An hour from San Jose, upstart soccer franchise Ville FC aims to put the farm town of Watsonville on the map for college and professional scouts.

Roberto Castaneda’s friends were used to seeing his Facebook page go into overdrive just before Tax Day.

After all, the 30-year-old former Watsonville High soccer star had moved to Turlock and become a Liberty Tax franchisee. But on April 1 of this year, there was something new mixed into the usual rotation of ads for no-interest loans featuring women dressed as the Statue of Liberty: a frenzied stream of posts about starting a new semi-professional soccer team in his former hometown.

“It’s time we do something about the lack of opportunities for outstanding players in our community,” Castaneda wrote in the post. “Let’s make Watsonville a powerhouse in soccer.”

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