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The U.S. city of Eugene has a new soccer club to get behind.
Barbara Winkler
Sat Dhinsa thinks back to his days on the court and turf. “I played basketball, a little bit of soccer. Wasn’t that great, to be honest,” the easy-going Canadian tells me. “I always played defense. Let’s just put it this way—I’m sure, if I were a striker, I would have enjoyed it a lot more. Times are different now, right? The defense can play much further forward.”
Since then, he’s built a career in real estate development. But when he’s not taking care of construction projects, he keeps a close eye on the sports pages. Especially the business side. Now he’s combining both worlds: Dhinsa is taking his strategic mind and love of games to the role of owner at Sporting Cascades, a newly unveiled franchise.
The Cascades, from Eugene, Oregon, is one of seven teams entering United Soccer League One—the country’s third division—next season. Of course, unlike the vast majority worldwide, the U.S. pyramid has a certain rigidity in not allowing promotion and relegation between the tiers. However, ushering in a new brand (Sporting Cascades is replacing disbanded Lane United) and the prospect of promotion and relegation in the USL from 2027/28 are enticing. But what else?
“I set out on my journey searching for a pro soccer club, beginning in Canada, then South America, and even looking in Europe,” Dhinsa recalls. I’m a big believer and very bullish on the U.S. market, particularly in the sports industry. And there’s the timing, with the World Cup coming. We, as individuals, the media, and everyone, are emphasizing it. We want soccer to be known in the U.S..
“I said, ‘Why don’t I look into other opportunities?’ And that led me to the USL. I did my research. And I thought it was an interesting league. An amazing league. It’s growing. And it represents what soccer is about.” After taking control, he’s been on a crash course in getting a sports franchise off the ground, describing the process as “exciting, stressful, and crazy”.
A Proud Sikh Owner In North American Sports
Dhinsa is distinct as the only Sikh owner in North American professional soccer. “I’m very proud. I’m very tight with my culture,” he says. “I’m hoping you’ll see not just Sikhs but other individuals realize there’s an opportunity. There’s always an opportunity, right? You’ve just got to go out and take it.” As it happens, Dhinsa’s journey starts after Morecambe became the first English club to have a Sikh ownership and head coach earlier this month.
Dhinsa is excited about getting a new U.S. soccer team up and running.
Shane Raum
Many wealthy proprietors see owning a soccer club as an unpredictable, therefore fun, venture on the side. But make no mistake, Dhinsa also wants the entity to generate money, knowing that entails spending to improve first. There will be plenty of competition in 2026, with a total of 21 USL League One sides set to battle from March onward.
Strategically, creating the best pathways for local youth talent is a priority for Sporting Cascades. This is crucial for raising a team’s standard from the bottom up and representing the best of the city, although a possible barrier is the common pay-to-play model in U.S. grassroots soccer, which limits access to the wider community and their chances of a career in the game.
“If there’s a talented 10-year-old (could be older) in Eugene, I would highly doubt there’s a programme available for that person, if they (the family) can’t afford it, to help the player make it to a top level,” says ex-MLS professional Amir Lowery, the executive director of the Open Goal project. Indeed, Dhinsa, an admirer of the European system, wants to streamline the pathways.
Sporting Cascades’ Quest For Identity
Sporting Cascades will finalize its roster in the months ahead. The club—set to play home games at the recently built 3,500-seater Civic Park—has unveiled its branding, though. As shown at the top, the colors are brown and blue to evoke the natural surroundings while avoiding any clash with teams from the same state, including MLS’s Portland Timbers. Local supporters offered their input during the design process.
“We want our football to be fast, fluid, and relentless—and this crest reflects that,” Cascades’ cofounder John Galas, who previously coached Lane United, said at the reveal. “But there is also the imposing strength of the mountains in how we want to play.”
Reaching the heights of MLS one day will take a lot of work, especially with the Timbers as the dominant name from the state. However, Sporting Cascades adds to the place’s soccer profile; the Cascadia bioregion has a side that once competed in CONIFA (Confederation of Independent Football Associations), for example.
Now, like the other names being added to the U.S. soccer structure, locals have another name to support. Dhinsa, his real estate mind at play, hopes the side will become an entertainment venue around which the community grows. All the while, the next installment of USL should have a different flavor.
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