USL W League News

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Fort Lauderdale United FC’s USL W league team dropped its final game of the season, a 1-0 road loss to Tallahassee Reckoning. Defender Natascha Frei got a red card in the first half, forcing Fort Lauderdale to be down a player for over half the game. With this result, the club finished its inaugural season in 3rd place with a 6-3 record, narrowly missing the USL W playoffs.

Fort Lauderdale found itself on the defensive side of the ball to start the game, with goalkeeper Lauren Rodriguez making a pair of saves in the first 10 minutes. The first scoring chance for Fort Lauderdale came in the 15th minute when Lucia Garcia drove down the wing and dropped a pass to Melanie Russo, who was waiting in front of the net. Before Russo could get to the cross, a Tallahassee defender was able to clear the ball away. Just a minute later, Chloe Burst sent a corner kick that was punched by Tallahassee’s goalkeeper towards Anniina Sankoh on the back post, who hit a first-time volley that went slightly over the goal. In the 23rd minute, Tallahassee got on the scoresheet, scoring the match’s only goal and making the score 1-0. Fort Lauderdale was unfazed and continued its attack, and in the 32nd minute, Sankoh hit a powerful shot from 15 yards out that the goalkeeper made a diving save on. Fort Lauderdale’s corner following the save saw a Tatum Galvin header that went just over the net. In the 34th minute, Frei was issued a red card for a tackle she made just outside the box on a Tallahassee breakaway. Despite the disadvantage, Fort Lauderdale continued pressing going into halftime, earning seven corner kicks throughout the entire half.

Down 1-0 and a player, Fort Lauderdale came out in the second half with a chip on their shoulder and got a chance on goal five minutes in. Galvin found forward Isabella Rychel on a beautiful through ball towards goal in the 50th minute, initiating a footrace between Rychel and Tallahassee’s goalkeeper. Rychel almost got her foot on it, but the goalkeeper was able to clear the ball first. Tallahassee hit the crossbar in the 65th minute of the game after Rodriguez saved a shot from distance. Fort Lauderdale had another goal-scoring opportunity in the 67th minute when Russo took a shot from the top of the box, but the goalkeeper was able to stop it. Tallahassee hit the woodwork again in the 72nd after another great save from Rodriguez, and Galvin cleared the second attempt off the goal line, keeping Fort Lauderdale in the game. The game remained back-and-forth in possession, but FTL couldn’t find the back of the net as Tallahassee maintained the 1-0 lead to end the game.

Season Recap: In its first season, the USL W squad recorded six wins and three losses, while scoring 36 goals and allowing ten. Tabea Schutt led the team with six goals, followed by Sankoh and Burst, who each had five. Burst also led the team in assists, with seven.

BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. – Fort Lauderdale United FC’s USL W league team suffered its second loss of the season to Brevard SC Riptide, losing 4-3 on the road in the final minutes of a back-and-forth match. Chloe Burst had a part in all of Fort Lauderdale’s goals, scoring two and assisting the third. This result puts the club in third place in the Southeast division with a 6-2 record, ahead of a big away matchup on Saturday against second-placed Tallahassee Reckoning for a chance at a wildcard spot in the USL W playoffs.

The game kicked off with intensity from both teams. In the 5th minute, goalkeeper Lauren Rodriguez made a great save off a Brevard long shot to keep the score level. Fort Lauderdale was the first on the scoresheet after a spectacular Burst solo goal in the 17th minute. Center back Leah Finkelman found Burst out wide, who then dribbled the ball inside towards goal, beating three defenders in the process before ripping a shot from 25 yards out into the bottom right corner of the goal. Fort Lauderdale almost doubled its lead in the 20th minute when Anniina Sankoh got a close-range header off Burst’s cross, but Brevard’s goalkeeper made the save. Fort Lauderdale would have its second goal two minutes later, after Finkelman got her head on Burst’s corner kick, heading the ball powerfully into the back of the net. Brevard got one back in the 37th minute, making the score 2-1 to close out the first half.

