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What to expect from Fort Lauderdale United FC in the spring

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Fort Lauderdale United will open the second half of the 2024/25 USL Super League season in the Florida Derby this Saturday. Here’s what we can expect to see out of the club in the spring: 

Lots of new faces 

FTL UTD had already strengthened its offense toward the end of the fall with the additions of Kiara Pralle and Sabrina McNeill. Over the break, the team announced the arrival of defenders Julia Grosso from Melbourne City FC and Laurel Ansbrow from Wake Forest, as well as the signing of forward Jorian Baucom from DC Power. The team will feature a bunch of new faces in both the starting lineup and coming off the bench.  

Decisions on defense 

Bringing in those new defenders calls into question who Head Coach Tyrone Mears will stick with in the starting XI. Celia Gaynor and Laveni Vaka have started at center back for all 13 of FTL UTD’s matches, serving as two of the most consistent and dominant defenders in the league. The outside back roles have fluctuated between McNeill, Cameron Brooks and Adrienne Jordan. Grosso and Ansbrow are contenders for both positions and might shake up FTL’s backline for the spring. 

Golden Boot leader 

Addie McCain will likely remain the biggest target for Fort Lauderdale in the attacking third. The forward recorded a 47% shooting accuracy and 38% shot conversion rate in the fall and is always putting herself in the right spot at the right time to contribute. With the service McCain gets from teammates Jasmine Hamid and Felicia Knox, she can easily double her total of eight goals that currently lead the league. 

What to expect from DC Power FC in the spring

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DC Power FC is set to kick off the second half of the 2024/25 USL Super League season in a few weeks. Here’s what we can expect to see out of the club in the spring: 

Finding its identity 

Interim Head Coach Phil Nana, who made his debut with the team in its last match in December, will lead DC to start the spring and could potentially stay until the end of the season. Steven Birnbaum was also recently named as the club’s new Sporting Director. Nana and Birnbaum are taking on huge roles at a crucial part of the season and will be aiming to make an impact to vault the side into playoff contention. That could result in a very different-looking team than we saw in the fall. The first few matches will show if DC has found an identity that translates to results on the field. 

Emphasis on defense 

The majority of the 18 goals DC conceded in the first half of the season were due to defensive breakdowns and miscommunication. The home match against Brooklyn when the team allowed three goals in less than 15 minutes is a prime example of its defensive struggles. Once the team concedes one goal, it often concedes a second if not a third. DC’s focus should be on improving its defensive structure, especially when it has such talent like Susanna Fitch, Claire Constant and Madison Wolfbauer. 

Strikers stepping up 

DC Power was the only team to not reach the double-digit goal tally in the first half of the season. Its seven goals were almost half the total of seventh-ranked Spokane Zephyr, which finished with 13 goals. DC ranks fourth in shots and fourth in penalty area entries but is last in big chances created. Players like Loza Abera and Anna Bagley have shown their potential, but they need to connect on that final piece, which in turn would take some of the pressure off the defense. 

What to expect from Dallas Trinity FC in the spring

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We’re two weeks away from second-placed Dallas Trinity kicking off its second half of the 2024/25 USL Super League season. Here’s what we can expect to see out of the club in the spring: 

No more Meza 

Sam Meza was one of the Super League’s biggest stars in the fall; she led the league in duels won and led the team in tackles won, touches, recoveries, shots and possession won. However, Meza completed her loan and returned to Seattle Reign, leaving a huge hole in the midfield. Waniya Hudson’s loan from the Washington Spirit also ended, and four Academy players will not return to the club to begin their collegiate careers. Most notably among those is Jordyn Hardeman, who started six matches on Dallas’ backline. 

Other stars stepping up 

The departure of those players opens the door for others to lead Dallas to a successful second half of the season. Allie Thornton is second in the Golden Boot race with six goals, and her shooting accuracy is at a 68% clip. Chioma Ubogagu and Amber Brooks can set up their teammates with excellent crosses and balls in but are also not afraid to take their own shots. Plus, the addition of top college prospect Lexi Missimo – who doesn’t have to travel far from the University of Texas – will add talent to the midfield. 

The Cotton Bowl will be a fortress 

Dallas lost its first home match of the season in the fall finale against Brooklyn with the visitors’ 77th-minute goal being enough to earn all three points. Prior to that match, Dallas was 3-0-3 at the Cotton Bowl and had outscored its opponents 12-5. The atmosphere at the arena on matchdays is unlike any other and with three home matches to start the spring, it could create a huge boost for Trinity right out of the gate. 

