Total Soccer FC
Total Soccer Fútbol Club, better known as Total Soccer, is an amateur football club founded in 2013 by Juan Gabriel Sepúlveda, based in Medellín, but also partially in La Ceja, Department of Antioquia, Colombia, which currently compete in Primera C, the third tier in Colombian football and the highest level available for amateur teams. They became champions of the Colombian Primera C at their first ever participation in 2022. They also compete in the regional Primera A of the Antioquia Football League, where they finished as runners-up in 2021. The club has focused mainly on the academy and young players and their youth (U20) team takes part in the First Division of the Colombian Youth League (Supercopa Juvenil in Spanish). In 2019 the youth team reached the quarter-finals of the Colombian Youth League, the only amateur team to get to this stage of the competition. They also have several junior teams, enrolled in national or regional leagues. Manager Juan Gabriel Sepúlveda is also the founder and owner of the club, and he supervises all the activities. Their home ground is usually Maria Auxiliadora Stadium, which has a capacity for about 1,000 spectators, and is located in La Ceja, a municipality close to Medellín. However, they also use Marte 1 Stadium (part of Atanasio Girardot Sports Complex) in Medellín for important matches. The club colours are blue and white.
Total Soccer players, staff and fans before the final of the 2021 Primera A of Antioquia Football League on Marte 1 Stadium. Photo source: LAF Facebook page
History
Juan Gabriel Sepúlveda Urrego was born in 1975 in Santa Fe de Antioquia, son of manager Hernán de Jesús, and played for Envigado FC. In the meantime, he completed his studies and became professor of Physical Education, which allowed him to become also a coach within the ranks of Real Santa Fe de Antioquia and then Envigado FC.
In 2011, Juan Gabriel Sepúlveda gave up his job as coach of some junior teams belonging to Envigado FC and started training sessions unofficially, on his own, working initially with a small number of players he previously coached, who were not accepted in the professional ranks of Envigado FC and searched for an alternative way to continue training in the hope of becoming better football players and to be accepted by a professional team.
Juan Gabriel Sepúlveda, founder and owner of Total Soccer FC. Photo source: Carlos Serna/Cápsulas (capsulas.com.co)
On the 2nd of September 2013, it all become official, as the new club received a license and registered with the name Total Soccer FC, inspired by the concept of total football implemented decades ago in the ranks of Ajax and the Netherlands national team.
Total Soccer FC, managed by Juan Gabriel Sepúlveda, gave a second chance to many players in Medellín area, who were refused or sent away by the big professional clubs. Gabriel Sepúlveda also started to work with children and teenagers, establishing youth teams of various ages, which were enrolled in the local and even national competitions. The U 15, U 16, U 17 are enrolled in the local Antioquia leagues, as well as the senior team, which currently plays in Primera A of the Antioquia League. The U 15, U 17 and U 20 teams are enrolled in national competitions.
Total Soccer team in 2015
Several players formed by Total Soccer FC eventually reached professional teams: Daniel Muñoz (Águilas Doradas, then Atlético Nacional, recently signed to KRC Genk), Santiago Orozco (Llaneros, then Patriotas), Geován Jarith Montes (Tigres de Bogotá), Santiago Noreña (Envigado), Jhon Jairo Palacios (Saquisili / Ecuador), Hayen Santiago Palacios (Atlético Nacional), Ronald Solórzano, Robert Rey Pertúz, Juan Manuel Araque, Juan Diego Lopera, Jacobo Escobar (Águilas Doradas, then Tigres de Bogotá), Brayan David Castrillón (Independiente Medellín, then Atlético Bucaramanga), Sebastián Zapata (Llaneros).
The club is mainly financed by sponsors, but also by the parents of children and teenagers playing for the club, by the owner of the club, Gabriel Sepúlveda, including loans and money coming from transfers to other clubs. As a result, the activity is focused mainly on the academy and the junior teams.
Total Soccer U 20 team in 2016, of which seven players reached professional teams.
Photo source: Total Soccer official Facebook page
In 2016, for the first time Total Soccer U 20 team took part in the nation-wide Colombian Youth League, organized by the Colombian Football Federation. The number of accepted teams belonging to amateur clubs was reduced each year, but Total Soccer succeeded to maintain their position in the First Division (“A”) of the Colombian Youth League, reaching the quarter-finals of the competition in 2019, the only amateur team to achieve such a performance.
At the beginning of 2019, apart from head coach Juan Gabriel Sepúlveda, the Argentinian Diego Daniel Sánchez was brought to the club as assistant coach, to help out especially with the U 20 team, involved in the national Colombian Youth League, which was thought to become the third tier in the Colombian football pyramid (a sort of Primera C), as it is the only competition which includes both professional teams (belonging to Dimayor) and amateur teams (belonging to Difútbol).
Total Soccer senior team, champions of Primera B of the Antioquia Football League in 2019.