Down 2-1, Brevard came out hard to start the second half, and got its equalizer off a corner kick in the 47th minute. Fort Lauderdale was able to keep its composure and continue to create scoring chances. In the 52nd minute, halftime substitute Daniela Diaz hit a cross into the box to Sankoh, who laid the ball off to halftime substitute Melanie Russo, who then hit a first time shot in front of the goal that was blocked by a Brevard defender. Two minutes later, Brevard took the lead off another corner kick goal. Despite being down 3-2, Fort Lauderdale was in control of the game and remained motivated. In the 59th minute, defender Veronica Gonzalez gave Russo a through ball towards goal, where she took a touch and hit a shot that forced Brevard’s goalkeeper to make another diving save. Fort Lauderdale tied the game up in the 64th minute when Burst crossed the ball to Russo, got it back from her and hit a stunning shot from 20 yards out into the top left corner of the goal. Unfortunately, Brevard scored the game-winner in the 88th minute. In stoppage time, Fort Lauderdale had a great opportunity to tie the game off a Burst corner kick in the match’s final moments, but Finkelman’s header was saved by the goalkeeper and Diaz’s follow-up shot went wide of the goal.

Our Fort Lauderdale United FC USL W League team will return to the pitch on Saturday, June 28 for an away game against Tallahassee Reckoning. Kick-off is set for 5:00 pm.

MIAMI, Fla. – Fort Lauderdale United FC’s USL W league team earned its third consecutive victory by defeating FC Miami City on the road 5-0, led by a hat-trick from forward Anniina Sankoh. The win puts the club in second place in the southeast division with a 5-1 record, as they prepare for their last three regular-season games before the playoffs.

The match began almost immediately in Fort Lauderdale’s favor, after Sankoh got on the scoresheet in the 3rd minute to go up on Miami City 1-0. She continued playing well, making the score 2-0 shortly after in the 17th minute. Fort Lauderdale maintained the pressure on Miami City’s backline while stopping its attack, as the scoreline remained going into halftime.

Fort Lauderdale kept its momentum as they kicked off the second half, getting the third goal of the game in the 52nd minute. Defender Leah Finkelman sent a long pass to Lucia Garcia, who brought it down nicely and beat two defenders before passing the ball to Sankoh at the top of the box. Sankoh then beat defenders and set up a diving shot on goal to make the game 3-0. Fort Lauderdale would add another just three minutes later, after Isabella Rychel drove down the line and found Diana Pon on the cross wide open, who was able to tap the ball into the net. Pon would get the fifth and final goal of the game in the 67th minute, after converting a penalty kick that she earned, slotting it to the bottom left corner of the goal. Fort Lauderdale defended Miami City well in the last twenty minutes of the game, earning the shutout and 5-0 win.

Our Fort Lauderdale United FC USL W League team will return to the pitch on Wednesday, June 25 for an away game against Brevard SC Riptide. Kick-off is set for 6:00 pm.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Fort Lauderdale United FC’s USL W league team won its last home game of the season, defeating Miami AC 7-2 on Wednesday, June 11 at AutoNation Field. Forwards Anniina Sankoh and Melanie Russo made their debut for the club in style, each scoring a brace. Fort Lauderdale sits in 3rd place in the Southeast division with a 5-1 record as they head into their last four games of the regular season, all on the road.

The start of the match saw three shots on goal in the first six minutes for Fort Lauderdale, including a Kiara Clarke shot that hit the crossbar in the 2nd minute. The club was controlling possession early on, getting its first goal in the 14th minute after Sankoh pressured Miami AC’s goalkeeper to steal the ball and tap it into the net to take the 1-0 lead. Fort Lauderdale maintained the high level of play and hit the post again in the 23rd minute, when Isabella Rychel hit a one- touch shot off defender Adrianna Serna’s cross. Two minutes later, Fort Lauderdale’s second goal came in the 25th minute after Sankoh won the ball off a Miami AC defender and found Lucia Garcia in the box, who beat a defender nicely on the turn and buried a powerful strike into the near post. Miami AC got one back in the 28th minute to make the score 2-1, but Fort Lauderdale responded quickly, getting the match’s third goal in the 37th minute and extending their lead to 3-1. Captain Alysa Vazquez stepped up, winning the ball off a Miami AC goal kick, quickly combining with Leah Finkelman and driving towards goal as she evaded defenders to hit a composed finish past the goalkeeper to close out the half with a two-goal lead.

