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The Texas Cup Final is Here!

After a 4-1 victory over Houston Regals SCA in the semi-finals, the Houston Dutch Lions FC will host and play against the Hurricanes FC in the Texas Cup Final.

The Houston Dutch Lions FC proudly host the Texas Cup Final. They have many plans for the event, including bands and music, providing fans with entertainment on and off the field.   A postgame ceremony, led by TPSL President Brendan Keyes, will honor the cup winner and runner-up.

The Hurricanes FC are a well-known soccer team from South Houston and will prove to be a formidable opponent for the Orange Machine known as HDL.

“In the league game against the Houston Hurricanes FC we won 5-1,” Houston Dutch Lions head coach Marco Pruis stated. “We had a decent game and created lots of chances.  We need to be on top of them and stay very organized. If we can keep that up, we definitely have a chance to win the game. Our biggest advantage will be our home field.  We need to be 100% to bring the Houston Dutch Lions FC their first, of hopefully many, trophies!”

Match Details:

Houston Hurricanes @ Houston Dutch Lions FC

Saturday November 30th, at 7.45 pm

Tailgating starts at 6 pm.

Match Address:

Houston Dutch Lions FC Soccer Complex

14562 Interstate 45 South

Conroe, Texas 77384

After the game, players, staff and fans will go to Tailgators Pub & Grill at 242  for the post-game festivities.

Houston Dutch Lions: Setting the Standard

Houston’s place in the American soccer scene has never been in question. Texas has always been and will continue to be among the top markets in the country, but things have gotten even better with the building of a major complex by the Houston Dutch Lions.

The Dutch Lions brand is poised for a national breakthrough with the new complex in the Houston area and a new franchise in Cincinnati.  This goes with an already popular and successful USL PRO franchise in Dayton, Ohio.

The HDL complex hosted its first practice on October 10, 2013 with the first match, a 4-2 HDL victory over Galveston in the Texas Premier Soccer League (TPSL), coming a little over a week later on October 19th.

HDL finds themselves among only the Houston Dynamo as a club with their own dedicated facilities. The complex is impressive to say the least and it still has room to grow.

The giant property sprawls over seven acres, including two full-size FIFA regulation fields with complete lighting.  The turf was even imported, installed by Edel Grass of the Netherlands.

Photo Credit: Houston Dutch Lions

The facility will be put to good use, serving as the training home of youth academy, Houston Football Association (HFA), TPSL, and PDL teams.  It will also host several youth, adult, and corporate tournaments in the coming months.

The addition of a three-story clubhouse is not far away either. That building will house team offices, meeting rooms, a pro shop, and areas for equipment storage.  Public Wi-fi and a children’s playground are also in the mix.

The Houston Dutch Lions looks to be a bright spot in the Texas soccer community, while the entire Dutch Lion brand looks to expand to a total of six markets in the near future.

Simply put, it is a great time to become a fan of the Dutch Lions as they are literally going places.

HDL Win TPSL Debut 2-0 Over Houston Leones FC

September 28, 2013 marked the debut of the newly formed Texas Premier Soccer League and the Houston Dutch Lions FC had the honor of participating in the league’s first match. The Lions traveled to the north side of Houston to take on the Houston Leones FC as both clubs kicked off the 2013-14 season.  After weeks of practice and a handful of friendly games the boys in orange were in good form and were able to secure the 2-0 win.

The HDL FC looked to play to their strengths and started the match in a 4:3:3 formation.  Head Coach Marco Pruis was looking to his team to utilize strong ball control and a smart passing game to try and control the match.  After 10 minutes it was apparent that the HDL FC would pace the game and get more chances.  Executing well on their game plan the Lions forwards and midfielders used good positioning play and created a number of possibilities were they were able to get into position to take shots.  Unfortunately for the Lions they were unable to take advantage early on.  They took a number of shots, but time after the time they either were off target or the goalie of the Houston Leones was able to make several excellent saves to keep his team in the match.  In the 27th minute, the Lions were finally able to break through.  The 1-0 lead was finally achieved after good combination play through the midfield.  Jose Alvarez gave an excellent through ball towards forward Jesus “Chuy” Vidal who made quick work to finish the ball and score the Lions first goal of the game, and also the first goal made in the Texas Premier Soccer League.  Following the Lions goal, the remainder of the first half played out in essentially the same fashion as the early parts of the match.  The Leones wanted to, and were able to, create some small chances but the Lions dominated in possession.  Even with a big edge in possession and shots they didn’t have any luck finishing on goal.

In the 2nd half the team continued where they left off the first.  The Lions continued to create lots of chances but were unable to double up on their lead.  With a bit more determination and vision for their teammates the Lions could have had several more tallies on the board.  With the score still 1-0 the Dutch Lions kept the Leones hopes alive as the hosts tried to secure points in their home opener.  The Lions received a bit of a wake up call in the 55th minute when the Leones forward had a good run and his shot from distance ended up rattling the crossbar.  In the 60th minute Roberto Velazquez, who is a true homegrown player being part of the organization from the beginning, entered the field as a substitution for Douglas Membreno.  Velazquez showed the fans that he has lots of potential at only 17 years old.  He was strong in his duels and create space for the midfielders when it was needed.  Cesar Arellano entered the field as well and he also brought a lot of energy in the game.  It was clear that the intention of the Houston Dutch Lions FC team was to end this game as soon as possible with another goal and secure three points.

