Interview: Jeffrey Saunders (Met Oval Academy)

Jeffrey Saunders (Sporting Director Met Oval)

Maspeth, Queens, NY  May 16, 2026

As Metropolitan Oval Academy/Club, which is based out of the Met Oval Youth Center of Excellence in Queens, gets ready to celebrate a century of developing players, building community, and shaping the future of the game at Met Oval (the oldest soccer pitch in the United States), we sat down with the clubs Sporting Director, Jeffrey Saunders.

The celebration of the centennial field will take place this Sunday, May 17, from 1 to 7 pm. For details click on the following: https://metropolitanoval.org/met-oval-fest/

Met Oval Field

Background:

Jeffrey Saunders, a Manhattan native and long-time Brooklyn-resident is a long-time soccer fan who played collegiately with Hobart. He was a two time All-American and is considered as one of the top players in the history of his school. After playing professionally in Hong Kong and Singapore, Jeffrey has had a lengthy career in Sports Consulting and Investment. He previously served as President of Estoril Praia in Portugal’s top flight, and as President of Swiss Super League club Yverdon Sport. He currently works for a Sports Investment Group, while also serving as the Sporting Directory of Metropolitan Oval Academy.

Involvement in Met Oval:

Jeffrey has been involved with Met Oval for the last 15 years. He recalls his first experience at the Oval occurring 15 years ago, when his young son had a match at the iconic Met Oval grounds. Jeffrey recalls the facility reminding him of a European style venue, something unlike anything he had seen in the United States soccer landscape. The view of the city, the feel of the community, made a lasting impression. Soon after, his son joined the club, and Jeffrey joined the club’s board. His unique experiences in Europe with the game made him a perfect fit for Met Oval.

The Met Oval Way:

Serving over 500 players, primarily in the 5 boroughs, Jeffrey described the club as a sort of “Boutique” club. The club fields two teams at each age level and is focused on providing a quality platform for high level talent in the area. A highly specialized club which follows a European style methodology, the club’s curriculum is focused on technical and cognitive development, and in some ways is modeled after Dutch club Ajax Amsterdam. The club’s focus is on player development over match results. The aim is to implement a style of play, the “Met Oval Way”, and the plan is for all the teams from U6 to U23 to play in the same way.

Although the club does not have a professional team, the aim at Met Oval is about creating a professional environment. With the principles of a strong identity, and a full-time qualified staff which is invested on continuously, the club considers itself the highest performing Academy in the region as it relates to player development. The “Met Oval Way” is also seen in the club’s infrastructure. Since Jeffrey Saunders began his involvement at the club, there have been improvements in the club’s facilities. From a new field surface at Met Oval, to the additions of locker rooms, a gym, staff offices, and cafes, the club is providing the necessary resources for committed players to thrive and improve. The club is also the only local club to own its facility.

Competition:

The Club aims to provide players with the highest youth level competition in the country, as such the club is a founding member of MLS Next, and competes with MLS club academy teams. While not losing focus on its philosophy of player development over match results, the club challenges its players by competing against the best players in the country. This is part of the true development player platform that the club has in place. This is aimed at providing the players with the best opportunities to progress in the game, whether professionally or collegiately.

In 2025 Met Oval Academy joined the League For Clubs, participating as a U23 team. The club from Maspeth, Queens, went on to win the inaugural League For Clubs (TLfC) National Championship. They secured the title by defeating Napa Valley 1839 FC 3-2 in a penalty shootout after a 2-2 draw in the national final. In keeping with its development model, all the members of the championship squad were current or former Met Oval players, comprised of younger members of the academy or players playing collegiately which developed under the academy.

Challenges going forward:

Jeffrey stated that Met Oval’s biggest challenge going forward is to maintain the club’s high standards. As such, the focus will be on continuing the strong tradition of player development and looking at ways to continue to improve.

Sunday will mark a day to remember the great history of the field and the club, and also to look towards the future as the clubs continues its rise in the American youth soccer landscape.

The view of the City from Met Oval. (images courtesy of Peter Stein (Met Oval Academy))