By Jinseong Kim
When the referee blew the whistle three times to conclude the AFC Ann Arbor vs. Oakland County FC match at the Royal Oak High School Stadium, all the AFC Ann Arbor players and traveling supporters celebrated a 3-1 win, which was very crucial to The Mighty Oak men’s run to the playoffs. But that game, on a clear Friday evening in June, meant more than just a win for the club. Players held a brief farewell party in the locker room, and The Main Street Hooligans took a last photo. Both were for a player who scored a brace in his final match, and set Ann Arbor alight throughout the entire season: Shion Soga.
In the process of rebuilding the squad for the first season in three years, Shion Soga was the first player to be added to the team. As a player who hails from Novi, by way of Aichi, Japan, Soga was a crucial addition to The Mighty Oak in terms of boosting the side as a community coalition, with emphasis on the local as well as the global. Soga also revealed in his interview how he felt honored to represent Japanese legacy in the club and the community.
Recalling his first days at the club, Soga noted a nervousness and eagerness to present himself on the field coexisted in his mind. He said, “At the very beginning of this season, I was a little nervous since AFCAA was a new environment for me, but I was also excited to show my ability to people who came to watch our games.”
Soga’s confidence was never a bluff and quickly he integrated into the team. Not merely content with one ‘first’, but Soga had also achieved various ‘firsts’ with AFCAA this season. In the men’s season opener against Oakland County FC on May 8, Soga became the first player to score a brace and was selected as the Milk Means More Man of the Match in his debut. In May, Soga scored four goals and provided one assist in three games, and was named as Diaza Men’s Player of the Month award for the month, yet another ‘first’ for Soga, becoming the first men’s player to win the new award.
Regarding all the achievements he made, Soga thanked his teammates for helping him out. “I was able to accomplish this because my teammates helped me in the game, every effort (both in attack and defense) they made connected to the goal that I made. I feel a little regret because I left early, but I'm still happy about [these accomplishments].”
In total, Soga logged eight goals and recorded two assists in eight games, which puts him as the highest-scoring player this season, men’s or women’s, and fourth most goals amongst men’s players historically. Among all the honors and positive memories he had, he pointed out his farewell goal against OCFC, an absolute rocket of a goal drawing celebrations from the team on the pitch and the traveling AFCAA supporters off it. The long-range volley effort was later nominated as the USL League Two goal of the month award.
“On the pitch, my best memory was the last goal of the season against OCFC. That goal was one of the best goals of my life. I can still remember the excitement after the goal,” Soga summarized, in discussing his best memory.
Off the pitch, Soga has quickly become a crucial member in uniting the team as one. He stepped up to create a strong bond among players. Meeting up with new friends was another great memory Soga had in Ann Arbor. “I brought some of my teammates to my home and had lunch and dinner. We all had Japanese traditional meals with my family. That was such a great time.”
Soga described how playing around a very diverse and passionate community has helped in developing him as a player and a person. “I grew up a lot through this season of course as a player and also as a person, by linking up with different players, coaches, and [in a new] environment. Playing for AFCAA was so much fun; I think this was because I had a lot of support from the entire club, including fans.”
In wrapping up the conversation, Soga left a final message for fans who supported his journey for two months. “I am so happy that I was able to become a part of this club. The cheering from all fans became, and will become, huge power for players. Thanks a lot and enjoy the rest of the season with AFC Ann Arbor! I will be cheering with all the fans for my teammates.”
The club wishes Shion all the best in his future. Every step he had in The Mighty Oak shirt will remain in AFCAA club history forever.
About AFC Ann Arbor
Association Football Club Ann Arbor (AFC Ann Arbor) was founded in 2014 and competes in USL2 (men’s) and USLW (women’s) national amateur leagues. We are a community-based club, focused on equity, justice, and anti-racism. We consider all of our stakeholders, including supporters, players, staff, and ownership to be part of the #AFCAAFamily. Come On You Mighty Oak!