Miami Dutch Lions FC

Miami Dutch Lions FC is an American professional soccer club based in the Miami metropolitan area. The team competes in the National Premier Soccer League as part of the Sunshine Conference. The club started in Conroe, Texas in 2011 and later moved to Olympia Heights, Florida in 2019. Martin Kroeze owns the team.

History

Miami Dutch Lions FC started on November 17, 2011, in Conroe, Texas, as Texas Dutch Lions FC. They played their first season in the USL Premier Development League in 2012.

The club’s youth academy began in 2011 and grew to include The Woodlands in 2012. On April 1, 2013, the team changed its name to Houston Dutch Lions FC. In 2016, the team joined the National Premier Soccer League, where they played for several seasons. In November 2019, the club moved to Olympia Heights, Florida for the 2020 season and focused more on its youth programs.

Colors and badge

The Miami Dutch Lions FC crest is inspired by the Dayton Dutch Lions logo. It has a white and blue background with an orange lion in the center. Above the lion, you can see the club's name written. When the team plays at home, they wear orange shirts, orange shorts, and orange socks. For away games, they wear white shirts.

Home ground

The Miami Dutch Lions FC has played at several places over the years. From 2011 to 2013, they played at Carl Barton Jr Soccer Park in Conroe, Texas. Then, from 2013 to 2019, they were at the Houston Dutch Lions FC Soccer Facility, also in Conroe, Texas. In 2019, they moved to Tropical Park Stadium in Olympia Heights, Florida, where they played until 2021. Since 2021, their home has been Ted Hendricks Stadium in Hialeah, Florida.

Training ground

The Houston Dutch Lions FC Soccer Facility in Conroe, Texas was used as their training ground from October 2013 to 2019. The fields were used by different teams, including the USL Premier Development League, the National Premier Soccer League, the Houston Football Association, and the club's youth academy. After the fields opened in October 2014, the club added a special club house in May 2015. This club house had dressing rooms, a fan area with air conditioning, restrooms, and a banquet room. The top floor had offices and extra banquet rooms for the staff.

Just before the 2018 NPSL season, the club added seats in front of the club house, increasing the number of seats at the Soccer Facility by about 200.

Club culture

International partnerships

The Houston Dutch Lions FC works together with other clubs under the same ownership group, including the Dayton Dutch Lions. They have a special agreement with FC Twente, a top team in the Netherlands. This partnership helps develop players, create academy teams, and share training methods. Over time, more clubs joined this group, including teams in Cincinnati and Florida. In 2016, the club also became a partner with Heineken, and in early 2017, they announced CHI St. Luke's Woodlands Hospital as a sponsor.

Game history

The Miami Dutch Lions FC has had many coaches over the years. Robert Maaskant coached in 2012, Hans van Arum in 2013, Marco Pruis from 2014 to 2020, and Robert Stoutenburg from 2020 onward.

In 2016, the team won several matches and reached the South Central Conference final. In 2017, they played in the U.S. Open Cup but lost in the second round. The 2018 season was another successful year with many wins.

Main article: NPSL

Average attendance

The average attendance for Miami Dutch Lions FC is calculated by looking at the number of fans who attended each home game and then finding the average. Here are the numbers from past years:

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