Project 51O is a soccer club from Oakland, California competing in USL League Two and United Premier Soccer League. They are the reserve club of USL Championship club Oakland Roots SC. The name 51O is partly inspired by Oakland's 510 area code, although features the letter O in place of the number 0 to stand for "Oakland".
 | |||
| Full name | Project 51O | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Founded | 2019 | ||
| Stadium | UCSF Benioff Training Facility | ||
| Head Coach | Zak Gordon | ||
| League | USL League Two and UPSL | ||
| Website | Club website | ||
History
Oakland Roots SC launched their reserve club on December 9, 2019.[1] The concept of Project 51O was based on Nike's Project 40, which ran from 1997 to 2005 and sought to develop the U.S. national team player pool.[2] Project 51O will mirror parts of that development program, but with a community-based twist.[3]
Originally set to compete in the National Premier Soccer League for the 2020 season, the team only played one match, a win over Napa Valley 1839 FC,[4] before the season was halted and eventually cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[5]
On September 17, 2020, the team announced it would compete in USL League Two beginning with the 2021 season.[6] They later announced they would go on hiatus for that season along with the rest of the Southwest Division and begin League Two play in 2022.[7] For the Fall 2021 season, they added a team in the United Premier Soccer League to allow for year-round development, while still remaining part of USL League Two.[8]
Players and staff
Current roster
2024
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Year-by-year
| Year | Division | League | Regular Season | Playoffs | Open Cup |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 4 | NPSL | N/A, 1-0, Season cancelled to COVID-19 pandemic | ||
| 2021 | 4 | USL2 | Did not play due to COVID-19 pandemic | ||
| 2021 Fall | 5 | UPSL | 3rd, 7-1-2, Wild West Conference | Round 1 | N/A |
| 2022 | 4 | USL2 | 1st, 8-2-2, Southwest Division | Round 1 | N/A |
| 2022 Fall | 5 | UPSL | 1st, 8-0-2, NorCal Conference | Round 3 | N/A |
| 2023 Spring | 5 | UPSL | 2nd, 7-2-1, NorCal South Conference | Round 1 | N/A |
| 2023 | 4 | USL2 | 3rd, 5-7-0, NorCal Division | Did Not Qualify | Round 1 |
| 2023 Fall | 5 | UPSL | 2nd, 7-2-1, NorCal South Conference | Round 4 | N/A |
| 2024 Spring | 5 | UPSL | 4th, 6-1-3, NorCal South Conference | Round 2 | N/A |
| 2024 | 4 | USL2 | |||
Honors
League
- USL League Two
- Southwest Division Champions: 2022
- UPSL
- NorCal Regular Season Conference Champions: Fall 2022
- NorCal South Playoff Conference Champions: Fall 2023
- Street Soccer USA
- SSUSA Oakland Cup: Dia de los Muertos 2023