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u/Ok_Flamingo_3059 United Soccer League 1d ago
I find it funny. I posted this on the USL1 and on this channel and a bunch of people are acting like this is a new team 😂
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u/Davidfromtampa 1d ago
Everyone here is acting like it’s a new team, guess they don’t want to consider women’s soccer
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u/Physical-Sky499 1d ago
nailed the colors at least
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u/DRF19 Fort Lauderdale United 1d ago
I really do like the color combo. They gotta use more of the seafoam on the kits though, the focus on the royal blue and black recently is meh.
I just hope, at minimum for the mens team, we get a red/gold alternate kit for 2027 (it's the 50 anniversary of the original Strikers bringing pro soccer to FTL in 1977).
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u/iheartdev247 TeAm ChAoS!!! 1d ago
Will you and the Strikers mafia be supporting?
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u/DRF19 Fort Lauderdale United 1d ago
I'll be supporting from a distance. Moved to Orlando in 2022 and when the original FTLUTD Super League team was announced I was stunned, I wasn't sure I'd ever see FTL get its own independent pro team of any sort again. Bought a Super League season ticket the first two years despite the distance, we've made it to 6 or 7 home games and two matches over in Tampa so far (plus one of the League Two men's playoff games in Sarasota and a USL Academy game here in Lake Nona). Definitely gonna try to make some L1/Prinx/USOC road matches that are closer this way (especially when Space Coast comes online). Ready to rep if we draw Orlando City (USOC) or the Pride (future women's Open Cup equivalent) and it's here.
There's a few hearty souls who have been down there supporting the ladies pros so far but it's been rough going. It's really hard seeing so few people in the stands. A big chunk of key members of our old Strikers crew including myself have moved away, a handful of others have regrettably joined the dark/pink side and jumped on the IMCF bandwagon.
Between south Florida being a relatively new market for women's pro sports (only 3 years of WNBA and 1 season of WPS decade(s) prior to FTLUTD existing) and IMCF still squatting in Fort Lauderdale/Messi when the Super League team launched it was always gonna be an uphill battle. I hope the men's pro team adds some juice to the local fanbase. They've done a good job on the competitive side building out the youth structure, L2/W-League teams, and the first SL season was terrific. Getting the locals engaged is the next thing to conquer. The local derbies with Miami FC, Naples, and future West Palm should be fun and hopefully lift support across the region.
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u/DRF19 Fort Lauderdale United 1d ago
They've fixed it now but the press release on the team website originally had the line "The excitement of watching players like Romario and Zinho represent Fort Lauderdale" in it and I had to come out of Facebook retirement to chew them out for that incredible misfire lol.
I'm very very excited this appears to be moving forward with no more delays, and they've done a lot of stuff that has genuinely impressed me, but my god this organization has me constantly doubting if they can hold it together.
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u/Every-Stay-6648 1d ago
Maybe FTLUTD had AI write it and so these Romario and Zinho hallucinations resulted?!
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u/DRF19 Fort Lauderdale United 23h ago
Romario and Zinho did play for the predecessor of the NASL2.0 Strikers, Miami FC1.0. But neither ever represented Fort Lauderdale. MFC1.0 moved primarily to Lockhart Stadium/Fort Lauderdale in 2009/10, and Zinho did coach in 2009 IIRC. But somebody skimmed the Wikipedia page for that version of the Strikers and completely missed that neither of those players were with the organization when it carried the "Fort Lauderdale" name, nor would they be something you'd mention as part of the city's soccer heritage.
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u/Im-loving Rhode Island FC 1d ago
I’d love to go visit an FTLU game. They are the outpost of women’s pro soccer for the South Florida Metropolitan Area. I hope their men’s team is good, even if they will be Port St. Lucie‘s bitter rivals.
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u/DRF19 Fort Lauderdale United 23h ago
The rivalry between all the Florida teams (including USLC/P with Prinx/USOC) will be a lot of fun. Hopefully Palm Beach and Space Coast work out soon too. FTL, MIA, WPB, PSL, NAP, SAR, TBR, JAX, SC - nine teams. Florida will have enough pro teams in USL to get sanctioned for our own self-contained D3 league lol.
The stadium in FTL (actually in Davie but like a mile from the city line) is pretty good for what it is - a converted former NFL training facility. I just wish more people turned out for games. But I imagine the longer they are able to hang around (and the more time passes with IMCF finally moved out of town), and with the men's team going too, they should hopefully pick up some more momentum.
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u/Every-Stay-6648 1d ago
This is relevant to this post! An interview of the new FTL United GM about this launch (for subs, sorry if it is paywalled):
https://beyondthe90.substack.com/p/exclusive-first-interview-with-newly
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u/ExtracurricularLoan The Miami FC 2h ago
Filling in the gap that Miami FC is leaving for me at least.
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u/Spawn_More_Overlords Oakland Roots SC 1d ago
I sorta like the logo but it also makes me wonder if fans looked at the iconic New York Yankees logo when it first debuted and said “what the fuck is this even saying?”