Photo source: Carlos Serna/Cápsulas (capsulas.com.co)
Also in 2019, the senior team of Total Soccer became the champions of the Primera B in the Antioquia League, by winning 3-1 over Integrados Bello in the final. Therefore, they promoted to Primera A, the highest amateur competition in Antioquia.
The 2020 season of the Antioquia Football League First Division (Primera A) was cancelled after it had just started, due to the pandemic. The youth and junior competitions were also cancelled. The 2021 season was therefore the first one which Total Soccer completed in the Antioquia First Division, winning Stage 1 and eventually reaching the finals, which they lost 1-0 to Águilas Doradas B, ending the season as runners-up.
Total Soccer senior team in 2021, runners-up of the Primera A of the Antioquia Football League. Photo source: LAF Facebook page
In 2022, Total Soccer enrolled for the first time in the nation-wide Primera C, which started with no less than 200 teams from all over Colombia. Total Soccer had a great campaign, winning their group, and then all the knock-out rounds, eventually reaching the finals, which they won 5-4 at penalty shoot-outs (3-3 on aggregate) over Equipo Azul, thus becoming the 2022 Primera C champions.
Because they focused on the Colombian Primera C, the results in the other competitions were not so great. They finished only 14th in the 2022 Primera A of the Antioquia Football League and only 8th in their group in the 2022 Colombian Youth League.
Results season by season
Total Soccer (senior team)
2022: Colombian Primera C: champions, won the final 5-4 on penalties over Equipo Azul.
First Stage, Group B: 1st (out of 8). Results: 14 10 2 2 38-15 32 pts.
Qualified for the Second Stage.
Stage 2: won 5-3 on aggregate over First Level Clan Bogotá (1-1 and 4-2)
Stage 3: won 4-0 on aggregate over CD Bello (2-0 and 2-0)
Stage 4: won 4-3 on aggregate over Deportivo JM (0-0 and 4-3)
Stage 5: won 3-1 on aggregate over Escape con el Deporte (3-0 and 0-1)
Stage 6: won 3-0 on aggregate over Águilas Bacatá (1-0 and 2-0)
Semifinals: won 3-0 on aggregate over Unión Pacífico Sur (0-0 and 3-0)
Finals: won 5-4 on penalties over Equipo Azul, after 3-3 on aggregate (1-2 and 2-1). Champions of Primera C.
2022: Antioquia League, Primera A: 14th (out of 22) on aggregate. Results: 27 9 8 10 44-50 35 pts.
Stage 1: 8th (out of 22). Results: 21 9 6 6 40-35 33 points.
Stage 2, Group B: 7th (out of 7). Results: 6 0 2 4 4-15 2 points.
2021: Antioquia League, Primera A: runners-up, lost the final 1-0 to Águilas Doradas.
Stage 1: winners (1st out of 22). Results: 21 13 5 3 45-22 44 points.
Stage 2: Group A winners (1st out of 6). Results: 5 3 2 0 11-3 11 points.
Lost the Stage 2 semifinals against Sellos Colombianos (1-1, 5-4 penalties).
Aggregate table: 2nd (out of 22). Results: 26 16 7 3 56-25 55 points.
Knock-out stage: Quarter-finals: won 3-1 over Ferroválvulas.
Semifinals: won 3-1 over Leones B.
Final: lost 1-0 to Águilas Doradas B.
2020: Antioquia League, Primera A: cancelled.
2019: Antioquia League, Primera B: First stage: 3rd (out of 18). Results: 17 11 0 6 59-38 33 points.
Qualified for the second stage. Results: 8 6 0 2 33-16 24 points
Qualified for the Final Four: 2nd (out of 4). Results: 3 2 0 1 14-4 6 points
Semifinals: won 1-0 over Sabaneta.
Final: won 3-1 over Integrados Bello. Champions of Antioquia Primera B.
Total Soccer U 20
2022: Colombian Youth League “A”, Group B: 8th (out of 10). Results: 18 4 7 7 20-25 19 points.
2021: Colombian Youth League “A”: cancelled due to COVID-19.
2020: Colombian Youth League “A”: cancelled due to COVID-19.
2019: Colombian Youth League “A”, Group B: 4th (out of 12). Results: 22 11 8 3 37-22 41 points.
Qualified for the last 16, where they won 2-1 on aggregate over Boyaca Chicó U20.
Lost 4-1 on aggregate to Deportes Tolima U20 in the quarter-finals.
2018: Colombian Youth League “A”, Group B: 6th (out of 15). Results: 28 15 6 7 38-19 51 points.
2017: Colombian Youth League, Group A: 3rd (out of 6). Results: 10 5 2 3 18-14 17 points.
2016: Colombian Youth League (U19), Group B: 5th (out of 10). Results: 18 9 2 7 40-26 29 points.
