Professional women’s soccer is about to arrive in the City of Dallas with Dallas Trinity FC gearing up to kick off the brand new USL Super League campaign away to Tampa Bay Sun FC on Sunday evening.
Who’s Who
The Owners
The club was founded by the Neil family. Real Estate Investor Jim Neil serves as CEO, with sons Charlie and Trip named as President and COO respectively.
Charlie was a two-sport athlete, playing both soccer and baseball at Yale – much like father Jim. Charlie Neil turned pro, signing for the Detroit Tigers and St. Louis Cardinals before moving into the operations side of the sport in stints with Major League Baseball and the Texas Rangers.
Trip serves as a member of the US Soccer Athletes Council and as both Director and former President of USA Deaf Soccer. A twenty-year career playing for the US Deaf Men’s National Team, captaining the team to the 2019 Deaf Pan American Games title.
Neil sisters Dori Araiza and Jenny Glenn both played soccer at Ursuline Academy and are listed as Founders and Principals.
The Technical Staff
On the technical side, Chris Petrucelli was named General Manager for DTFC. The 62-year-old New Jersey native served as Head Coach for both SMU and Texas for over a decade. After a stint as US U-18 YWNT Head Coach, Petrucelli took over NWSL side Chicago Red Stars in 2022, departing in October last year.
Pauline MacDonald was named Head Coach. In an interview with our own Peter Welpton on The Kickaround last week, Trip Neil revealed that the Scot was still in the process of getting back into the United States ahead of the start of the season.
A UEFA Pro License holder, MacDonald’s own playing career included three years with Arsenal and 65 caps for Scotland. The former USL W-League All-Star was recruited from the Scottish FA, where she served as U-17 women’s team coach for seven years.
Fellow Scot Gavin Beith will assist MacDonald, having previously coached Dundee United and Aberdeen in the Scottish Women’s Premier League. Beith’s playing career saw him play professionally for a number of Scottish clubs including Dundee FC. The 42-year-old also served as MacDonald’s assistant with the Scottish national team.
The Players
Dallas Trinity FC demonstrates a focus on local talent.
The marquee signing for Dallas Trinity FC is their very first contracted player, Amber Brooks. A one-time USWNT cap, Brooks won two NCAA championships with UNC – and was a recommendation to the Neil family from legendary coach and National Soccer Hall of Famer Anson Dorrance. Add two Frauen-Bundesliga titles with Bayern Munich, an NWSL Shield with Seattle Reign, and over 150 NWSL appearances and you can see why Brooks is held in high regard.
Arguably the most intriguing capture is Chioma Ubogagu. London-born and Coppell-raised, Ubogagu played for both Arsenal and Tottenham in the FA Women’s Super League, and a three-year run with Real Madrid, in addition to NWSL stints in Orlando and Houston.
A three-cap Lioness prior to her return to English soccer, the 31-year-old endured a tough couple of years with an anti-doping ban for use of an acne medication that was on the banned substance list in April 2022. After returning for just nine games, Ubogagu fell ill and would eventually receive treatment for stage 1A ovarian cancer. The 2012 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup winner is set to play her first competitive minutes on Sunday since that diagnosis.
The team has also worked the loan market, pulling in three NWSL rookies from the 2024 NWSL Draft.
Highly rated former Solar SC midfielder Sam Meza saw her debut season with Seattle Reign hampered by injury, but will get a great opportunity at significant minutes in senior soccer with her hometown team.
Goalkeeper Madison White arrives from Racing Louisville, drafted in behind former FC Dallas player Katie Lund. Baltimore native Julia Dorsey was signed a week ago from North Carolina Courage. The defender is making a comeback from an ACL injury sustained in 2023.
