The USL Super League has expanded, and it hasn’t even kicked a ball yet. The women’s pro soccer league that is planning to launch with division one sanctioning in August 2024 is adding a club in Fort Lauderdale, <a href="https://www.uslsuperleague.com/news/2023/11/21/usl-super-league-awards-franchise-to-fort-lauderdale/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">the league announced Tuesday</a>.



Owned by Tommy Smith, the new club is planning to begin play in the inaugural season of the league. The Fort Lauderdale outfit plans for a “modernized stadium and on-site training facilities” at the former Miami Dolphins training facility at Nova Southeastern University in Davie, FL. The Dolphins recently moved to a new training center adjacent to Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens.



Smith noted “Our mission is to deliver the highest standard of play by recruiting world-class global talent while also empowering young women in South Florida. Super League Fort Lauderdale aims to create a direct pathway to Division 1 professional soccer, offering local players the opportunity to shine on the national stage and providing a platform for growth beyond the game.”&nbsp;&nbsp;



<h2>Fort Lauderdale joins USL Super League</h2>



Fort Lauderdale will join the already-announced lineup of teams that includes:



Charlotte Dallas/Fort Worth Lexington Phoenix Spokane Zephyr FC Tampa Bay Sun FC Tucson Washington, D.C. In addition, Chattanooga, Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Madison, and Oakland are slated for future seasons pending the completion of stadium projects. 



<h2>First women’s professional team in South Florida since 2011</h2>



Southern Florida has only had one women’s professional soccer club in the past, and it lasted just one season. The relocated Washington Freedom of the WPS league played the 2011 season just up the road from Fort Lauderdale in Boca Raton. The team was known as “magicJack” (named after the owner’s internet-telephone product). Notably, that club featured many USWNT stars such as Hope Solo, Abby Wambach, Christie Rampone, Megan Rapinoe, Becky Sauerbrunn, and Christen Press. 



2011 was also the WPS’s final season. The league collapsed not long after attempting to terminate the magicJack team amidst disputes with team owner Dan Borislow. 



<h3>Beating Beckham to the punch</h3>



USL Super League Fort Lauderdale has now planted its flag in the South Florida sand. They’ve now got first dibs on the women’s game in the region that has been the buzz of the US soccer landscape since this past summer when Leo Messi came to town. MLS side Inter Miami CF currently plays in a temporary venue built on the site of Lockhart Stadium in Fort Lauderdale. Since it was announced and approved, that stadium has been touted as a potential home to a professional women’s team. Co-owner <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/beckham-open-possibility-nwsl-team-miami-soccer-club-20180129-CMS-232094.html">David Beckham has mulled over the idea in the past</a>.



Now if that were to come to pass, it looks like it would have to be via expansion into the NWSL. And if Inter Miami does start a women’s Herons side, playing out of the yet-to-be-built new stadium near Miami International Airport would likely be a smarter play. Competing head-to-head in the Broward County area would not be an ideal setup for either team.



<h4>A rivalry re-ignited</h4>



Fort Lauderdale and Tampa Bay have a storied soccer rivalry that dates back to the 1970s. The Rowdies and Strikers, in various incarnations, battled it out over the decades. Even MLS got a brief taste with the Laudedale-based Miami Fusion and Tampa Bay Mutiny. Now, for the first time the “Florida Derby” comes to the women’s game. 



Tampa Bay’s Super League club recently unveiled its name, Tampa Bay Sun FC. Ironically, a team called the Fort Lauderdale Sun were the first, and only, champions of the short-lived USL men’s league (unrelated to today’s USL) in 1984.



Fort Lauderdale will unveil their name, colors, and crest in the coming months. Fans can participate in a survey on the <a href="https://www.superleaguefortlauderdale.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">team website</a>. This author, for one, is certainly looking forward to enjoying some quality women’s soccer during the beautiful Florida winter season. Image: USL Super League.

Women's pro soccer comes to Miami/Fort Lauderdale for 1st time

Women's soccer is coming to the Fort Lauderdale and Miami region for the first time ever thanks to the USL Super League.

