Real Maryland plans to reach near and far

‘‘Look at all the people here, from all over the world — it’s amazing,” said head coach Silvino Gonzalo. ‘‘This is a big deal.”

According to club president Victor Moran, the league plans to find a delicate balance between generating a strong, community environment and a worldwide one. Though it hopes to attract local players, the reality is that the USL’s Second Division (referred to as USL-2) has become ultra-competitive.

That is why they have to look nationally, and even internationally for players. With longtime Colombian standouts Jose Pena Tempo and Nilson Perez, as well as Salvadorian legend Ronald Cerritos in tow, the Monarchs (the team mascot) could be a popular draw.

But in order to be successful, if Real Maryland is going to be successful, it will have to appeal to the inhabitants of Montgomery County. And it will be a challenge.

The growing popularity of soccer in America manifested itself in Montgomery County, and Maryland for the matter, well before Real Maryland formulated. In fact, it is only the second team from Maryland to join USL-2, joining Crystal Palace Baltimore. It will not only be competing with local players and fans with it’s state-rival 50 miles away, it is competing with the D.C. United of Major League Soccer, sanctioned by Fédération Internationale de Football Association as the premier league in North America.

To compete with the teams and leagues that already exist in the area, Real Maryland will attempt to be fan-friendly. That doesn’t just include family packages for attending games and transportation services to and from SoccerPlex. They plan to offer up an assortment of promotions to keep fans interested.

One such campaign is their $1,000 grand-prize contest for the person that comes up with the fight song for the team. The ‘‘Fight Song Contest” goes until Feb. 15, a little over three months before the Monarchs kick off their season against the Western Mass Pioneers.

‘‘Some people may view [the area] as crowded, but I think we have a very good soccer market in this area,” said Real Maryland general manager Bienvenido Martinez. ‘‘We’ll have couple programs try to reach out and have a very family-[based] environment.”

The league should also have an immediate impact on the youth soccer scene in the area. Montgomery County has long been a haven for club soccer, with Potomac Soccer, MSC United, Bethesda Soccer and Olney Soccer regularly putting teams in the Maryland State Cup each summer. Last June, of the 32 boys and girls squads from U-13 to U-19 that won the Cup — which is also held at the SoccerPlex — 16 were county-based.

While that may not exhibit itself on the USL-2 team immediately, the probability is that it eventually will. Like many other professional clubs, Real Maryland plans to set up an academy program to grow talent from the youth level up. With a Super-20 team, coached by Roger Fernandez, the team will allow players from the ages of 17-20 to compete nationally. It will become a feeder program for the Monarchs, and while the top-tier players are currently being acquired from all across the globe, expect players from around the area to make a splash with Real Maryland in the future.

‘‘I’ve been driving around the whole state, driving hours trying to find different players,” said Fernandez. ‘‘I notice, going to high-school games and college games, there’s a lot of talent in the state. I think if we do the things we want to do and get the project off the ground, I think we can attract a lot of the local players. Going back to Montgomery County, it’s got some of the best high-school soccer players ranked in the nation. I think we’ll be able to reach them and they’ll be able to look at our team as a choice.”

Only time will tell if that will be the case. But with a diverse core of international players and a soccer-starved local foundation, all the ingredients are in place for Real Maryland to feed the masses.