Four substitutes entered the game for Fort Lauderdale to start the second half, Russo being one of them. She got on the scoresheet in the 49th minute following a through ball from Vazquez to Garcia, who found Russo on a cross into the box, where she was able to hit a first-time finish into the far corner. Fort Lauderdale kept up the intensity, hitting the woodwork for the third time in the 61st minute after Vazquez let off a rocket just outside the box that bounced off the crossbar. They were able to stretch the scoreline to 5-1 two minutes later, after Garcia’s long ball found Sankoh inside the box. Sankoh brought it down nicely and squared it to a wide-open Vazquez, who blasted the ball into the top of the net in the 63rd minute. Sankoh got her second goal of the match shortly after in the 65th minute, when a short cross from Chloe Burst set her up in front of the net for an easy finish, making the score 6-1. The last goal of the game came in the 70th minute. It started with Sankoh, who beat multiple defenders in the middle of the pitch and hit a stunning through ball over the top to a sprinting Russo, who dribbled towards goal and put a calm finish past the goalkeeper. Miami AC got a consolation goal in the 77th minute, but it was not enough, as Fort Lauderdale earned its fifth victory of the season.

Our Fort Lauderdale United FC USL W league team returns to the pitch on Wednesday, June 18 for its second away game of the season against FC Miami City. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Fort Lauderdale United FC’s USL W league team bounced back to win its fourth game of the season 3-2 in a thrilling, back-and-forth match against FC Miami City. Defender Madison Micioni came off the bench fired up, scoring three second-half goals to secure the win. With this result, Fort Lauderdale improve to 4-1 on the season, having scored an impressive 21 goals in five games while only allowing three. The club sits in 2nd place as they look forward to a Sunday night rematch on the road against Brooke House FC.

The first half was a defensive battle for Fort Lauderdale United, with Miami City having two big chances in the opening twenty minutes, followed by the match’s opening goal in the 26th minute. Forwards Chloe Burst and Isabella Rychel were active on the wing in the half’s final minutes, putting pressure on Miami City’s backline to shift the momentum heading into halftime.

Trailing 1-0, Fort Lauderdale United started the second half strong, getting three shots on goal in the first five minutes. Micioni—who entered the game in the 35th minute— almost tied the game off a header from an Alysa Vazquez free kick in the 54th minute. Micioni continued pressuring, getting the equalizer four minutes later on a powerful header from Burst’s corner kick. Miami City retook the lead in the 64th minute, but Fort Lauderdale kept the intensity as they continued to reach the final third. Micioni got her second goal to tie the game once more in the 73rd minute, netting the rebound of a blistering Kiara Clarke shot that came off the crossbar. The Micioni- Clarke duo struck again to score the game-winning goal in the 78th minute, when Micioni’s close-range header found the back of the net off Clarke’s perfectly placed free kick. Fort Lauderdale withstood Miami City’s final push, with a big save from goalkeeper Ashley Small in the 85th minute, to successfully complete the comeback and secure three points.

Our Fort Lauderdale United FC USL W League team will return to the pitch on Sunday, June 8 for its second away game of the season against Brooke House FC. Kick-off is set for 6:00 pm.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Fort Lauderdale United FC’s USL W league team lost its first game of the season 1-0, giving up its first goal of the season against Sporting Jax on Saturday, May 31st at AutoNation Field. Forwards Chloe Burst and Isabella Rychel led the attack and created scoring opportunities, though Fort Lauderdale was unable to find the back of the net. The club now sits with a 3-1 record as it looks to a midweek home game against FC Miami City.