Honours
Senior team
Colombian Primera C (Third Division): winners (2022)
Primera A (First Division) of Antioquia Football League: runners-up (2021)
Primera B (Second Division) of Antioquia Football League: winners (2019)
U 20 team
Colombian Youth League: quarter-finalists (2019)
Total Soccer, champions of the Colombian Primera C in 2022. Photo source: fcf.com.co
Stadium
Total Soccer used various grounds in and around Medellín, their home town, before moving to La Ceja, a municipality close to Medellín. Since 2018, when works at the Unidad Deportiva María Auxiliadora finished, they have mostly used the stadium in this sports complex located in La Ceja. The stadium has an artificial (synthetic) turf and a capacity for about 1,000 spectators. The new sporting complex covers an area of 5,500 m2 and belongs to the local government of La Ceja.
María Auxiliadora Stadium in La Ceja. Photo source: psportsystems.com
Before 2018, Total Soccer had used Carlos Alberto Bernal Stadium as their usual home ground. This older and larger sports complex has a capacity for 5,000 spectators, and is also located in La Ceja. The stadium, together with the sporting facilities around it, belong to INCERDE (Instituto Cejeño de la Recreación y el Deporte / La Ceja Institute for Leisure and Sports).
Carlos Alberto Bernal Stadium in La Ceja, as viewed from the main stand
For important matches, especially in the final knock-out stages of the Colombian Primera C, or of the regional Primera A of the Antioquia Football League, Total Soccer have used Marte 1 Stadium in Medellín as their home ground. Marte 1 is located within a larger sports complex, Unidad Deportiva Atanasio Girardot, which also comprises the main city stadium, Atanasio Girardot, home to the professional teams of Medellín, Atlético Nacional and Independiente Medellín. Marte 1 Stadium lies side by side to the main Atanasio Girardot Stadium, and was built together with the main stadium in 1953. It has an artificial turf since 2008 and one stand, that has a capacity of 1,500 spectators. It belongs to INDER Medellín.
Marte 1 Stadium in Medellín. Photo source: www.inder.gov.co
Crest
The crest of Total Soccer has a round shape and consists of two parts: an outer blue ring and a central football ball. On the outer blue ring, the name of the club, Total Soccer, is written in white letters on the upper side, with three white stars to the left, and other three stars to the right. On the lower side of the ring, the club’s logo is written in small white capital letters: “Transpiración al servicio de la inspiración”, meaning “Transpiration in the service of inspiration”.
The central football ball is mainly white with some blue patches.
The crest respects the two colours of the club, blue and white, the only colours used in the design of the crest. The crest is usually displayed on the shirts, in the centre or on the upper left side, and sometimes on the shorts, on the lower right side.
Kit colours
The usual colour of the home (main) kits is blue. Total Soccer have used full blue kits in most of the seasons. In 2022, the colours of the national flag of Colombia have been added on the front of the shirts, as horizontal stripes: the larger yellow stripe above, the blue in the middle, and the red below. On the blue stripe, the name of the club, Total Soccer, is imprinted, with the crest of the club in between the two words, ”Total” and ”Soccer”, right in the centre of the shirt.
Total Soccer in full blue kits, before the home leg of the Primera C semifinal against Unión Pacífico Sur, on Marte 1 Stadium, in November 2022. Photo source: capsulas.com.co
The secondary (away) kits were green in 2022, including green shirts and shorts, but sometimes white socks. The Colombian flag was maintained on the green shirts, exactly the same as on the blue shirts.
Total Soccer in the secondary (away) green shirts and shorts, and white socks, in May 2022. Photo source: capsulas.com.co
Between 2019 and 2021, the home kits included mainly blue shirts, with a white stripe on the shoulders and white letters used for the name of sponsors. Shorts were also blue, with white sides. Socks were usually blue, but sometimes white socks were used.
Total Soccer senior team in full blue kits, in their first ever match in the Primera A of Antioquia Football League (February 2020). Photo source: Alfonso Ramírez/Cápsulas (capsulas.com.co)
In 2018, the main (home) kits included dark blue shirts, white shorts and white socks.
Total Soccer U 20 team in dark blue shirts and white shorts and socks in 2018.
Photo source: Cápsulas (capsulas.com.co) / El Escenario de los Clásicos
The alternative or away kits had included white shirts, white or blue shorts and white or blue socks. The white shirts may have two horizontal middle stripes, a blue one and a dark blue one. There are also blue stripes on the shoulders. The white or dark blue shorts may have lighter blue stripes on the sides.
Other kits have been also used, such as full white kits, as well as yellow shirts and dark blue shorts, for different age groups (junior sides).
Total Soccer senior team in the alternative full white kits in July 2021.
