Women's soccer team in Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Soccer club
Fort Lauderdale United FC is a professional women's soccer team based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The club plays in the USL Super League, a new Division I league operated by the United Soccer League, and will participate in the USL Super League's inaugural season beginning in August 2024.[1] The team will play its home matches at a new soccer specific stadium being constructed at Nova Southeastern University.
The club is principally owned by Tommy Smith with Deon Graham serving as CEO.
On November 21, 2023, the USL Super League announced that it had awarded a franchise to Fort Lauderdale, making it the first professional women's soccer team in South Florida.[2] CEO and co-founder Deon Graham stated that the USL Super League and the club share the goal of promoting the "youth-to-pro" model for women's sports.[3]
On January 25, 2024, former Premier League superstar Tyrone Mears was announced as the team's first head coach.[4] On May 14, 2024, Felicia Knox was revealed as the team's first ever signing after being drafted by Angel City FC in the 2024 NWSL Draft.[5] One day later, the club welcomed defender Laveni Vaka who made history as Tonga's first female professional soccer player.[6] On June 26, 2024, the club announced its full coaching staff, with Alissa Rogers as Associate Head Coach and former Fort Lauderdale Strikers star Aly Hassan as Director of Recruitment.[7]
The team will play at a brand new stadium at Nova Southeastern University on the site of the former Miami Dolphins training facility.[8][9] The $7 million project will seats nearly 7,000 fans and be completed before the club's first home match slated for September 29, 2024.[10]
The name and crest were unveiled on February 29, 2024.[8] The Fort Lauderdale United FC crest features the initials FTL prominently displayed, meant to intertwine like the canals of the city. The “glint” represents the vibrant sun bouncing off the waters the region is known for. The club’s colors represent Fort Lauderdale’s world-renowned beaches and shallow waters, with seafoam green contrasting the ocean blue.
Fort Lauderdale United FC is abbreviated to FTL UTD for short.
- As of March 11, 2024
Position
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Name
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Chairman & founder
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Tommy Smith
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CEO & co-founder
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Deon Graham
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Head coach
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Tyrone Mears
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Associate head coach
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Ali Rogers
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Head of Recruiting
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Aly Hassan
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- As of May 24, 2024
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Current Teams | | |
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Future teams | |
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