The beginning of the first half saw Fort Lauderdale more defensive, as Sporting Jax attacked on goal early, with goalkeeper Ashley Small making big saves in the 3rd and 8th minutes. Outside backs Leila Etemadi and Adrianna Serna were extremely active on both sides of the ball, making offensive runs and tracking back on defense. Morgan Robertson nearly found Rychel on a long cross in front of the goal in the 36th minute, but Sporting Jax’s goalkeeper intercepted it. Etemadi also almost found Rychel on a cross in the 41st minute, but the goalkeeper caught it first once again. Small made a diving save off a curling shot in the 42nd minute to keep Fort Lauderdale in the game, but Sporting Jax converted a penalty kick one minute later to make the game 1-0 at the end of the half after Lucia Garcia committed a foul in the box.

Fort Lauderdale stepped up the intensity in the second half as they looked to equalize, with the midfield trio of Garcia, Alysa Vazquez and Antonella Solari combining nicely towards goal. In the 57th minute, Rychel put pressure on a defender and stole the ball, sending Burst down the wing, who whipped a cross that just missed Solari in the box. Three minutes later, substitute Milan Pierre-Jerome hit a perfect through ball over the top to a streaking Serna. She then hit a cross that substitute Gianna Merigliano almost reached, but Sporting Jax’s goalie intervened and caught it out of the air. The club continued to control possession and got its biggest chance of the game in the 78th minute, when a Burst free kick from the left edge of the box hit the crossbar. Despite the performance, Fort Lauderdale was unable to find an equalizer, dropping their first points of the season in the 1-0 loss.

Our Fort Lauderdale United FC USL W league team returns to the pitch on Saturday, May 31st for its fifth game of the season against FC Miami City at AutoNation Field at FTL UTD Training Facility. Kickoff is set for 6:00 p.m.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Fort Lauderdale United FC’s USL W league team won its third straight game of the season, dominating Kings Hammer FC Sun City 5-0 at AutoNation Field on Wednesday, May 28. The match had four different goalscorers, including a Chloe Burst brace. This victory gives the club a 3-0 record on the season, in which it has been elite on both sides of the ball, scoring 18 goals in three games and shutting out all of their opponents. Fort Lauderdale hope to keep this streak alive as they head into a Saturday afternoon home matchup against Sporting Jax.

Fort Lauderdale set the tone early, scoring an early goal in the 9th minute after a Tatum Galvin through ball over the top found Antonella Solari, who dribbled towards goal and sent Chloe Burst a cross that set her up for a close-up finish. Their lead doubled just six minutes later, when Burst hit a defense-splitting pass to Tabea Schutt that sent her down the sideline, where she crossed it to Isabella Rychel, who was waiting at the back post to slot it home and make the score 2-0 in the 15th minute. The rest of the half saw strong offensive and defensive play from Fort Lauderdale, as they generated chances on goal and preserved their lead going into halftime.

The club kept the intensity in the second half, extending their lead within the first ten minutes. Lucia Garcia hit a stunning first-time through ball over the top to Schutt who took a touch and forced the defender to make a play on the ball, resulting in an own goal to make the match 3-0 in the 53rd minute. Fort Lauderdale continued the pressure, earning the fourth goal of the game in the 61st minute after a powerful 25-yard strike from Burst went through the goalkeeper’s hands and into the upper right corner of the net. The final goal of the match that solidified Fort Lauderdale’s 5-0 win came from Adrianna Serna in the 87th minute, who brought down a perfect long cross from substitute Veronica Gonzalez, beat a Kings Hammer defender with a move inside and hit a solid shot into the near post.

