Bach to bach to bach: Jonathan Bach wins third straight Media Mayhem FIFA tournament for Starfinder Foundation

Jonathan Bach made it three straight wins for Starfinder Foundation in the Philadelphia Union Media Mayhem FIFA Tournament last week at Subaru Park.

Bach defeated Micah Casey in the final, sitting on the pitch at Subaru Park and playing on the giant video board, to win the third straight tournament and earn another $2,000 for Starfinder Foundation.

“I thought it was amazing,” Andrea Rodgers, Starfinder Foundation executive director, said after posing for photos with Jonathan and the oversized check. “I was really excited about the three-peat and fascinated with Jonathan’s skill…We’re really grateful he is donating those winnings to us.”

In three years, Bach has now collected $6,000 in prize money for the Manyunk-based nonprofit that runs soccer and mentorship programs for youth.

“I love soccer and I’m hoping kids fall in love with soccer too (at Starfinder),” Bach said. “I’m glad to donate this again.”

After staging the first event in 2019 in the Stadium Club, it moved off site to Chickie’s & Pete’s in Philadelphia in 2020 and was back at Subaru Park for a socially distanced tournament this year. A dozen competitors were each given a suite where they competed for the early rounds and the semifinals and final were played on the large video board with competitors seated in folding chairs on the pitch.

“There was definitely some kind of delay with it and looking up and there was a lot more pressure,” Bach. “There was also the commentary (by public address announcer Kevin Casey) and a lot more people paying attention. The pressure builds up for sure.”

Bach took a narrow 1-0 lead into halftime, but was able to overtake his opponent in the second half, winning by a final score of 6-1.

The full list of competitors for the evening included: