Meet The Vengers, a Dayton Sunday Coed 7v7 team whose story starts with friendship, pickup soccer, and a mission for a little friendly revenge. In this spotlight, captain Thayvun Wermter shares how the team formed, how its identity has evolved, what keeps the group coming back to Gotham season after season, and why their mix of competitiveness, community, and postgame traditions has made The Vengers one of Dayton’s standout teams.
"The core group of us are all friends, and we used to run a decently large pickup group on Sunday nights. Someone in the group brought Gotham to our attention, but it would conflict with our pickup play."
Part of the group decided to split off and play in Gotham, drastically reducing our pickup numbers. So we entered a second team of people who were not asked to play. We entered with one mission: to obtain vengeance against our friends on the other team, which is how The Vengers were formed."
"We started playing together in 2024."
"The Vengers name came from the “rejects” players forming a second team with the sole mission of obtaining vengeance against our friends on the other team.
Our teams played at the halfway point of that session. Both teams were 3-0 going into the game. The Vengers were down 3-1 at halftime before mounting a stressful comeback and winning 4-3."
"People hear The Vengers and think it’s a play on Marvel’s The Avengers, so we leaned into it a little.
The logo uses Avengers-style team logos with the “A” turned upside down and made into a “V.”"
"The team has evolved in many ways since the start. We started playing with the Gotham-provided shirts. When we were invited to the Midwest regional tournament the first time, we made spray-painted Vengers shirts for all of us.
Last year, we ordered custom team jerseys for each player, and again ordered new uniforms for this current season.
Our roster has had plenty of turnover, but one thing remains: those who become part of the team become friends with everyone on the team. The welcoming and friendly atmosphere that we maintain, and dedication to including everyone on the team away from the game, helps build friendships and strengthen existing relationships.
The one thing that has not changed, however, is our competitiveness and our dedication to winning. This mindset has brought intensity, and occasionally some internal frustration leading to some difficult decisions regarding roster construction. But at the end of the day, we all find a way to remain friends."
"Very competitive, easy-going, and fun.
The first two sound contradictory, but we’re out there having fun with each other and the other teams, while also trying and winning most games."
"We come back to Gotham each year because of the competitive level of play, bracket-style playoffs, and regional invite opportunities.
Each member of the team keeps returning for the same goal: to win and do it with friends."
"I don’t think the other teams know this, but we do have a postgame MVP award that we hand out after every win.
The first year it was an armband. This year, it is ringing a mini gong."
"We have played in a few championship games that have gone into extra time. The funniest trend has been us scoring the winner as soon as we pull Caleb off the field.
He is the purest of defensive defenders, so it makes sense he wouldn’t contribute to the offense too often, but it’s fun to remind him every time it happens."
"The experience in Dayton has been mostly good. There are some very talented teams and players that play out of Dayton.
The competition has gotten tougher and tougher each year as the Gotham name continues to grow in the area."
"We like that we can play in a convenient league that brings a level of competitiveness and where the games matter.
The end-of-session playoffs and potential to enter one of the regional tournaments and play the best teams from other cities is very incentivizing."
"We would say Redds Raiders are the team to beat. They are always a tough and competitive matchup, and we’re usually together at the top of every session.
Every session, every game against them feels monumental for league standings."
"To a free agent, the league can be rough on the free agent team. It’s tough trying to play as a team with a bunch of new faces when playing against teams that have played together for years.
Have fun, make new friends, and the longer you play, the more connected you’ll feel with people. Eventually, you’ll have a feel for each other, establish better chemistry, and bring more victories."
Whether you have a full team of friends or are signing up as a free agent, we would be happy to have you join
Gotham Soccer League.
© 2025 Gotham Soccer.
All rights reserved.
1776 Mentor Ave #271
Cincinnati, OH 45212
+15132375642
info@gothamsoccer.com