Photo source: Cápsulas (capsulas.com.co)
The current kit sponsor is Novo. In 2022, Total Soccer did not have a shirt sponsor, and only the name of the club together with its crest were imprinted both on the front of the shirt (in the middle) and on the back of the shirt (in the lower part, below the number). The logos of the LAF (Liga Antioqueña de Fútbol / Antioquia Football League) and of the FCF (Colombian Football Federation) were maintained on the left sleeve and on the right sleeve, respectively. The club crest is also on the front right side of the shorts.
In 2020 and 2021, the shirt main sponsor was the local government in La Ceja, under the logo ”Deporte para Vivir Mejor” (which may be translated as ”Sports to live better”), which is accompanied below by the name of the sponsor, Administración Municipal La Ceja del Tambo (which may be translated as ”City Government of La Ceja del Tambo”).
One of the former shirt main sponsors was the betting company MasGol (2018-2019). The logo consisted of the sign + (más in Spanish) and the word GOL, under which came the slogan: ”El juego hecho para TODOS!” (”The game made for ALL!”).
Additional sponsors were INCERDE (Instituto Cejeño de la Recreación y el Deporte / La Ceja Institute for Leisure and Sports), whose logo was placed on the upper right side of the shirt, and Colanta, whose logo was on the right sleeve, right under the logo of the FCF (Colombian Football Federation). The logo of the LAF (Liga Antioqueña de Fútbol / Antioquia Football League) is on the left sleeve. Another sponsor was El Portal de las Flores, a restaurant in La Ceja, whose name appeared on the back of the shirts, in the upper side.
Total Soccer, champions of the 2022 Colombian Primera C. Photo source: FCF Facebook page
Current squad (as of December 2022)
|
No. |
Nat. |
Position |
Name |
|
2 |
COL |
Defender |
Víctor Alfonso Sepúlveda |
|
3 |
COL |
Right Back |
Juan David Avendaño |
|
4 |
COL |
Left Back |
Davinson Tapias |
|
6 |
COL |
Midfielder |
Jhonatan García |
|
7 |
COL |
Winger |
Danilo Morón |
|
8 |
COL |
Midfielder |
Stiven Avendaño |
|
9 |
COL |
Wing Back |
Jaaziel David Mosquera |
|
10 |
COL |
Attacking Midfielder |
Juan José Herrera |
|
11 |
COL |
Striker |
Jonatan Martínez |
|
12 |
COL |
Goalkeeper |
William Fierro |
|
13 |
COL |
Centre Back |
Mateo Montes |
|
14 |
COL |
Centre Back |
Juan Felipe Gutiérrez |
|
15 |
COL |
Midfielder |
Eduar Andrés Córdoba |
|
|
COL |
Wing Back |
Wilmer Bustamante |
|
16 |
COL |
Defender |
José Manuel Herazo |
|
17 |
COL |
Winger |
Santiago Londoño |
|
18 |
COL |
Forward |
Degwin Córdoba |
|
|
COL |
Forward |
Yojan Parra |
|
19 |
COL |
Midfielder |
Jhon Arboleda |
|
20 |
COL |
Midfielder |
Camilo Herrera |
|
21 |
COL |
Striker |
Joan Andrés Córdoba |
|
22 |
COL |
Goalkeeper |
Kevin Martínez |
|
23 |
COL |
Wing Back |
Jarol Esneider Mosquera |
|
|
COL |
Midfielder |
Juan José Pérez |
|
24 |
COL |
Midfielder |
Tomás Ulloa |
|
25 |
COL |
Midfielder |
Venji Castrillón |
|
80 |
COL |
Midfielder |
Mateo Zapata |
Total Soccer senior team at the beginning of the 2021 season in Antioquia Football League – First Division (Primera A). Photo source: elescenariodelosclasicos.com
Management and staff
Juan Gabriel Sepúlveda – owner, manager
Diego Alejandro Pasos – physical trainer
Héctor Agudelo – delegate
Former staff members
Diego Daniel Sánchez – assistant coach
Samuel Tamayo – assistant coach
Total Soccer senior team in December 2021. Photo source: Carlos Serna/Cápsulas (capsulas.com.co)
Notable former players
Daniel Muñoz
Santiago Orozco
Geován Jarith Montes
Santiago Noreña
Jhon Jairo Palacios
Hayen Santiago Palacios
Ronald Solórzano
Robert Rey Pertúz
Juan Manuel Araque
Juan Diego Lopera
Jacobo Escobar
Brayan David Castrillón
Sebastián Zapata
Total Soccer U 20 team in 2016. Photo source: Cápsulas (capsulas.com.co)
Main sources
Total Soccer Official Facebook page (in Spanish)
Cápsulas de Carreño (in Spanish)
El Escenario de los Clásicos (in Spanish)
Antioquia Football League (in Spanish)
Antioquia Football League Facebook Page (in Spanish)
Colombian Football Federation (in Spanish)
Colombian Youth League on Wikipedia (in Spanish)
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