On Friday, Oct. 30, I approached what appeared to be a warehouse in the south side of Turlock as the sun quickly descended with no idea of what to expect. This unfamiliar building displayed signs reading indoor soccer, and as I made my way in the door, I found the place the Turlock Express call home.
That night, Turlock’s very own professional indoor soccer team made their season debut against the Sacramento Surge and came away with 6-5 victory in a game that Express players wore special breast cancer awareness shirts. This was both exciting and surprising because a professional soccer team existing in Turlock is a bit of a secret.
The Turlock Express is currently in their fifth season as a professional team, but began as a semi-pro team back in the early 2000s. They play against opponents from across the country, and even abroad.
“We are the smallest market in the whole country,” head coach and team founder Arturo Pulido said. “You have San Diego involved, you have Detroit, Chicago, Baltimore, etc., and there’s also three teams in Mexico.”
The team plays completely indoors on artificial turf fields that are surrounded by glass and netting, which makes for a different game compared to outdoor soccer.
“It’s very different,” Express player Adrian Pulido (sophomore, Criminal Justice) said. “It can help you with small passing, movement, going to open spaces, playing those passes into spots that you probably wouldn’t have done if you were just playing outdoor.”
Pulido is currently a student at California State University, Stanislaus (Stan State), and explained why he chose to play for the Express instead of the Warriors.
“I decided this would probably be a better opportunity for me,” Pulido said. “There’s more exposure through this league.”
There are also several players on the team that are alumni of Stan State, who have been able to keep their passion of playing soccer alive thanks to the indoor league.
“I have been playing indoor for many years especially, and the experience of outdoor helped me prepare physically, mentally,” Arturo Pulido Jr., Express player and son of Coach Pulido, said. “This is the highest level in the nation and in indoor we play some really good teams. Credit to Stanislaus, that’s some of my discipline and preparation I think.”
Pulido Jr. graduated from Stan State in 2013 with a degree in Business Marketing and played soccer for both the men’s team and with the Express while attending. He explained how much he appreciated his time at Stan State.
“To be honest, it was some of the best times of my life, getting my degree especially,” Pulido Jr. said. “In this country, it’s either you get a degree or you make it professional and get paid the big bucks. I was grateful for all the time I spent at Stanislaus.”
While the Express might seem like a secret to some like me, their fan base is growing and the team would love to get more people to come out to the games. The atmosphere is special during the games and fun to be around.
“If you are a soccer enthusiast, it’s a level of intensity (…) it’s just so much quicker than outdoor. You have less time to react, smaller space, the ball is moving quick, it’s very physical, and I would say the same thing to someone that maybe doesn’t watch soccer as much,” Pulido Jr. said. “It’s the best soccer in the valley.”
If you are interested in supporting the Turlock Express and coming out to see them in action, you can purchase tickets at www.turlockexpress.com. Their arena is located at 500 S. Center St.