Miami Dutch Lions FC

Miami Dutch Lions FC is an American soccer club founded in Conroe, Texas.[1] Founded in 2011, it formerly competed in the National Premier Soccer League, the fourth tier of the American soccer pyramid, before relocating its NPSL side to the Miami, Florida area. It now focuses solely on its youth teams.

Full nameMiami Dutch Lions Football Club
Nickname(s)The Lions
Founded2011 (2011) (as Texas Dutch Lions FC)
OwnerMartin Kroeze
Vice presidentRobbert Kroeze
Head coachMarco Pruis
20161st, South Central Division, NPSL
Playoffs: QUA
WebsiteClub website

The club is owned by Martin Kroeze.

History

Texas Dutch Lions FC was founded on November 17, 2011, and played their inaugural season in the USL Premier Development League in 2012,[2] finishing 4th in the Mid South Division of the Southern Conference but missing the playoffs.

The Youth Academy of the club began training in 2011 with only one location in Conroe, Texas. In 2012, the Youth Academy expanded to its second training location to service players in The Woodlands.[1]

On April 1, 2013, Texas Dutch Lions FC changed their official name to Houston Dutch Lions FC. The club has been using the new title for several months, but it was not official until April 1.[3]

On February 12, 2013, the club announced the signing of new head coach, former Dutch player Hans van Arum, for the 2013 season.[4]

On February 18, 2014 the Houston Dutch Lions FC announced the signing of Marco Pruis as their new head coach for the 2014 USL PDL season.[5]

Since the 2016 season, the club joined the National Premier Soccer League in which the team also played during the 2017 and 2018 season. During the 2016 season, the Dutch Lions FC played in an 11-team Division (which the Dutch Lions FC won). Due to several new teams, the 2017 NPSL season was divided into the Heartland Conference and the Lone Star Conference (in which the Lions participate). In the 2018 NPSL season the Lone Star Conference had 9 teams compete, the Dutch Lions FC fell to Laredo Heat SC on July 14, 2018 in a thrilling 4-3 final.

In November 2019, the club announced that it would relocate its NPSL side to the Miami area for the 2020 season, and would focus on its youth programs.[6]

Colors and badge
The old Texas Dutch Lions FC logo.

The Houston Dutch Lions FC crest is a modified version of Dayton's logo, featuring the white and blue field, with an orange lion centered on the crest. The script above the vector lion reads the club's name. The home shirt consists of an orange shirt, orange shorts & orange socks. Away the team plays in a white shirt.

Home ground

Training ground
  • Houston Dutch Lions FC Soccer Facility; Conroe, Texas (October 2013-). The fields are the training grounds of the teams: USL Premier Development League, National Premier Soccer League, HFA, and the club's Youth Academy. After the fields opening up in October 2014, the club opened a unique club house in May 2015. The club house consists of dressing rooms, club house for fans with A/C, restrooms and a banquet room. The top floor has 4 offices and two banquet rooms for the office staff.[7]

Just before the 2018 NPSL season the club build seats in front of the club house, which added about 200 seats to the Soccer Facility.

Club culture

International partnerships

The Houston Dutch Lions FC share in the partnership of their ownership group and sister club, Dayton Dutch Lions, with Dutch Eredivisie champions, FC Twente. On January 17, 2011, the Dutch Lions Group signed a five-year contract to foster development of players, academy teams, training practices, and possibly facilitate loans or transfers of players between teams.[8] In the 2014 season, the Cincinnati Dutch Lions FC were added (joined the PDL). As of the summer of 2015, the Florida Gulf Coast Dutch Lions FC (Cape Coral, FL) joined the Dutch Lions FC group.

On Thursday, May 5, 2016 the Dutch Lions FC announced the signing of Heineken for their Dutch Lions FC NPSL squad. Early 2017, the club announced Woodlands Hospital CHI St. Luke's as sponsor.[9]

Game history

Games played in the NPSL

2016

  • July 5, 2016: Dutch Lions FC - Dallas City FC 2-1
  • November 5, 2016: Houston Regals - Dutch Lions FC 0-2
  • May 20, 2016: Liverpool Warriors - Dutch Lions FC 0-1
  • May 28, 2016: Little Rock Rangers - Dutch Lions FC 1-4
  • May 6, 2016: Dutch Lions FC - Tulsa Athletics 1-5
  • September 6, 2016: Dutch Lions FC - Corinthians FC 1-1
  • November 6, 2016: Dutch Lions FC - Fort Worth Vaqueros 6-1
  • June 17, 2016: Joplin Demize - Dutch Lions FC 0-4
  • June 19, 2016: FC Wichita - Dutch Lions FC 1-1
  • June 26, 2016: Dutch Lions FC - Houston Regals 4-0
  • June 29, 2016: Corinthians FC - Dutch Lions FC 2-5
  • February 7, 2016: Dutch Lions FC - Shreveport Rafters FC 3-1
  • September 7, 2016: Dutch Lions FC - FC Wichita 5-0 (Conference semi final)
  • October 7, 2016: Tulsa Athletics - Dutch Lions FC 1-2 (Conference final)
  • July 16, 2016: Chattanooga FC - Dutch Lions FC 4-0 (Southeast Conference semi final)

