The Cincinnati Dutch Lions FC is an American amateur soccer club based in

Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state lin ...

Ohio Ohio () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Of the List of states and territories of the United States, fifty U.S. states, it is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 34th-l ...

, and playing home games in the suburb of

Highland Heights, Kentucky Highland Heights is a home rule-class city in Campbell County, Kentucky, in the United States. The population was 6,923 at the 2010 U.S. census. Highland Heights is home to Northern Kentucky University and General Cable, a Fortune 500 company w ...

. Founded in 2013, the team played in

USL League Two USL League Two (USL2), formerly the Premier Development League (PDL), is a semi-professional developmental soccer league sponsored by United Soccer Leagues in the United States and Canada, forming part of the United States soccer league sy ...

. The club went into hiatus during the 2020

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identified ...

. The club was last owned by majority stakeholder Hans Philippo, who purchased the club alongside Club President Robert Rack in January 2017. This new ownership group includes Dr. Suresh Gupta and Mike Mossel, in representation of the Dutch Lions Capital Group, who remain minority owners in the club. Brandon Ponchak was the club's general manager after being hired in March 2017. Their inaugural match at the

Xavier University Xavier University ( ) is a private Jesuit university in Cincinnati and Evanston (Cincinnati), Ohio. It is the sixth-oldest Catholic and fourth-oldest Jesuit university in the United States. Xavier has an undergraduate enrollment of 4,860 stud ...

Soccer Complex on May 9, 2014 featured an appearance by soccer legend

Ruud Gullit Ruud Gullit (; born Rudi Dil; 1 September 1962) is a Dutch footballer and subsequent manager who played professionally in the 1980s and 1990s as a defender, midfielder or forward. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all ...

as he participated in a "Kick the Crossbar" contest and a

pre-game ceremony A pre-game ceremony or pre-match ceremony is an on-field ceremony occurring before a sporting event. Such ceremonies may celebrate a past event, honour a retiring athlete, commemorate a deceased athlete, or promote a cause. Celebrating past even ...

. The Cincinnati Dutch Lions were created and owned by Dutch Lions Capital Group BV, owners of the New York City Dutch Lions,

Dayton Dutch Lions Dayton Dutch Lions is an American soccer team based in Dayton, Ohio, United States. Founded in 2009, the team plays in USL League Two, the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid. From 2011 to 2014, the team played in the USL Professional Divi ...

Florida Gulf Coast Dutch Lions Florida Gulf Coast Dutch Lions FC is an American soccer team based in Cape Coral, Florida, United States. The club was founded in April 2015. In the season of 2018 the club grew to 140 Youth Academy members, 25 Lion Cubs members and a Women's Tea ...

, and the

Houston Dutch Lions Miami Dutch Lions FC is an American professional soccer club based in the Miami metropolitan area. The Lions competes in National Premier Soccer League, as a member of the Sunshine Conference. The club was founded in Conroe, Texas in 2011, befor ...

. CDLFC has found success in their short time including an appearance in the

2016 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup The 2016 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup was the 103rd edition of the oldest ongoing competition in American soccer. On September 8, 2015 the United States Soccer Federation decided to prevent professional teams that were "majority owned by a higher-lev ...

. The ownership group of Philippo and Rack have made several changes for the club's 2017 season including purchasing a charter bus for the team, moving to th
NKU Soccer Stadium
as their home field and the creation of a new bar in support of the club. In November 2019, CDLFC became the first club to join the brand new

Ohio Valley Premier League The Ohio Valley Premier League (OVPL) is a USASA-affiliated league through US Club Soccer that includes teams from Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. The regular season of the OVPL runs May through July. It is the only pre ...

which began play in 2020. Later in 2020 the CDLFC returned to the USL League Two.

Seasons

The Premier Development League (USL PDL) rebranded to USL League Two (USL2) after the 2018 season. ^The 2020 season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Venue

*2014:

*2015:

*2016:

William Mason High School William Mason High School, also known as Mason High School (WMHS or MHS), is a four-year public high school located in the Mason City Schools district in Mason, Ohio, a suburb of Cincinnati, Ohio. History Mason High School's first commencement ...

*2017:

Northern Kentucky University Northern Kentucky University is a public university in Highland Heights, Kentucky. It is primarily an undergraduate institution with over 14,000 students; over 12,000 are undergraduate students and nearly 2,000 are graduate students. Northern K ...

*2018:

*2019:

*2020:

Kit

Kit manufacturers

*2014:

Nike Nike often refers to: * Nike (mythology), a Greek goddess who personifies victory * Nike, Inc., a major American producer of athletic shoes, apparel, and sports equipment Nike may also refer to: People * Nike (name), a surname and feminine given ...

