Fort Lauderdale United FC

Fort Lauderdale United FC
NicknameFTL UTD
Founded21 November 2023 (2023-11-21)
StadiumBeyond Bancard Field at NSU
CEOTommy Smith
Head CoachAlissa Rogers
LeagueUSL Super League
2024–25Runners-up
Websitehttps://www.ftlutd.com/

Fort Lauderdale United FC is an American professional women's soccer club based in Broward County, Florida, that competes in the USL Super League (USLS), one of two Division I women's soccer leagues in the United States.[1] The team plays its home matches at a new soccer-specific stadium constructed at Nova Southeastern University.

The club is principally owned by Tommy Smith, who serves as chair and CEO.[2]

History

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.[3]

On January 25, 2024, former Premier League and MLS player 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]

On April 29, 2025, the team announced the launch of a men's side that is set to play in USL League One in 2026.[8]

In their inaugural season, Fort Lauderdale finished fourth in the table and qualified for the 2024–25 USL Super League playoffs. Fort Lauderdale went on to be Carolina Ascent 2–1 in extra time to advance to the Finals.[9] Taking Tampa Bay Sun FC into extra-time in the final, Fort Lauderdale eventually fell 1–0, finishing Runners-up on the season.[10]

Stadium

In November 2024, the team's home stadium at Nova Southeastern University on the site of the former Miami Dolphins training facility was rebranded from NSU Soccer Field to Beyond Bancard Field.[11][12] The $7 million project, which seats nearly 7,000 fans, is the result of a multi-year exclusive naming-rights agreement between FTL UTD and Beyond Bancard, a provider of payment-processing solutions.[12][13][14]

Included in the agreement are exclusive stadium-wide Beyond Bancard branding and a new stadium logo featured on all signage and LED boards. Beyond Bancard also acts as the team’s presenting sponsor for weekly kids’ soccer clinics and participates in giveaways, content series, and exclusive email offers for FTL UTD fans.[12]

Identity

The name and crest were unveiled on February 29, 2024. 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.[15]

Sponsorship

Period Kit manufacturer Shirt sponsor Sleeve sponsor Ref.
2024–present Nike OMEGAXL SPORT All Year Cooling & Heating [16][17]

Players and staff

Current roster

As of December 21, 2025

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
2 DF  AUS Madison McComasky
3 DF  USA Sheyenne Allen
4 MF  USA Lily Nabet (on loan from Angel City)
5 DF  TGA Laveni Vaka
7 MF  BER Nia Christopher
8 MF  GHA Stella Nyamekye (on loan from Gotham FC)
9 FW  AUS Sophie Harding
11 FW  USA Sh'Nia Gordon
12 MF  USA Darya Rajaee
15 MF  USA Lilly McCarthy
16 FW  ENG Princess Ademiluyi (on loan from Gotham FC)
No. Pos. Nation Player
17 FW  USA Jasmine Hamid
18 DF  USA Ella Simpson
20 FW  USA Kiara Locklear
21 MF  DOM Kathrynn González
22 FW  USA Kate Colvin
23 MF  USA Taylor Smith
27 DF  USA Julia Grosso
28 DF  USA Laurel Ansbrow (on loan from Boston Legacy)
29 MF  USA Kelli Van Treeck
30 GK  USA Haley Craig
31 GK  GUM Bella Hara

Academy players

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
32 FW  ARG Mia Herrera
33 MF  USA Dakota Harrell
34 MF  USA Jules Cagle
35 DF  COL Daniela Todd
No. Pos. Nation Player
36 DF  USA Alexa Strickler
37 DF  USA Blane McElroy
38 MF  USA Sadie Zelnick
39 FW  SLV Maya Buerger

Former players

For details of former players, see Category:Fort Lauderdale United FC players and List of Fort Lauderdale United FC players.

Staff

As of October 2, 2025[2]
Front office
Position Name
Founder & chairman Tommy Smith
President of Soccer Tyrone Mears
General Manager Aly Hassan
Chief Financial Officer Stan Jansta
Technical staff
Head Coach Alissa Rogers
Goalkeeper Coach Paul Jennison
Performance Coach Tyler Raborn
Equipment Manager Tannor Smoot
Technical Coach Ivan Arenas
Technical Coach Rafael Quero

Records

Year-by-year

As of November 22, 2025
Season League Regular season Playoffs Avg. attendance Top Goalscorer
P W D L GF GA Pts Pos Name(s) Goals
2024–25 USLS 28 11 9 8 35 33 42 4th Runners-up 2,306 Addie McCain 10
2025–26 USLS 12 4 5 3 17 19 17 3rd TBD 1,896 Kiara Locklear 4
Total 39 15 14 11 52 52 Kiara Locklear 11

Head coaching record

As of November 22, 2025

Only competitive matches are counted.*

All-time Fort Lauderdale United FC coaching records
Name Nationality From To P W D L GF GA Win%
Tyrone Mears[4]  England January 25, 2024 September 16, 2025 34 14 11 9 47 41 41.18%
Alissa Rogers[18]  United States September 16, 2025 present 9 3 3 3 9 14 33.33%

