Part 1 in a series where we dive into the stories behind USL League One crest design.
Central Valley Fuego FC joined the league as an expansion side in the 2022 season.
It filled the need for professional soccer in the Fresno, California area after the folding of USL Championship side Fresno FC in 2019.
While the USL League One side designates itself as “Central Valley,” the actual Central Valley of California is a geographic area that encompasses a massive portion of the interior of the state, stretching 450 miles, from Redding in the north, to just past Bakersfield in the south. It is about 11% of the state’s area, and has a population of about 7.2 million.
Fresno’s portion of the Central Valley straddles the geographic sub-regions of the Tulare Basin to the south and the San Joaquin Basin to the north. It is a city of half a million with a total of around 1 million in the metro area, the second largest in the Central Valley behind Sacramento, and the fifth largest in the state.
Owing to an expansive watershed system fed by the Sierra Nevada mountains, and high plant hardiness zones, the valley is one of the United States’ most productive agricultural regions, producing 8% of the country’s output on less than 1% of its total farmland. Fresno County leads the way, contributing nearly $4 billion per year to the agricultural economy.
Fuego FC’s Crest is Rooted in the Region
According to the team, the shape of the crest is not a shield, but the silhouette of a spade. This deliberate design honors the “farmers, fieldworkers, essential laborers and service workers who keep our communities thriving.”
The lines in the top left corner of the crest represent “rays and rows” to honor the sun shining on fertile earth (the region experiences 80% sunny days), and the distinct rows of farmland, which produces a harvest to feed California and the world.
The three rays/rows also represent the three hearts of the tradition of soccer, the past, present and future.
Of course, the flames represent “fuego” or fire. According to the team’s explainer, it represents the heat of the summertime valley sun and the flame that burns in their hearts for fútbol.
All of this comes together under a theme that honors the region’s Hispanic heritage. Fresno itself is the third-largest majority-Hispanic city in the United States, while the surrounding metropolitan area is also majority-Hispanic.
The name itself, “Fuego” is a continuation of Fresno Fuego FC, the region’s first semi-pro team. The team competed in the Professional Development League (now known as USL League Two) from 2003-2017 before being acquired by Fresno FC and turned into their U-23 squad. The team ceased operations in 2019 along with Fresno FC, but now lives on as USL League One side Central Valley Fuego FC.