(Middlefield, OH) - The city of Cleveland is a city of champions once again! The Cleveland Crunch have returned to play professional indoor soccer in the Major League Indoor Soccer (MLIS).The Cleveland Crunch who currently play at the SportsPlex in North Olmsted, Ohio, originated in 1989. Fast forward 34 years later and the Cleveland Crunch picked up their fifth championship with a win over the Omaha Kings this past season. This team’s success is rooted locally in Northeast, Ohio.
Luciano (Lou) Ruscitto and Luciano V. Ruscitto proudly represent the co-owners and managing partners of the team. Lou’s daughter, Andriana runs all the team’s Public Relations. “The Cleveland Crunch has evolved into a family business,” said Ruscitto. “We have a great supporting front office and gameday staff of friends, neighbors, and former soccer team mates. My son began his soccer career at the age of four, where I got a little bit of a late start," said Ruscitto.
Growing up in the Collinwood neighborhood in Cleveland, soccer leagues were few due to a lack of organized soccer programs around the area. Lou Ruscitto did not begin playing organized soccer until he entered high school at St. Joseph High School in Cleveland. With the birth of his son, Lou would begin his coaching journey where he coached his son for a few seasons at the recreation level for Wickliffe and Kirtland. Luciano V. graduated from Wickliffe High School in May of 2011. Ruscitto’s game would transition to the collegiate level where he played for the Lake Erie Storm for two seasons.
“Football” aka soccer is Brazil’s most popular sport, where there are many devout fans attending the games. Coincidentally, Lou was born in Brazil where his mom’s side of the family was also born there with an Italian descent. His dad’s side of the family was born and raised in Italy. Soccer was a common topic that the two families would discuss when they got together.
“Watching and talking soccer was always a part of growing up,” said Ruscitto. “As a teenager I would attend Cleveland Cobras games at George Finnie Stadium with my dad and his friends. Then, we attended the Cleveland Force and Cleveland Crunch games at the Richfield Coliseum and Cleveland State University’s Convocation Center. Mixed in with all that, trying to get a glimpse of World Cup matches via satellite programming.”
To begin Lou’s career, he was hired as an Intervention Specialist at Cardinal Middle School, where he also coached the JV and middle school soccer teams in his spare time before turning it over to an adoring soccer fan. This is when he and his family would begin their work in rebuilding the Cleveland Crunch.
“The return of the Cleveland Crunch is really credited to my son, not myself,” said Lou. “He is a co-founder. I did not enter the ownership picture until after the second season.”
In the event of COVID-19, Luciano V. and his former college teammate had a lot of downtime on their hands. When they began research on the former Cleveland Crunch team, they found out the team's trademark was dormant. They applied for the program’s trademark and were granted it. From there, the rest is history.
“My son was instrumental in acquiring players and forming the initial team,” said Ruscitto. “When he brought in North East, Ohio players. Through many soccer relationships and networking, he was able to assemble a team of players. Those players attended high schools such as Wickliffe, Brush, North Royalton, Valley Forge, Cleveland Heights, Eastlake North, Cardinal Mooney, Lakewood, Lake Catholic and Olentangy. They played at colleges and universities such as John Carroll University, Cleveland State University, The Ohio State University, Lake Erie College, Hiram College, Mount Union, Case Western Reserve University, and Northern Ohio University.”
In their first season back, the Crunch participated in the Major Arena Soccer League 2 (M2), which is similar to the Triple A teams in baseball. In 2021, Cleveland won the M2 League Championship, defeating the Wichita Wings, 11-6. Following their championship season, the Crunch would attempt to go back-to-back, but fell short against the San Diego Sockers, 7-4. After the 2022 season, Ruscitto V decided to part ways from the M2 League and joined a newly formed league: Major League Indoor Soccer (MLIS). Their first season in this league, the Crunch would lose in the semifinals against the Omaha Kings.
When asked what the ultimate goal is for this Cleveland Crunch group, Ruscitto talked about growth.
“We want to continue growing our brand, along with the brand of the MLIS. We would also like to find a bigger venue to play in,” said Ruscitto. “Presently, we play our home games at the SportsPlex in North Olmsted. This facility accommodates about only 600 fans. The games sell out quickly and we have an awesome group of fans that attend. It would be great to offer more seating for even more fans. Finally, the Cleveland Crunch is committed to and wants to continue fostering a love for soccer among youth in the Cleveland area.”
Perhaps that growth will come after the Crunch defeated the Omaha Kings to snatch their fifth championship in program history. First year head coach, Antonio Manfut picks up his first championship with the Crunch and hopes to add more to the program’s bright future. Manfut’sprofessional experience speaks for itself. Before coaching, he had scored an impressive 100 goals and picked up 60 assists in a span of 177 games. He also played on the U.S. Futsal National team.
“Under the leadership of our new head coach, Antonio Manfut, the Crunch finished the season with a record of 9 and 3. This year’s team consisted of a solid core of returning veterans, with a strong infusion of rookies and veteran free agents,” said Ruscitto.
The Cleveland Crunch will return to season in January 2025. However, you can catch many members at local events such as the Lake County Captains squaring off against the Great Lakes Goons on Sunday, June 30th. Family Fun Night will be held at Classic Park in Eastlake, Ohio. First pitch will be at 1:00 p.m. The Crunch will also be participating in the Last Stop Willoughby Parade on August 10th from 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. to show off their new hardware!
There are also plenty of youth soccer camps that are hosted by several athletes and can be found on the team’s social media accounts and website listed below.
Facebook - Cleveland Crunch
X - @clecrunch
Instagram - @clevelandcrunch