What to expect from Carolina Ascent FC in the spring

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Carolina Ascent FC sits third in the standings as we head into the second half of the 2024/25 USL Super League season. Here’s what we can expect to see out of the club in the spring: 

Getting back to winning ways 

It was a rough final month of play for Carolina, to say the least. Spokane was the only team to earn fewer points than the Ascent in their last five matches of the fall, and no other team lost three straight. The break came at the perfect time for the team to regroup and work on its weaknesses so it can try to regain the form that saw the side go undefeated in its first 11 outings as the spring arrives. 

Impact from new signings 

Carolina’s offense and defense will be bolstered by its newest signings of Riley Parker and Jenna Butler. Parker proved to be a tenacious striker and clinical finisher while at the University of Alabama, and she can bring a much-needed spark to Carolina’s offense that had dulled since the start of the season. Butler played with a few of the Ascent’s roster last summer with its USL W League team and will strengthen an already impressive backline. 

More magic from McClelland 

Meagan McClelland was a star in the fall, not just for Carolina but in the Super League as a whole. She was the only goalkeeper to start every match for her team and played all 1,260 minutes. She leads the league in clean sheets (6) and saves (37) and Carolina is second in goals allowed with 11, trailing only Brooklyn. If the Rutgers alum maintains this form, she could be a lock for the Golden Glove. 

What to expect from Brooklyn FC in the spring

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Brooklyn FC holds the top spot in the standings as we head into the second half of the 2024/25 USL Super League season. Here’s what we can expect to see out of the club in the spring: 

High team camaraderie  

No team in the league went into the break on a better run of form than Brooklyn. The group is riding on six consecutive wins, four consecutive clean sheets and has a solid six-point lead over second-place Dallas Trinity. Add in the fact that the team is heading on a 12-day trip to Italy and will return to its new stadium in Coney Island, the vibes are high in Brooklyn. 

Solid defensive unit 

Most of the attention goes to its attacking prowess, but Brooklyn’s second and third lines consist of tactical and aggressive players. Kelsey Hill, Sam Kroeger and Alison Pantuso are three of six field players in the league to have played all 1,260 minutes. Then look at stats like duels won, tackles won, recoveries and interceptions; Pantuso and Kroeger each rank top five in three of those categories. Not to mention they’re behind their teammates Mackenzie Pluck in duels won and Leah Scarpelli in interceptions. They all play a large role as to why Brooklyn has conceded the fewest number of goals this season. 

Solidifying the goalkeeper position 

Brooklyn isn’t the only team to have multiple players battling for the starting spot in goal, but it has been a point of contention for the group heading into the spring. Puerto Rican international Sydney Martinez played nine matches, while Neeku Purcell filled in for the remaining five, including the last two of the fall. With Purcell getting called up to the United States 2025 Futures Camp and Brooklyn’s latest signing of Alexa Goldberg, the club will likely be locking in a starting goalkeeper this spring. 

What we learned from the Fall Schedule of the 2024/25 season

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After 55 matches and 127 goals, we’ve reached the midway point of the USL Super League season. 

Here are the three biggest takeaways from the Fall Schedule:

There will be peaks and valleys 

A brand-new league is always going to come with a learning curve. Coaches are trying to find the best lineups and formations to earn results, teams are bringing in players to fill voids and bolster their squads. The first 18 weeks were a period of trial and error and seeing what does and doesn’t work. 

With that comes peaks and valleys for each club. Carolina Ascent started on an 11-match unbeaten streak before losing its last three outings. Brooklyn faced some early bumps in the road before sailing to six consecutive wins and a comfortable first-place lead. Fort Lauderdale started strong, hit a rough patch of earning one point from five matches, then closed out the fall with three gritty wins.  

The parity within the league means any team could win against any opponent. A lot of the results in the first half of the season were determined by the current state of the teams when they faced each other. 

Finishing is crucial 

The stats don’t lie when it comes to shot conversion in this league; results come from being able to finish in front of goal. Dallas, Brooklyn, Fort Lauderdale and Tampa Bay are all exceeding an 11% conversion rate, and they are averaging around 1.6 points per game. Lexington is the exception because while the team converted on goal, its defense often canceled out the offensive efforts. 

Spokane, which finds itself at the bottom of the table, leads the league in shots (181) but ranks second-to-last in goals (13). DC Power is converting at the worst rate in the league (4.5%), has recorded only seven goals, and three of those came from the penalty spot or the other team. In Carolina’s last three matches, just six of its 27 shots were on target, resulting in only one goal and a 3.7% conversion rate. 

These clubs, specifically Carolina and Spokane, which have exceptional backlines and goalkeeping, have to figure it out on the offensive end if they want a successful spring schedule. 

Young players are rising to the occasion 

The Academy players were some of the biggest names and brought major results to the teams this season. Sealey Strawn was a game-changer off the bench for Dallas over the second half of the fall campaign, finishing with a goal, an assist and four chances created. DC’s Allie Flanagan recorded a brace that gave the team its first home win. 

