We reported a bizarre ‘did they, didn’t they’ at the start of the month after FC Dallas was left off the list of teams for the 2020 WPSL season. FC Dallas gave a statement that the decision for entering the league usually takes place later in the year which wouldn’t line up with the time line the FC Dallas teams had previously built their roster within. We now know that FC Dallas will not return for 2020 and which team will take their place in the WPSL’s Red River Conference North Division.
Fort Worth’s SouthStar FC pipped last season’s FCD side to the best record among the three DFW sides, and will add a second team based in Dallas to take the vacant spot. SouthStar FC President, John Saeger, confirmed to 3rd Degree that the team would be based in Dallas and operate on an equal footing with the Fort Worth side within the overall club.
SouthStar FC plays at TCU’s Garvey-Rosenthal Soccer Stadium but trains in Northwest Dallas. The new Dallas-based team is already training with the existing team under the guidance of SouthStar FC Head Coach and former US Women’s National Team striker Susan Quill. The hunt for the Dallas team’s coaching staff is underway, as is a home stadium within the city of Dallas. The majority of the roster is already in place as last year’s large roster can be divided and added to.
Saeger has a history within youth soccer in the Metroplex and is keen to offer young players the chance to give further chances for talented players beyond their time in the Elite Clubs National League or US Soccer Developmental Academy. We have seen WPSL used in such a way with the likes of Sky Blue FC midfielder Julie Doyle playing in the league after coming up through the Dallas Sting system. SouthStar FC have fielded former TCU and current Mexican National Team goalkeeper Emily Alvarado, as well as Allie Thornton who recently signed a professional deal with Le Harve in the French second tier.
“It’s just really about showcasing the great talent that we have and in North Texas, and giving them an opportunity to play,” Saeger explained. “That’s really the impetus behind doing all of this.”
The team – and its name – should be officially announced in the coming weeks as the WPSL schedule is due to be released at the beginning of March.