*2015:

*2016: Patrick *2017:

Under Armour Under Armour, Inc. is an American sports equipment company that manufactures footwear, sports and casual apparel. Under Armour's global headquarters are located in Baltimore, Maryland, with additional offices located in Amsterdam (European head ...

*2018:

*2019:

*2020:

Shirt sponsors

*2014: N/A *2015: Holland Roofing *2016:

Coca-Cola Coca-Cola, or Coke, is a carbonated soft drink manufactured by the Coca-Cola Company. Originally marketed as a temperance drink and intended as a patent medicine, it was invented in the late 19th century by John Stith Pemberton in Atla ...

*2017: Mercedes-Benz of Fort Mitchell *2018: Mercedes-Benz of Fort Mitchell *2019: Mercedes-Benz of Fort Mitchell *2020: Mercedes-Benz of Fort Mitchell

Head coaches

* Terry Nicholl (2014–2016) *

Sid van Druenen Sid Maurice van Druenen (born 9 July 1983) is a football coach and former semi-professional player. Playing career Van Druenen was born in Venray. He played youth and semi-professional football in the Netherlands for EVV and in Portugal for C ...

(2017) * Paul Nicholson (2018–2020)

Notable former players

Yesin van der Pluijm Yesin van der Pluijm (born 4 April 1999) is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for One Knoxville SC in USL League One. Career Youth Van der Pluijm, raised in Rotterdam, joined local side Feyenoord when he was seven year's ...

signed in 2021 by

Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC is a professional soccer team based in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Founded in 2014, the team is a member of the USL Championship, the second tier of the American soccer pyramid. The franchise is owned by Martin E R ...

; *

Aimé Mabika Aimé Mabika (born 16 August 1998) is a Zambian professional footballer who plays as a defender for Major League Soccer club Inter Miami and the Zambia national team. Career College and amateur Mabika attended the University of Kentucky in 20 ...

2021 MLS SuperDraft pick, 26th pick by

Inter Miami CF Club Internacional de Fútbol Miami, known as Inter Miami CF or simply Inter Miami, is an American professional soccer club based in the Miami metropolitan area. Established in 2018, the club began play in Major League Soccer (MLS) in the 202 ...

Noah Lawrence Noah ''Nukh''; am, ኖህ, ''Noḥ''; ar, نُوح '; grc, Νῶε ''Nôe'' () is the tenth and last of the pre-Flood patriarchs in the traditions of Abrahamic religions. His story appears in the Hebrew Bible (Book of Genesis, chapters 5� ...

2021 MLS SuperDraft pick, 55th pick by

Austin FC Austin FC is an American professional Association football, soccer club based in Austin, Texas. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference (MLS), Western Conference. Founded in 2018, the club began play ...

* Brandon Clegg signed in 2020 by

Detroit City FC Detroit City FC (DCFC) is an American professional soccer club based in Detroit, Michigan, that competes in the USL Championship. The club played in the National Premier Soccer League from 2012 to 2019 and the National Independent Soccer Associ ...

* Jimmy Filerman signed in 2020 by

; signed in 2021 by

FC Tucson FC Tucson is an American soccer club based in Tucson, Arizona that plays in USL League Two. The club has an amateur women’s team, FC Tucson Women, that play in the WPSL. Organized in 2010, the club first fielded a team in March 2011, then joine ...

Connor Rutz Connor Rutz (born April 9, 1997) is an American soccer player who plays for Detroit City in the USL Championship. Career Early career Rutz played high school soccer at Walled Lake Northern High School before attending Schoolcraft College in 201 ...

signed in 2020 by

Azaad Liadi Azaad Liadi (born May 14, 1998) is an American soccer player who plays as a winger for Lexington SC in USL League One. Career College Liadi attended Saginaw Valley State University for three years, making 56 appearances and scoring 11 goals ...

signed in 2020 by

; signed in 2021 by South Georgia Tormenta FC * Tendai Jirira signed in 2020 by

* Wesley Storm signed in 2020 by

ADO Den Haag Alles Door Oefening Den Haag (), commonly known by the abbreviated name ADO Den Haag (), is a Dutch association football club from the city of The Hague. They play in the Eerste Divisie, the second tier of Dutch football, following relegation ...

* Mark Lindstrӧm signed in 2020 by

Pittsburgh Riverhounds Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC is an American professional soccer team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1999 and beginning play in 1999, the club plays in the Eastern Conference of the USL Championship, the second tier of the American s ...

Sammy Sergi Samson "Sammy" Sergi (born July 2, 1996) is an American soccer player who is currently without a club. Career College Sergi played four years of college soccer at the Xavier between 2015 and 2019, where he made 67 appearances, scored 29 goals ...

signed in 2020 by

New Mexico United New Mexico United is an American professional soccer team based in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Founded in 2018, the team currently plays in the USL Championship, the second division of American soccer. History Former teams The state of New Mexic ...

