The Dutch Lions FC Brand Now Has Five Women’s Teams In The U.S. All Competiting In The WPSL
The WPSL is set for an exciting upcoming 2021 season with expansion teams. Dayton Dutch Lions bring on teams in San Diego, Chicago, and Washington D.C..
The Women’s Premier Soccer League saw its largest growth since 2016 with the addition of three new teams from the Dutch Lions FC organization. These expansion teams join the Dutch Lions’ existing two WPSL teams from Dayton, OH and Cape Coral, Florida.
Dayton Dutch Lions FC has been competiting in the WPSL since 2016 – minus the 2018 season, and in its inaugural season finished first in conference standings, outscoring opponents 15/4 and made a playoff appearance.
This year, the WPSL is in its 23rd season and is the largest women’s soccer league in the world with more than 125 clubs from coast-to-coast in 35 states.
Many of the United States’ most accomplished women’s players have played in the WPSL, including household names such as Alex Morgan, Abby Wambach, Megan Rapinoe, Julie Foudy and Brandi Chastain. A proven pathway for player development, the WPSL rosters feature elite collegiate, post-collegiate, international and standout prep student-athletes.
The tradition of player development in the WPSL continues today.
Rose Lavelle, one of the stars of the U.S. Women’s National Team played for Dayton during the 2016 season. A long-time player on the U.S. Youth National Teams, Lavelle started in six FIFA World Cup in 2019 and scored three goals, helping the USA remain the World Cup champions and earning herself the Bronze Ball. A highly talented midfielder, Lavelle now plays for England’s WSL’s Manchester City.
Florida Gulf Coast Dutch Lions FC based out of Cape Coral, FL has been competiting in the since 2017 and holds an all-team record of 8-9-5 in their three seasons, outscoring opponents 16/3 in the 2018 season.
Now Dayton Dutch Lions has provided three more teams with the opportunity to develop players on the WPSL platform.
Dutch Lions FC’s new WPSL teams are based out of San Diego, Chicago, and Washington D.C..
The league announced its 2021 alignment last week and Oceanside Dutch Lions FC is set to compete in the Plymouth Division of the So Cal Conference in the West Region.
Chicago Dutch Lions FC will compete in the Lake Michigan Conference of the Central Region and Washington Dutch Lions FC will compete in the Colonial Conference of the East Region.
The Dutch Lions organization includes the women’s side and fields four men’s clubs and two youth academies and is also co-founders and the initial minority owner of Major League Soccer‘s FC Cincinnati.
In total, over 60 Dutch Lions FC players, men and women, have signed with professional contracts.
