While Anthony will soon turn his attentions to preparing for the Olympics, technical director Neil Sillett and head coach Adrian Whitbread will be doing their utmost to ensure Puerto Rico get off to the best start possible.
The English duo readily admit that the prospect of Fall Season glory is all but impossible and they have set the squad an immediate target: overtake Miami FC.
Coached by Alessandro Nesta and co-owned by Paolo Maldini, fellow newcomers Miami FC struggled in the NASL Spring Season, finishing bottom of the 11-team league.
They now have a seven-point advantage over Puerto Rico in the combined standings – and Sillett says catching their expansion rivals is their initial aim.
First though, they must get the better of Indy Eleven, who lifted the Spring Season title after a 10-match unbeaten run.
“We didn’t foresee – wrongly – that Indy would win the Spring Season… so we didn’t expect to be hosting the Spring Season champions. But that makes it all the more spectacular or glamorous,” Sillett told The Telegraph. “They’ve done extremely well and we have to step up a gear to match them.
“Looking at how teams have come into the NASL it’s been really tough for them so we couldn’t have had a tougher opening really.”