FC Milwaukee Torrent and NPSL Alum Ian Cerro Continues Pro Soccer Career with FC Naples of USL League One
Ian Cerro has done just about everything in his American soccer journey. He has played for a number of successful professional clubs including Chattanooga FC, RGV FC Toros, Georgia FC, and FC Naples. However, much of his success in the professional ranks can be tied back to his time with the Torrent.
“I was playing professionally in Argentina and when I came back to the US, COVID happened,” Cerro said. “I could not find a team and so I was looking to where to go and I knew the coach, Carlos Cacho Córdoba. He played professionally for Boca Juniors. He played for Maradona, and then he went into coaching with the Miami Fusion in the MLS and Chivas.”
Cerro benefitted from Córdoba’s expert tutelage.
“I knew him, and I knew he was going to be a very, very good coach, and I knew I was going to learn a lot from him,” Cerro said. “We have a saying in Argentina, in football that soccer is like a disease, and he has that. The knowledge that he has is just insane. I knew I was going to learn a lot and develop a lot.”
Córdoba enjoyed working with Cerro and helping him grow as a player.
“I have the privilege of knowing Ian as a person and a professional soccer player, and in both cases, I can only say that he’s excellent,” Córdoba said. “I have no doubt that Ian can help any soccer organization to be successful, either inside the field or outside the field.”
Cerro appreciated playing under the positive culture that the Torrent created.
“The setup in Milwaukee was really nice as well,” Cerro said. “They treated it very professionally. The owner, Andreas Davi, played professionally in Germany so it was a very soccer mindset. Both have been around the game a long time, and I knew it would be a good culture. They surely made an impact on my career. I really developed a lot, and I gained a lot of confidence. That confidence and development allowed me to go up to NISA to Chicago House. It prepared me for that. I’m super grateful for them and all they did for me as a player and person.”
Davi praised Cerro’s work with the organization.
“Ian was supposed to start with us during the canceled COVID season,” Davi said. “He stayed with us even though he could have played at a higher level. His commitment to the organization, teammates, and staff was unreal. We don’t have to talk about his outstanding qualities on the field. He absolutely deserves to be on the level he is right now.”
The NPSL’s level of competition and speed of play worked well for Cerro.
“The NPSL is a very good league that helps you gain that exposure you need as young players,” Cerro said. “It’s very well organized. I was fortunate enough that I went to a team that treated things very professionally. The training was every day, and they were very intense and very organized. There was a style of play that was trying to be developed, and that was very good.”
Cerro felt the level of talent found in the NPSL was very high.
“We had a lot of players that have played internationally. They played professionally in Argentina and professionally in other countries. It was actually a very, very high level of play. It was a high enough level where we would play against pro teams, like when we played Chicago House, and we would beat them. They’re very, very good players in that league, very good players that often got overlooked.”
Cerro moved from the Torrent to Chicago House in 2021 before joining Chattanooga FC in 2022. Chattanooga is a former NPSL side that has experienced tremendous success in the amateur and professional game.
“I really enjoyed my time at Chattanooga FC,” Cerro said. “The fan base is amazing, and the city and the people were super welcoming, just great people. I still have good friends from there. Rod Underwood was a very good coach. He had a very different style of play which was very unique. It was different from every other team that I’ve played on so I learned a different style of football there. I learned a lot about the game there. It was a different point of view. It made me look at things with a different set of eyes.”
Cerro enjoyed playing in front of large crowds and the renowned Chattahooligans supporters group. They are part of a club that broke the U.S. amateur soccer attendance record with 18,227 back in 2015.
“Playing at home was always a lot of fun,” Cerro said. “I loved it. The amount of people that would go to the games was amazing. It was always a fun atmosphere and the fans were loud. They made it seem even more professional. It would remind me of Argentina, where everybody goes to the games because they love it and it is their passion. In reality though, in lower-level professional football, there’s normally not much of a fan base. I would go to some games and you would only see like 30 or 50 people in the stands. But with Chattanooga FC, every game there would be a minimum of 3000 people. It would always be loud, and people always go to the field even if it was a midweek game. That’s what I really liked about that city. They were very soccer-oriented, and they knew the game. There’s a big soccer culture within the city, and that was very cool to see.”
Cerro moved to the RGV FC Toros in the USL Championship in 2023 before returning to NISA with Georgia FC in 2024. 2025 brought an entirely new challenge for Cerro as he signed with FC Naples, a brand new USL League One team.
“With a new club, it’s always difficult to measure how everything is going to be, from the operations standpoint to on-the-field play,” Cerro said. “I think the goal for sure is that we want to make the playoffs. That’s a big one. You have to at least make the playoffs. And why not? Why can’t a first-year team win the championship? You have to have that mindset. We all signed up to win. We want to win. I’m all for it. I want to make the playoffs and fight for that championship. We have the quality on the field for sure. We have some very good players, and we’ll make it interesting and exciting.”
Cerro has always played for established teams, and this is sure to be a new experience.
“We’re trying to create a culture and an identity,” Cerro said. “On other teams, there already is a culture and there is a base of players. You bring a few new players to fit that system. Here, everyone is new, so we have to all come together and work. We have some good personalities who are willing to help each other and encourage each other. It lies on us, the older players that have a little bit more experience. So for me, it’s helping to guide those young players into the system. I know that is something that the gaffer is looking for. He wants us older guys to create that culture because we understand it and get the young guys on board so that we can click.”
Cerro’s arrival in Naples came about because of another NPSL alum, the former head coach of Naples United FC.
“The main reason why I came here is because of head coach Matt Poland,” Cerro said. “I played under him before with Chicago House in 2021 when he was one of the assistant coaches. We just stayed in contact and then during the offseason he gave me a call to come out.”
Naples, Florida is one of the most sought-after locations in the U.S., and getting a chance to play the beautiful game in such a beautiful place is priceless.
“I didn’t even think about it,” Cerro said. “I just said yes because I saw the area, the ownership group, and what they are trying to create here in Naples. I think it’s a great place to be, a beautiful place to be. The front office is amazing. The ownership is great. Everyone made me feel wanted and that was good. That’s one of the most important things as a footballer. I show my appreciation to them every day with a smile on my face, always shaking their hands.”
There’s a lot of excitement surrounding the FC Naples franchise, and Cerro is looking forward to the 2025 season.
“Everyone is always excited,” Cerro said. “It’s so cool to see. It’s a cool project being an inaugural season. It will be difficult with the on-field stuff, but it’s normal. But it’s also fun. It’s a new challenge, so it’s nice trying something new. Inaugural seasons are always fun. You never know what to expect. But, that’s the fun part of it, you know?”
Everyone at FC Naples has been busy building something special.
“I’m sure we’ll have the fans here to support us,” Cerro said. “I’m very excited for the fans. I was able to go on one of the Princess Cruises, and I met many of the season ticket holders, some of the sponsors, and everyone is so excited about the team. I’ll see our signs and banners around town and I say to myself, wow, that’s us, and people are starting to know about us. It’s so exciting. Like everyone, I’m so excited to get the season started.”
Cerro is headed for a breakout season in USL League One, and again this journey started with success in the NPSL. He is not the first Torrent player to turn pro and certainly won’t be the last.
Photo Credit: FC Milwaukee Torrent, Chattanooga FC, United Soccer League, Georgia FC, Sam Allen Photo, and Sarah Passey Photography
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