Miami Dutch Lions FC is the sixth (of nine) Dutch Lions FC club in the USA.
About Miami Dutch Lions FC
The club was founded in October 2019 when the the license for the men's team of Houston Dutch Lions FC was relocated to Miami. Houston Dutch Lions FC joined the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) in the 2016 season after playing in the United Soccer Leagues Premier Development League (USL PDL, now USL League Two) for four years. The NPSL is the highest amateur level in the USA and is considered the 4th tier in US Soccer.
The team in Houston was very successful in the NPSL registering an overall record of 26-7-5 in three years. In 2016 the team won the Conference Championship and made it to the National Final Four. The club also qualified for the 2017 U.S. Open Cup, defeating NTX Rayados 3-1 before falling vs San Antonio FC 2-1 one week later. In 2018 the team finished with a 9-4 record and a +32 goal differential.
Miami Dutch Lions FC is led by Director of Soccer Operations Hans van de Haar. Hans has played professionally himself in the Netherlands (at Ajax, FC Utrecht, De Graafschap, RKC and ADO Den Haag), Germany (at SSV ULM and Bayer Uerdingen), Austria (at Bregenz) and the USA (at Dayton Dutch Lions FC). He also has 25 caps for the Dutch National Youth Teams (U16-U19). Since 2012 he has turned to coaching and has a UEFA A-license. He was the Assistant of Ajax coach Erik ten Hag for several years while working at FC Utrecht.
In 2021 Miami Dutch Lions FC played their inaugural season in the Sunshine Conference. After being in first place for the majority of the season, the team lost the last game of the regular season vs Miami United FC 3-2 and ended in 2nd place with a winning 6-3-1 record (19 points). The 2nd place gave the team the 2nd seed in the play-offs but they lost vs Naples United FC in the first round.
Dutch Lions Capital Group USA LLC (www.dutchlionsfc.com) has started and has ownership in nine Dutch Lions FC clubs in the USA: Dayton Dutch Lions FC (2010, Men's and Women's team - 4th and 2nd level), Houston Dutch Lions FC (2011, Youth Academy), Cincinnati Dutch Lions FC (2013, Men's team - 4th level), Florida Gulf Coast Dutch Lions FC (2015, Women's team - 2nd level - and Youth Academy), New York Dutch Lions FC (2017, Men's team, exhibition games, Women's team - 2nd level), Miami Dutch Lions FC (2019, Men's team - 4th level), Chicago Dutch Lions FC (2020, Men's team, 4th level, 2xWomen's team - 2nd level), Oceanside Dutch Lions FC (2020, Women's team - 2nd level) and Washington Dutch Lions FC (2021, Women's team, 2nd level). They also co-founded and co-owned FC Cincinnati (MLS).