No. | Name | Height | DOB | Hometown | College | Last Club |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
0 | Samantha Estrada | 6’0 | 7/7/2000 | El Paso, TX | Southern Methodist | — |
1 | Madison White | 5’11 | 15/6/2001 | Rockwall, TX | Texas Tech | Racing Louisville FC |
2 | Hannah Davison | 5’8 | 9/4/1997 | Geneva, IL | Northwestern | KIF Örebro DFF |
3 | Gabriela Guillïun | 5’2 | 1/3/1992 | San Jose, Costa Rica | Creighton | Saprissa FF |
4 | Maya Gordon | 5’6 | 13/9/2000 | Fort Lauderdale, FL | Louisiana State | — |
5 | Julia Dorsey | 5’7 | 8/8/2000 | Baltimore, MD | North Carolina | NC Courage |
7 | Enzi Broussard | 5’6 | 16/6/2001 | Dallas, TX | Washington State | Changnyeong WFC |
8 | Jenny Danielsson | 5’10 | 30/8/1994 | Espoo, Finland | — | Växjö DFF |
9 | Lucy Shepherd | 5’9 | 14/11/1998 | Worcestershire, England | Hofstra | Blackburn Rovers WFC |
11 | Hailey Davidson | 5’4 | 10/11/2000 | Prosper, TX | Pittsburgh | Wellington FC |
13 | Cyera Hintzen | 5’5 | 28/10/1997 | Garland, TX | Texas | Gotham FC |
14 | Chioma Ubogagu | 5’7 | 10/9/1992 | Coppell, TX/London, UK | Stanford | Tottenham Hotspur |
15 | Samantha Meza | 5’2 | 1/11/2001 | Dallas, TX | North Carolina | Seattle Reign FC |
17 | Gracie Brian | 5’6 | 21/8/2000 | Frisco, TX | Texas Christian | San Diego Wave |
18 | Maja Henriksson | 5’5 | 18/2/1999 | Gothenburg, Sweden | Nova Southeastern | — |
19 | Jenna Winebrenner | 5’7 | 1/3/1999 | Kansas City, MO | Texas Christian | NC Courage |
20 | Allie Thornton | 5’11 | 2/12/1997 | Arlington, TX | Southern Methodist | RSC Anderlecht |
22 | Amber Brooks | 5’6 | 23/1/1991 | New Hope, PA | North Carolina | Washington Spirit |
23 | Haley Berg | 5’6 | 23/9/1998 | Celina, TX | Texas | Fenerbahçe S.K. |
33 | Rachel Pace | 5’7 | 10/6/2001 | American Fork, UT | Brigham Young | ETO FC Győr |
The League
USL has launched its division one rival to the NWSL, the USL Super League. Eight teams will take to the field in 2024 with a further eight markets named to join in the next few years.
Teams will play a 28-game schedule following the international calendar, running August to May with a winter break from mid-December into February. Four teams will contest the playoffs.
The USL Super League will not feature a draft like MLS and the NWSL does, and five roster spots can be used for amateur players – high school or academy players.
There are some notable North Texans competing elsewhere in the league. Riley Mattingly Parker (Tampa Bay Sun), Addie McCain (Fort Lauderdale United), and former USWNT defender Taylor Smith (Brooklyn FC) are worth keeping an eye on.
USL Super League will be broadcast in the US on Peacock.
The Brand
One of the most unique names in the sport, Dallas Trinity FC is hitting on all of the local iconography. With a crest featuring an Art Deco interpretation of the Pegasus that has graced the Dallas skyline since 1934.
Much like the name, the limbs of the Pegasus are a reference to the four tributaries of the Trinity River.
A couple of days out from the start of the season there aren’t any jerseys yet, but Nike will be the supplier. Nike apparel is available in the club’s sunrise maroon, prairie gold, and live oak green color scheme.
Dallas Trinity FC kicks off on Sunday, August 18th against Tampa Bay Sun FC. The game will air on Peacock at 5:30 pm CT.
Should be a lot of fun to watch! I’m kind of worried about the in person match attendance looking rough cuz ticket prices are shockingly high for a brand new team in a brand new league that’s still trying to grow a fan base.
also: formal petition to refer to the pregnant Pegasus logo as “The Preg-asus”