Team records

As of July 2, 2025.[19][20] Current players in bold. Statistics are updated once a year after the conclusion of the USL Super League season.
Most appearances
Player Appearances
# Name Nat. Pos. United career USLS Playoffs Total
1 Sh'Nia Gordon FW 2024– 28 2 30
Addie McCain MF 2024– 28 2 30
3 Taylor Smith MF 2024– 27 2 29
4 Jasmine Hamid FW 2024– 26 2 28
5 Darya Rajaee MF 2024– 25 2 27
6 Felicia Knox MF 2024– 26 0 26
7 Cosette Morché GK 2024– 22 2 24
8 Celia Gaynor DF 2024– 21 1 22
9 Tatiana Fung MF 2024–2025 19 2 21
10 Laveni Vaka DF 2024– 18 0 18
Kiara Locklear FW 2024– 16 2 18
Top goalscorers
Player Goals scored
# Name Nat. Pos. United career USLS Playoffs Total
1 Addie McCain MF 2024– 10 0 10
2 Jasmine Hamid FW 2024– 9 0 9
3 Kiara Locklear FW 2024– 5 2 7
4 Sh'Nia Gordon FW 2024– 5 0 5

References

  1. ^ "USL Super League adds team in Fort Lauderdale for inaugural 2024-25 season". equalizersoccer.com. The Equalizer. November 21, 2023. Retrieved April 22, 2024.
  2. ^ a b "Front Office". Fort Lauderdale United FC. Retrieved October 2, 2025.
  3. ^ "USL Super League awards franchise to Fort Lauderdale". uslsuperleague.com. United Soccer League. November 21, 2023. Retrieved March 5, 2024.
  4. ^ a b "Super League Fort Lauderdale Appoints Tyrone Mears as Club's First Head Coach". uslsuperleague.com. United Soccer League. January 25, 2024. Retrieved July 14, 2024.
  5. ^ "Fort Lauderdale United FC announces first player, Felicia Knox". uslsuperleague.com. United Soccer League. May 14, 2024. Retrieved July 14, 2024.
  6. ^ "Fort Lauderdale United FC makes history signing Tonga's first female professional soccer player, Laveni Vaka". ftlutd.com. Fort Lauderdale United FC. May 15, 2024. Retrieved July 14, 2024.
  7. ^ "Fort Lauderdale United FC rounds out its coaching staff with dynamic Associate Head Coach and Head of Recruitment Appointments". ftlutd.com. Fort Lauderdale United FC. June 26, 2024. Retrieved July 14, 2024.
  8. ^ "United Soccer League, Fort Lauderdale United FC Announce Men's League One Soccer Team in 2026". Fort Lauderdale United FC. Retrieved April 29, 2025.
  9. ^ Pohly, Kaitlyn (June 13, 2025). "Fort Lauderdale United silences its doubters heading into inaugural USL final". Miami Herald. Retrieved June 16, 2025.
  10. ^ Baulf, Celia (June 15, 2025). "Tampa Bay Sun FC claim inaugural USL Super League Championship, beat Fort Lauderdale United FC in overtime thriller | Goal.com US". www.goal.com. Retrieved June 17, 2025.
  11. ^ "Nova Southeastern University to be Home to Super League Fort Lauderdale Women's Professional Soccer Team". news.nova.edu. Nova Southeastern University. November 21, 2023. Retrieved March 5, 2024.
  12. ^ a b c "Fort Lauderdale United FC & Beyond Bancard Strike Multi-Year Seven Figure Naming Rights Deal". ftlutd.com. Fort Lauderdale United FC. November 8, 2024. Retrieved November 9, 2024.
  13. ^ "Nova Southeastern University stadium to host new pro soccer team, undergo $7M renovation". ftlutd.com. Fort Lauderdale United FC. July 12, 2024. Retrieved July 14, 2024.
  14. ^ "About Beyond Bancard". Retrieved November 9, 2024.
  15. ^ "FORT LAUDERDALE UNITED FC, ANNOUNCES NAME AND CREST". Fort Lauderdale United FC. February 29, 2024. Retrieved October 2, 2025.
  16. ^ "Fort Lauderdale United FC signs multi-year partnership with Nike". Fort Lauderdale United FC. March 18, 2025. Retrieved October 2, 2025.
  17. ^ "OMEGAXL SPORT signs historic partnership with Fort Lauderdale United FC". Fort Lauderdale United FC. August 10, 2025. Retrieved October 2, 2025.
  18. ^ "Ali Rogers Named Head Coach of Fort Lauderdale United FC". Fort Lauderdale United FC. September 16, 2025. Retrieved October 2, 2025.
  19. ^ "Summary - Fort Lauderdale United - Results, fixtures, squad, statistics, photos, videos - Soccerway". Soccerway. Retrieved July 2, 2025.
  20. ^ "Fort Lauderdale United FC Player Stats". USL Super League. Retrieved July 1, 2025.