In the 80th minute the 2-0 lead was finally there.  After a good dribble from Erick Suarez, the ball landed in front of Roberto Velazquez, who was very eager to drive home the Lions second goal and he did.  In the last 10 minutes of the game the Lions could have scored more, but were once again unable to add another goal.  Following the storyline of the day for the Lions, the continued to create lots of chances but the chances were unable to find the back of the net.  Regardless, Houston Dutch Lions FC keeper Israel Becerra  was able to keep a clean sheet and the club was able to secure a win in their first Texas Premier Soccer League game.

Next week the team will travel to Maya Park to take on NPSL club Regals SCA.  This looks to be a tough game against an experienced, high level club.  Coach Pruis knows his team will need to get the best out of each other and bring a lot of energy to the match.  The Lions will also be looking to finish a higher percentage of chances in order to bring home another victory.  Kickoff for the match against the Regals is set for 5 pm.

TPSL Preview – Houston Dutch Lions FC

We are excited about partnering with the TPSL this season. It’s going to be a great season with lots of important matchups and quality players.  Here’s a sneak peak from the Houston Dutch Lions:

1. What are your goals for the TPSL season?

The Houston Dutch Lions FC’s main objective for this inaugural TPSL season is to develop the young, talented players selected for our squad. With this we are looking to not only develop their technical skills, but their tactical and mental game as well.  We feel our squad is full of talent and the TPSL is the ideal league for them to showcase their abilities.  We view the TPSL as a platform where players can make mistakes and learn from them.  One of the key factors that made the Houston Dutch Lions FC decide to join the TPSL was the fact that it is a league were players can play year-round, but still fits into our USL PDL schedule.  The TPSL is an ideal place for us to improve and develop players for our other squads as well.  We expect a tough season where all the teams will play good soccer and force us to play quality soccer for the whole 90 minutes.

2. What players are key to your success this season?

The Houston Dutch Lions FC TPSL roster has a number of players with USL PDL, USL Super 20, NPSL, and college experience who all look to make an impact this season.  Defender Juan Lozoya previously played two seasons for the Houston Leones (USL PDL), two seasons for the Laredo Heat (USL PDL), and one for the Houston Dutch Lions FC (USL PDL).  Lozoya is one of the most experienced players on the squad.  Midfielder/forward Jonathan Sanchez, 20 years old, played on the club’s USL PDL team in the summer of 2013 and found his way into the goal column.  Another young player from Dickinson, TX, Jose Alvarez is a player to keep an eye out for.  Alvarez started 2012 with the club’s Houston Football Association (HFA) team and worked himself onto the 2013 USL PDL team.  Luke Keogh, a St Gregory’s University alumni, is also one of the older and more experienced players. With 4 years playing soccer in college, the 22 year old native of Ireland will be one of the key players in the club’s TPSL team.

3. What can you tell us about your coaching and front office staff?

The club is very pleased to announce the coaches for the upcoming TPSL season. Marco Pruis has been selected as the team’s head coach with Davy Zwaard and Jan Hereijgers being chosen to take on the role of assistant coaches. Pruis was the assistant coach for the Dutch Lions USL PDL squad this past summer and is also the club’s Technical Director. Zwaard coached the Lions USL Super 20 over the summer and is also the club’s Director of Coaching. Hereijgers is the club’s Youth Academy Director and spent the summer coaching the Lions PDL Reserve squad. Team operations will be handled by the club’s Operation Manager, Bryan Payne, who is also the Team Manager for the club’s USL PDL team.

The Houston Dutch Lions FC front office has been successfully managing the club for just over a year. The president of Houston Dutch Lions FC is Martin Kroeze. Robbert Kroeze is the team’s Vice President and CFO with Dennis Kroeze filling the roles of both Business Director and CEO.

4. What can you tell us about your home facility?

The opening of the TPSL season coincides with a very special time for the Houston Dutch Lions. The first week of October is scheduled to see the grand opening of the club’s own soccer complex. The completion of Phase I of our new complex is the realization of our goal of being the only non-MLS soccer club/ youth academy in Houston with its own training facilities. Our new complex will be where our TPSL squad will train and play all of its home games. The initial phase will feature two full-size turf fields featuring the highest quality, soccer- specific turf shipped in from The Netherlands. Before the start of the second half of the season we hope to see the completion of a club house and offices on the property as well. The Houston Dutch Lions FC looks forward to welcoming all the other teams in the league, as well as their fans, to our new home. The field is located in Conroe, TX.

5. What can you share about your club as a whole?

The Houston Dutch Lions FC strives to be the premier club in the greater Houston area providing entertaining soccer to all our fans.  In addition to our youth academy and amateur adult training, we look to serve as a resource within the local community and develop strong local partnerships.  The HDLFC is a partner of the Dutch Lions Capitol group and we have entered our third year serving the Houston area.  In the summer of 2012 the club welcomed in a new owner and front office staff.  With the new group, the club changed its title from Texas Dutch Lions to Houston Dutch Lions FC in early 2013.  The club has seen tremendous growth in the past year with the expansion of its youth academy, a second season in the USL PDL, a second successful season in the USL Super 20, several seasons in the Houston Football Association and of course joining the Texas Premier Soccer League.  We feel our continued involvement in all of these high quality leagues and the construction of our new complex show our club’s commitment to excellence.  The Houston Dutch Lions FC intends to ensure a long-term presence in the Greater Houston community while continuing to provide professional, high-level soccer training.