The league also provided more opportunities for players straight out of college to make their professional debuts. Lexington’s Madi Parsons leads the league in goal contributions (5g/5a) in her first season of professional soccer. Four of the five Players of the Month were 23 years old at the time of the honor. Stella Spitzer made her debut at 14 years old for Carolina Ascent. This fall showcased the talents of the younger players and the future of women’s soccer. 

This is an excerpt from The Super Newsletter, the USL Super League’s free weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it in your inbox every Thursday.

Dallas vs. Brooklyn: A battle for the top spot

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A marquee matchup is on the schedule this Saturday in the Super League’s Fall Finale. 

Second-place Dallas Trinity FC will host first-place Brooklyn FC at the Cotton Bowl at 3:30 p.m. ET in the biggest match of the season thus far. Brooklyn (8-3-2) is riding a league record five-match winning streak and sits atop the standings with 26 points, with Dallas (6-2-5) right behind with 23 points.  

Here’s the breakdown on this top-of-the-table battle: 

Potential outcomes

  • A win for Brooklyn would extend its first-place lead well above every other team heading into the break. It would also leave the door open for Carolina Ascent (21 points) to jump Dallas on the table if it wins its match against Fort Lauderdale United. 
  • A win for Dallas would put both teams at 26 points, and with Brooklyn winning the first matchup between the teams, goal differential would come into play. Brooklyn has a +10 goal differential, and Dallas has +7. Trinity would need to win by at least two goals to move to first place. 
  • A draw would lock both teams in first and second place heading into the spring portion of the season. 

The last meeting

Brooklyn hosted Dallas in its home opener on September 25 and earned a 2-0 victory behind goals from Jess Garziano and Mackenzie George. The home side dominated in nearly every statistic: 52% of possession, 60% duels won, 61% tackles won, 14 shots to Dallas’ three and 5-2 in shots on target. 

Trinity’s Madison White made a huge penalty save in the 55th minute and recorded three saves on the night. Both clubs were also under interim managers at the time of the first match before Jess Silva and Pauline MacDonald took over their respective teams. 

Players to watch

Brooklyn: Mackenzie George (F), Mackenzie Pluck (M), Leah Scarpelli (D) 

Dallas: Allie Thornton (F), Samantha Meza (M), Jenna Winebrenner (D) 

The battle in the midfield between Pluck and Meza will be one to keep an eye on. Both midfielders are quick, skilled with the ball at their feet and excellent at playing their teammates into space. 

George, as seen in Brooklyn’s last outing, is clinical in front of goal but also makes the wide runs before sending crosses inside the box. Scarpelli commands the left side of the field, goes strong into tackles and is not afraid to take shots from distance. 

Meanwhile, Thornton leads the league in shots on target (14) with a 66% shooting accuracy rate. Winebrenner reads the game well and makes the right decisions defensively while also winning 70% of her duels and 73% of her tackles. 

This is an excerpt from The Super Newsletter, the USL Super League’s free weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it in your inbox every Thursday.

Who will finish the fall in the No. 1 spot? 

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The Fall Finale is upon us. 

There are just two weeks left in the first half of the 2024/25 Super League season. All eight of the teams have gone through ups and downs since August, but three clubs have risen to the top of the pack. 

Brooklyn FC, Carolina Ascent FC and Dallas Trinity FC sit in the top three spots heading into this weekend with three points separating them. Brooklyn and Dallas both have a match in hand over Carolina, and the two will face each other on the final day of the Fall Schedule. 

It’s only the halfway point and the standings will change in the spring to affect playoff implications, it’s still nice to go into the break with a hold on the No. 1 spot. Each of these three teams have the potential to finish in first, but here’s what they’ll need to achieve it: 

Brooklyn: Keep doing what it’s been doing 

Brooklyn is on a four-match winning streak, and despite going through a lull with only one match in over a month, the team can close out the fall with back-to-back wins if it keeps this momentum going. BKFC has found a starting lineup that takes control of matches early on and brings in substitutes that elevate the energy even higher. The defensive unit has looked cohesive, and the team is creating scoring opportunities from various areas on the field. 

If the team wants to extend its first-place lead, it needs to take advantage of the matchup against Lexington. The Kentucky-based team has allowed the most goals this season and its defensive struggles can easily be taken advantage of by all the attacking skill on Brooklyn’s roster. That return to the field will get the team back in the right mindset before facing probably its toughest matchup this season against Dallas. 

