Partnership gives SCFC access to the same analytics and scouting resources that uncovered record-breaking Real Madrid star
Sporting Cascades FC, the new professional soccer club set to begin play at Civic Park in 2027, announced today it has entered into a memorandum of understanding with Blue Crow Sports Group to provide the club with analytics and scouting resources.
SCFC has already made one major statement of intent this summer by hiring Darren Sawatzky, the winningest head coach in USL League One history, and this MOU represents another impressive step in the club’s development.
“We see an abundance of young talent in the U.S. and look forward to this partnership to help identify and develop these players who can later potentially join our European pipeline,” said Arvind Narayan, Blue Crow’s Chief Strategy Officer. “The idea of a future globally recognized name originating his journey in Eugene is not far-fetched”
Blue Crow’s track record of identifying promising young talent is highlighted by the organization discovering Ivory Coast winger Yan Diomande when he was just 16 years of age. Diomande signed with CD Leganés, then a member of BCSG’s portfolio, in 2024 shortly before his 18th birthday, and made his debut against Real Madrid two months later. He spent last season with Red Bull Leipzig, and this morning was unveiled as Real Madrid’s newest Galáctico—the transfer fee paid for Diomande, worth an estimated $150 million including add-ons, is a record fee for Real Madrid, as well as a record for a player from Africa.
While Spanish club CD Leganés is no longer a member of Blue Crow’s portfolio, the Houston-based company still owns Ligue 1 side Le Havre AC and Liga de Expansión MX side Cancún FC. It also recently opened an academy in Botswana in order to continue identifying and developing the most promising young players in Africa.
BCSG’s tactical analysis and game planning resources propelled Cancún FC to the Liga de Expansión MX and the Campeón de Campeones de la Liga de Expansión MX titles in 2023 and 2024, saw CD Leganés win promotion to La Liga for the first time in club history, and earned MFK Vyskov consecutive promotions to the Czech National Football League playoff finals.
Under the terms of the MOU, SCFC will have full access to Blue Crow’s resources, allowing the expansion USL League One side to identify and develop the top young players in the USA while also serving as a destination for emerging overseas stars. Sporting Cascades will also enjoy technical and coaching support from Nuno De Almeida, BCSG’s head of squad planning and club integration and the former head of recruitment at Aberdeen FC in Scotland.
“Blue Crow Sports Group has built several differentiated capabilities that should help our sporting side,” said SCFC owner Bill Cornog, who himself is a Blue Crow investor and board member. “We have a sophisticated talent scouting and player development platform, the crown jewel of which is our Botswana academy. We also have proprietary data and analytics platforms that support scouting, development, recovery and game strategy. Importantly, our head coach, Darren Sawatzky, and president, Dave Galas, have evaluated this closely and are bought in, as is Arvind and the Blue Crow team, who want better access to the U.S. market. It’s a win/win which should deliver immediate impact to both organizations.”
Sporting Cascades plans to join USL League One in the 2027 season, pending final league and federation sanctioning approval. USL League One is a growing league in the third tier of the U.S. professional soccer pyramid, and is the former home of such players as U.S. Men’s National Team goalkeeper Matt Turner, US Men’s National Team forward Ricardo Pepi, and former Manchester United and Newcastle United midfielder Gabriel Obertan.
All matches will be streamed live on ESPN+ as the club vies for the league title alongside the likes of Spokane Velocity, Athletic Club Boise, and the New York Cosmos. The USL has also announced plans to launch USL Premier, a Division One men’s professional league in 2028, and alongside that, introduce America’s first promotion and relegation system.