2017

  • October 5, 2017: Dutch Lions FC - NTX Rayados 3-1 (US Open Cup)
  • May 17, 2017: Dutch Lions FC - San Antonio FC 1-2 (US Open Cup)
  • May 20, 2017: Fort Worth Vaqueros - Dutch Lions FC 3-0
  • May 27, 2017: Tyler FC - Dutch Lions FC 2-2
  • March 6, 2017: Dutch Lions FC - Houston Regals 4-1
  • October 6, 2017: Dutch Lions FC - Fort Worth Vaqueros 3-1
  • June 15, 2017: Dutch Lions FC - Midland/Odessa Sockers FC 3-1
  • June 17, 2017: Dutch Lions FC - Tyler FC 6-3
  • June 21, 2017: Houston Regals - Dutch Lions FC 2-2
  • June 24, 2017: Midland/Odessa Sockers FC - Dutch Lions FC 3-4
  • January 7, 2017: Dutch Lions FC - Shreveport Rafters FC 2-1
  • August 7, 2017: Shreveport Rafters FC - Dutch Lions FC 1-1
  • December 7, 2017: Dutch Lions FC - Midland/Odessa Sockers FC 1-3 (Conference semi final)

2018

  • December 5, 2018: Dutch Lions FC - Houston Regals 3-0
  • May 19, 2018: Dutch Lions FC - Katy 1895 FC 0-1
  • May 23, 2018: Dutch Lions FC - Fort Worth Vaqueros 6-2
  • February 6, 2018: Dutch Lions FC - Shreveport Rafters 4-2
  • June 6, 2018: Laredo Heat SC - Dutch Lions FC 2-0
  • June 16, 2018: Brownsville FC - Dutch Lions FC 1-6
  • June 20, 2018: Dutch Lions FC - Tyler FC 8-0
  • June 23, 2018: Midland/Odessa Sockers FC - Dutch Lions FC 1-0
  • June 27, 2018: Shreveport Rafters FC - Dutch Lions FC 2-4
  • March 7, 2018: Katy 1895 FC - Dutch Lions FC 0-9
  • July 7, 2018: Dutch Lions FC - Shreveport Rafters FC 3-0 (Play off wild card game)
  • November 7, 2018: Midland/Odessa Sockers FC - Dutch Lions FC 2-3 (Conference semi final)
  • July 14, 2018: Laredo Heat SC - Dutch Lions FC 4-3 (Division final)

See official website for more info: www.godutchlions.com.

Staff
Executive staff
Position Staff
President Martin Kroeze
Vice President Robbert Kroeze
CEO Dennis Kroeze
Technical Director Marco Pruis

Source: Official Staff

Coaching staff NPSL 2018 season
Position Staff
Head Coach Marco Pruis
Assistant Coach Michiel van de Heijning
Goalkeeper Coach Leroy Zuiddam
Team Manager Carlos Ortiz

Source: Official Staff

Head coaches

Year-by-year
Year Division League Regular Season Playoffs Open Cup Record
2012 4 USL PDL 4th, Mid South Did not qualify Did not qualify 6-8-4
2013 4 USL PDL 5th, Mid South Did not qualify Did not qualify 4-7-3
2014 4 USL PDL 5th, Mid South Did not qualify Did not qualify 1-10-3
2015 4 USL PDL 4th, Mid South Did not qualify Did not qualify 4-6-2
2016 4 NPSL 2nd, South Central South Regional semi-final Qualified 11-2-2
2017 4 NPSL 2nd, Lone Star Division Qualified Not known 6-1-3
2018 4 NPSL 3rd, Lone Star Division Qualified Not known 9-4-0

NPSL 2016 play offs: On Saturday, July 9, 2016, the Dutch Lions FC beat FC Wichita in the South Conference semi-final with an impressive score of 5-0 (the division final four was played in Tulsa, OK). The Liverpool Warriors fell that same day to the Tulsa Athletics (1-3). The South Central Conference Title went to the Dutch Lions FC after the team beat the Tulsa Athletics with 2-1 on Sunday, July 10. What followed was the South Regional semi-final vs Chattanooga FC (Tennessee), were the Dutch Lions FC lost with 4-0.

2017 US Open Cup: On May 10, 2017, the Dutch Lions FC hosted the NTX Rayados and beat them with 3-1. One week later, the team fell against USL side San Antonio FC with 2-1.

2018 NPSL season: The club boosted another winning season in the NPSL, winning 9 games and losing 4 games. Goals scored are 49, and goals conceded was 17.

Average attendance

Attendance stats are calculated by averaging each team's self-reported home attendances from the historical match archive.[10]

  • 2012: 120
  • 2013: 150
  • 2014: 175
  • 2015: 200
  • 2016: 275
  • 2017: 315
  • 2018: 275

References
  1. "Dutch Lions: History". Dutch Lions. Archived from the original on January 11, 2014. Retrieved January 10, 2014.
  2. "Dutch Lions FC Join USL PDL". USL PDL. November 17, 2011. Retrieved February 17, 2013.
  3. "Houston Dutch Lions Announce Official Name Change". Houston Dutch Lions. April 8, 2013. Archived from the original on January 11, 2014. Retrieved January 10, 2014.
  4. "Dutch Lions Announce New Coach". USL PDL. February 12, 2013. Archived from the original on April 12, 2013. Retrieved February 12, 2013.
  5. "Houston Dutch Lions FC announces new Head Coach PDL team". Houston Dutch Lions. February 18, 2014. Archived from the original on August 12, 2014. Retrieved August 10, 2014.
  6. "Dutch Lions FC NPSL relocates team to Miami area". Miami Dutch Lions FC. November 15, 2019. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
  7. "HDLFC Soccer Complex". Houston Dutch Lions. Archived from the original on January 11, 2014. Retrieved January 10, 2014.
  8. "Dutch Lions Ink 5-Year Partnership". USL PDL. January 17, 2011. Archived from the original on October 10, 2012. Retrieved February 17, 2013.
  9. "CHI St. Luke's Health welcomed as club house sponsor - Houston Dutch Lions". Houston Dutch Lions. May 19, 2017. Retrieved July 9, 2017.
  10. https://web.archive.org/web/20100105175057/http://www.uslsoccer.com/history/index_E.html
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