Carolina: Regroup and convert on goal 

November was a tough month for the Ascent. Even before the back-to-back losses, we knew the unbeaten streak was likely coming to an end soon after barely making it out alive against DC and Spokane. Now, with a month between matches, the team has the chance to regroup, put those performances in the past and prepare for Fort Lauderdale United FC this. 

If the team wants the chance to finish first, it has to take advantage of scoring opportunities. In its four matches last month, Carolina had 100 penalty area entries and 37 total shots but recorded just one goal in open play. Mia Corbin, Ashlynn Serepca and Jaydah Bedoya need to find that confidence they had in October and make the most of the time and space FTL gives them. 

Dallas: Start the matches with high energy 

Trinity was on quite a streak of its own, going unbeaten in seven matches before falling 2-1 to Fort Lauderdale last week. Now, with matchups against Tampa Bay and Brooklyn to close out the fall, Dallas needs to a regroup itself.  

One of the biggest challenges for Dallas this season has been how it starts the match. The team has conceded four goals in the opening 15 minutes this season; no other team has conceded more than twice in that timeframe. Luckily for Dallas, it’s been able to equalize or take the lead more times than not after trailing – Trinity leads the league with eight points gained from losing positions – but Tampa Bay and Brooklyn could be too disciplined defensively to allow Dallas a comeback. Trinity needs to enter the match the way it’s been finishing and take an early command to set the tone. 

This is an excerpt from The Super Newsletter, the USL Super League’s free weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it in your inbox every Thursday.

What we learned from Week 14 in the USL Super League

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Week 14 saw Tampa Bay Sun hand Carolina Ascent its first loss of the season, and who else but Lexington scored the 100th goal in Super League history. 

Here are the biggest three takeaways from last week’s matches: 

Carolina hit a plateau and Tampa Bay is on the rise 

Sooner or later, someone was going to end Carolina Ascent’s undefeated run, but it’s actually not much of a surprise Tampa Bay Sun FC was the one to do it. The Ascent have looked a little out of sorts and barely scraped a couple points out of its last few matches, while the Sun have started to take form with their new roster additions. 

Going back to Ascent’s draw against Dallas on October 25, Carolina was one offside call away from losing 3-2, on top of the Trinity outshooting Carolina 19-4. The team was fortunate DC Power missed a penalty kick in its next match as Meagan McClelland single-handedly preserved the 1-0 win. Then against Spokane, the Zephyr hit the woodwork three times in a scoreless draw at American Legion Memorial Stadium. Carolina’s once-ironclad defense was destroyed on Saturday by Tampa Bay’s balls over the top. At the same time, the Ascent’s offense has fallen flat and struggled to create good looks on goal. 

Meanwhile, the Sun have bounced back from two losses at the end of October with three strong performances. Cecilie Nielsen and Natasha Flint were the perfect targets to put into a starting lineup that was failing to capitalize on its final third entries, especially combining with the speed and agility of Carlee Giammona and Sydny Nasello. Viv Bessette and Paige Almendariz were all over the pitch Saturday night, and Carolina couldn’t progress through the midfield because of them. The two teams are on complete opposite trajectories, which made for a perfect storm and thrilling upset. 

Lexington needs to find Amanda Allen more often 

Madi Parsons has likely been the top player on the scouting report for Lexington’s opponents recently, but last Wednesday’s match brought another name into the spotlight. Orlando Pride loanee Amanda Allen recorded eight shots – four of which were on target, three more of which were blocked – and two chances created against Spokane. Aside from the equalizer, nearly every opportunity Lexington had came through Allen. 

This is not to say that she is just now showing her abilities. Allen is second on the team in shots with 14 behind Parsons’ 19 while having played three fewer matches, and she is third in chances created. However, she had been playing more centrally, and her move out wide completely opened up the field for Lexington against Spokane. Allen has so much speed and skill that she can either cut inside and rip a shot, or she can beat her defender and send a cross into the box. Continuing to get her involved in the attack will result in even more goals for this high-scoring team. 

DC needs help at both ends of the field 

It’s no secret DC Power has struggled with efficiency at the offensive end; the club has the fewest goals in the league (6) while recording the third-most shots (132). Two of those goals came from penalty kicks in the same match. Another one was an own goal by the opposing team. Every time a DC player has a breakaway and is 1v1 with the goalkeeper and you think a goal is on the horizon, it’s not. Credit to Brooklyn’s Sydney Martinez for the five saves in Wednesday’s match, but one of those has to go in if DC wants to turn its season around. 

And things are not much better on the other end of the pitch. DC took a page out of Lexington’s book and allowed three goals within a span of 13 minutes last week. Again, Luana Grabias deserves all the recognition for three well-deserved and entertaining goals; however, the turnovers in the defensive third and the inability to clear lines followed by the immediate arguing and finger-pointing after conceding is not a good look for the backline.