* Arthur Rogers signed in 2019 by

Hartford Athletic Hartford Athletic is an American professional soccer team based in Hartford, Connecticut. The club was founded in 2018 and started play in the USL Championship in 2019. It is the only pro soccer team in Connecticut. History On June 8, 2021, ...

* Dani Fischer signed in 2019 by

Saint Louis FC Saint Louis FC was an American professional soccer team based in St. Louis, Missouri. The team was founded in May 2014, and competed in the USL Championship. The team played their matches at West Community Stadium, a venue inside the World Wi ...

* Matt Nance signed in 2019 by Tacoma Defiance *

Geoffrey Dee Geoffrey Dee (born November 10, 1995) is an American soccer player. Early life College and youth Dee played four years of college soccer, starting at the University of Tulsa for two years, before transferring to the University of Louisville i ...

signed in 2019 by

Louisville City FC Louisville City Football Club is an American professional soccer club based in Louisville, Kentucky. The team plays in the USL Championship, known through the 2018 season as the United Soccer League (USL), which is currently the second tier of th ...

* Adam Wilson 2019 MLS SuperDraft pick, 39th pick by

Toronto FC Toronto Football Club (commonly known as Toronto FC or TFC) is a Canadian professional soccer club based in Toronto. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home matches at BM ...

Kevin Barajas Kevin Bryan Barajas (born February 18, 1996) is an American soccer player who plays for German club LSK Hansa in Regionalliga Nord. Career Youth and college Barajas played four years of college soccer at the University of Kentucky between ...

signed in 2018 by

Atlanta United 2 Atlanta United 2 are the reserve team of the Major League Soccer club Atlanta United FC. The team plays in the USL Championship, the second tier of American soccer. The team was established on November 14, 2017 and began their first professiona ...

* Zeus de la Paz signed in 2018 by Oldham Athletic AFC *

Jake Stovall Jake Stovall (born January 10, 1994) is an American professional soccer player who currently plays for the Dayton Dutch Lions in the USL League Two. Career Early career Stovall played four years of college soccer at Wright State University betwe ...

2017 MLS SuperDraft pick, 66th pick by

Seattle Sounders FC Seattle Sounders Football Club is an American professional men's soccer club based in Seattle. The Sounders compete as a member of the Western Conference of Major League Soccer (MLS). The club was established on November 13, 2007, and began ...

. Played with

Puerto Rico FC Puerto Rico FC was a professional football club based in Bayamón, Puerto Rico. Founded in 2015, the team played in the North American Soccer League (NASL), the second tier of the American soccer pyramid. The team debuted in the 2016 fall se ...

in 2017 *

Garrett Halfhill Garrett Halfhill (born July 26, 1993) is an American soccer player who currently plays for New York Cosmos in the National Premier Soccer League. Early life Halfhill was born on July 26, 1993, in San Diego, California, to parents Robert and C ...

signed in 2017 by

FC Cincinnati Football Club Cincinnati, commonly known as FC Cincinnati, is an American professional soccer club based in Cincinnati. The club plays in the Eastern Conference of Major League Soccer (MLS). The team succeeded the lower-division team of the ...

* Jalen Brown 2017 MLS SuperDraft pick, 38th pick by

New York City FC New York City Football Club is an American professional soccer club based in New York City that competes in Major League Soccer (MLS), the highest level of American soccer, as a member of the league's Eastern Conference. The club is co-owned ...

. Played with

Rochester Rhinos Rochester New York FC, formerly known as the Rochester Rhinos, are an American professional soccer team based in Rochester, New York, United States. Founded in 1996, as the Rochester Raging Rhinos, they changed their name to Rochester Rhinos t ...

in 2017 * Oriol Cortes signed in 2016 by

Orange County SC Orange County Soccer Club is an American soccer team based in the Orange County, California city of Irvine. Founded in 2010 as the Los Angeles Blues, the team currently plays in the second tier USL Championship. The team plays its home games ...

* Kyle Smith signed in 2016 by

; signed in 2018 by

Orlando City SC Orlando City SC is an American professional soccer club in Orlando, Florida, that competes as a member of the Eastern Conference in Major League Soccer (MLS). Orlando City SC began play in 2015 as the 21st franchise in MLS, succeeding the ...

* Alejandro Garcia signed in 2016 by

* Eric Osswald signed in 2015 by Real Monarchs SLC

2019 Roster

References

{{Ohio Sports USL League Two teams Dutch Lions Association football clubs established in 2013 2013 establishments in Ohio Soccer clubs in Kentucky Campbell County, Kentucky Dutch Lions FC

Seasons

Venue

Kit

Kit manufacturers

Shirt sponsors

Head coaches

Notable former players

2019 Roster

See also

References