Our Fort Lauderdale United FC USL W league team returns to the pitch on Saturday, May 31st for its fourth game of the season against Sporting Jax at AutoNation Field at FTL UTD Training Facility. Kickoff is set for 3:00 p.m.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Fort Lauderdale United FC’s USL W league team won their home opener 5-0 against Brooke House FC, marking their second win of the season. The club had four different goalscorers, with forward Tabea Schutt scoring a brace and forward Chloe Burst getting a goal and assist. Fort Lauderdale is now 2-0 on the season, scoring 13 goals in their first two games and allowing none. They look ahead to their Wednesday night matchup against Kings Hammer Sun City.

Fort Lauderdale started the game off strong, creating early scoring chances and pressuring on defense. In the 3rd minute, Leila Etemadi played a flawless through ball to a streaking Schutt, who dribbled into the box and was taken down by a Brooke House defender in front of the goal, earning Fort Lauderdale a penalty kick. Defender Deborah Bien-Aime stepped up to take the penalty and slotted it into the left corner of the net, giving the club an early 1-0 lead. Their lead doubled in the 21st minute, after Bien-Aime’s quick pass into the box ricocheted off a defender and fell to Schutt in front of the net, who remained composed and hit a powerful strike into the goal. Fort Lauderdale maintained their 2-0 advantage heading into halftime, keeping the intensity on both sides of the ball.

The third goal of the game came just nine minutes after halftime in the 54th minute, when substitute Isabella Rychel stole the ball from a Brooke House midfielder and found Schutt on a leading through ball to goal, who then slotted home an easy finish past the goalkeeper. Fort Lauderdale remained hungry for more goals and got its fourth one in the 67th minute after Burst hit a rocket from 25 yards out following a pass from Amanda Dasilva on the wing. The fifth and final goal of the game from another Burst rocket, this time a cross that found Madison Micioni’s head on the far post for an easy finish.

Our Fort Lauderdale United FC USL W league team returns to the pitch on Wednesday, May 28th for its third game of the season against Kings Hammer Sun City at AutoNation Field at FTL UTD Training Facility. Kickoff is set for 7:00 p.m.

MIAMI, Fla. – Fort Lauderdale United FC’s USL W league team opened their 2025 campaign with a crushing 8-0 road win over Miami Athletic Club on Sunday, May 18th. Four different players got on the scoresheet for Fort Lauderdale, with forward Tabea Schutt scoring four goals in the opening 39 minutes and Isabella Rychel scoring a brace off the bench. The club starts the season 1-0 as they look to their home opener against Brooke House FC on Friday, May 23rd.

Fort Lauderdale set the tone early in the match, as Schutt intercepted Miami AC’s goal kick in the 2nd minute and combined with Chloe Burst to score Fort Lauderdale’s first goal of the season. Schutt and Burst connected again in the 14th minute, when Burst drove down the sideline after a defensive win and found Schutt on the back post, setting up an easy finish and Schutt’s second goal of the game. Schutt got her hat trick two minutes later, when a quick pass by Burst sent Schutt on a breakaway, where she calmly dribbled past the goalie to bury the ball in the back of the net. The match’s fourth goal came just before halftime in the 39th minute when a Fort Lauderdale corner kick was cleared to the top of the box, where Schutt was waiting to send a blistering shot into the top left corner.

Fort Lauderdale kept their foot on the gas in the second half, creating opportunities in front of the goal and holding off the Miami AC offense. The fifth goal of the game came in the 49th minute courtesy of Alysa Vazquez, who scored a rocket from 30 yards out after her free kick was cleared back to her. Rychel came into the game in the 50th minute and scored the next two goals— the first in the 70th minute after Sloane Young led her with a through ball into the box and the second in the 84th minute, which came from another Young pass that set Rychel up in front of the net. Young got on the scoresheet in the 90th minute after evading three defenders and hitting a powerful shot into the near post from just inside the box, marking Fort Lauderdale’s eighth and final goal of the game to secure the first three points of the 2025 season.

Our Fort Lauderdale United FC USL W league team returns to the pitch on Friday, May 23rd for its first home game of the season against Brooke House FC.