcelona might be affected by the weather, which was 39 degrees at kickoff.
“I was very proud of how we played,” Augustin said. “We held them and it was a pretty good first half. We had some chances. We missed some chances (to go ahead).”
When the pros finally took the lead not long into the second half, off a goal from Jandry Gómez, it should be noted the confetti cannons were set up on the opposite side of the field. Almost as if the organizers expected the visitors to score in the first half when they’d be near that end to celebrate.
A foul in the box in the 55th minute allowed Gabriel Cortez to convert from the spot to make it 2-0. A saved Osner’s penalty kick in the 69th minute snuffed any chance of a comeback for the underdogs and the crowd continued to get rowdy.
By this point, the cold ground began to get a little restless with a few children running onto the field to interact with players. Flairs were set off and thrown from the nearby parking lot and the final whistle gave way to fans charging the field to be with the Barcelona players.
Huge Game on Short Notice
While Barcelona was celebrating its 100th anniversary with this tour, 2025 also marks the 10th anniversary for an Osner’s club looking to make a major step forward.
Founder J Ronald Nazaire started the club in 2015, named it after his late father, and set out to create a group that could be a beacon for the Haitian community in New York City. In that time, young Haitian talent from the city and the country itself have had the opportunity to develop on Osner’s in leagues such as the Long Island Soccer Football League and the United Premier Soccer League.
“Happy and proud to play for Osner’s,” said Augustin, who is from Haiti and played professionally there. “It’s a great team in Brooklyn and a great project for the Haitian community. We don't really get the chance as Haitians to play for a team. The team embraces everyone, the Haitian community, and we welcome everyone.”
Last December, Osner’s joined the National Premier Soccer League for the 2025 season making them the only NPSL team within New York City.
The team also hired a new head coach. Christian Turizo joined the squad fresh off helping New York Renegades FC qualify for the 2025 US Open Cup. A former professional player in both the United States and the Caribbean, Turizo is ready for the undertaking ahead.
“I did play professionally in Haiti, so I kind of understand the culture a little bit,” he said. “I think it's gonna be very good. It's gonna be fun. It's gonna be something different to reach out to the Haitian community, it’s going to be good. But now I bring the Spanish community too, so it's going to be a good mix.”
Turizo’s first challenge as head coach was getting players on short notice for Sunday. With only a few days until the game, he started making phone calls to see who was in shape and ready to go. That created a mix-and-match of players from both Osner and some of the top amateur talent in the area.
Former MLS SuperDraft pick Joe Holland and Junior Rosero both won the National Amateur Cup with the New York Pancyprian Freedoms last year. Others like former New York City FC II midfielder El Mahdi Youssoufi have been playing around the area for outfits like the New York Greek Americans and FC Motown. Then there’s former Colombian professional goalkeeper Luis Hurtado, who was between the sticks for the majority of the game.
Michael Battista
“It wasn't very hard convincing these guys (to play) when you tell them you're going to be facing a professional team like Barcelona,” Turizo laughed. “Holding off against a professional team that's in preseason now, coming from playing other professional teams so they're 100% fit. I think they did a pretty good job holding them off and I'm very happy for them and I'm very proud of the team.”
For their part, Osner did have plenty of standout performances. Youssoufi was the main driving attack for the NPSL side in the first half, getting a few shots off and breaking down the left side to the stunned reactions of the fans. Hurtado made a few excellent saves, including a kick save in the 33rd minute, before he was subbed off after allowing the second goal.
A Future Baby Blue?
For one member of Osner’s roster on Sunday, playing against professional opposition might become a regular occurrence.
Winger Maudwindo Germain suited up for Osner’s FC for the first time on Sunday, saying before the game that he felt as though he was representing Haiti. The former Haiti Under-17 national team player still had that pride in playing for a club that boasts deep connections to his home country.
Entering the match in the second half, Germain played well against a majority of Barcelona’s bigger guns. With the team trailing by two goals, the midfielder jumped on a defensive blunder in the opposing end and played around multiple BSC players just past the midfield line. A decent shot from distance got the keeper to jump for a save, but the attempt went wide left of the net.
“It's an honor for me to play these (high) level games and I'm really proud of myself and the team, too,” Germain said after the game. “The other team was very complete. They are professional and they're training every day.”
Germain also made headlines in 2023 when he was part of a historic Concacaf Champions League upset. Haitian side Violette Athletic Club knocked off Austin FC in the Round of 16, with Germain helping make up the squad during the U.S. leg due to player visa issues. The team lost that game but won on aggregate to advance.
Germain, having played professionally in Haiti, is now trying to get back into professional soccer. The 23-year-old has an upcoming tryout with New York City FC II ahead of the 2025 MLS NEXT Pro season. The opportunity at Belson Stadium in Queens is another feather in the cap for someone who was also just in a national final last summer with FC Motown in the National Premier Soccer League.
"It's been a lot for me," Germain said. “I'm working so hard for this chance. I'm so proud of myself and I'm going to be ready for the stage and I hope soon, so I can get the contract."
Hudson River Blue Staff