Women's pro soccer comes to Miami/Fort Lauderdale for 1st time - World Soccer Talk

<a href="/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/wowies-sports-grill.jpg"></a><div><figure class="image"><a href="/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/wowies-sports-grill.jpg"></a></figure></div>
<a href="/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/wowies-sports-grill.jpg"></a>If you live in South Florida and you’re looking for somewhere to watch the World Cup Final, Wowies Sports Grill in Boca Raton is the place to be. The modern sports bar will be televising the final between Spain and Netherlands live on Sunday at 2:30pm. Plus,&nbsp;Wowies will also be showing the Third Place Playoff Final between Uruguay and Germany on Saturday at 2:30pm.
Here are 7 reasons why South Florida residents should watch the final two World Cup games at Wowies:
<ol>
<li>During both games, we’ll be running free raffle drawings where you have a chance to win, courtesy of Nike, official replica jerseys from Brazil (home), Portugal (home), Slovenia (home), Croatia (away) or Slovenia (away); Plus, we have a US men’s national team training top and sweatshirt to give away,</li>
<li>We’re giving away in the raffle drawing, again courtesy of Nike, the following soccer cleats/boots: Nike Mercurial Vapor Superfly 2, Nike Zoom and Nike Tiempo Legend Elite,</li>
<li>Thanks to EA Sports, we have five copies of the 2010 FIFA World Cup video game to give away (two for Sony PS3 and three for Xbox 360). 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa video game is in stores now and it enables you to take your favorite nation to World Cup glory. It is available on Wii, PS3, x360 and PSP,</li>
<li>Wowies features a 123″ projection TV and 31 big screen TVs so no matter where you sit, you can watch the World Cup Final in style; Wowies also has three big screen TVs in the outside covered patio if you want to watch the game and get some fresh air at the same time,</li>
<li>Wowies is the official World Cup Viewing Party headquarters for EPL Talk. I’ll be there for both games, so stop on by and say hello. I’ll also be taking pictures and video as well as interviewing some of the soccer fans there about the World Cup, so it’s your chance to be featured on EPL Talk,</li>
<li>Download the flyer from our sister site at <a href="http:\/\/www.worldcupbuzz.com/wowies" target="_blank">www.worldcupbuzz.com/wowies</a> and bring it in for a free Sierra Nevada or Red Stripe Lite during any of the World Cup games. Plus, Wowies features Happy Hour from 12-7pm everyday and has three full-liquor bars,</li>
<li>Last but not least, Wowies features the beautiful <a href="http:\/\/www.wowiesgirls.com/officialsite.htm" target="_blank">Wowies Girls</a> who will be wearing the colors of Spain and Netherlands (red and orange) to celebrate the final and to serve you drinks and food throughout the games.</li>
</ol>
Based on how popular the World Cup games have been at Wowies this summer, I’d highly recommend that you get to the sports bar as early as possible to get a good seat. Come early for lunch and spend the afternoon there. Wowies is a family friendly establishment, and there is no cover to get in to watch the games.
Nothing beats watching the World Cup at a soccer-friendly bar with friends and strangers. If you live in South Florida, I look forward to seeing you at Wowies this weekend.

Where to Watch the World Cup Final in South Florida: Wowies - World Soccer Talk

Where to Watch the World Cup Final in South Florida: Wowies

<a href="/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/wowies-sports-grill-world-cup-soccer.jpg"></a><div><figure class="image"><a href="/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/wowies-sports-grill-world-cup-soccer.jpg"></a></figure></div>
I’m proud to announce that EPL Talk has partnered with a local sports bar and restaurant to bring World Cup viewing parties to South Florida.
<a href="http:\/\/wowiessportsgrill.com/" target="_blank">Wowies Sports Grill</a>, located in Boca Raton, will host official EPL Talk viewing parties for the World Cup games.&nbsp;If you live in South Florida or will be in the area anytime during this summer’s World Cup, come visit Wowies and enjoy World Cup games the way they were meant to be enjoyed — with friends, strangers and soccer fans who are as nuts about the sport as you are.
Last week, when I asked <a href="http:\/\/epltalk.com/what-is-the-world-cup-american-experience-like/19776" target="_blank">what the American World Cup experience is like</a>, I discussed what a perfect location would be to enjoy games. Somewhere with HD televisions, excellent food, wonderful service, beers and more. At the time I posted the article, I wasn’t aware of Wowies, but after <a href="http:\/\/gowalla.com/spots/410602" target="_blank">visiting the restaurant this past Sunday</a>, I was won over. It’s the perfect location. The restaurant has 31 big screen televisions, a 123-inch projection TV, free WiFi, incredible food, three full-liquor bars, an outside patio area (with three big screen TVs so you can watch the game there) and wonderful service. Plus, as an added bonus, the restaurant features the <a href="http:\/\/www.wowiesgirls.com/wowies_girls.htm" target="_blank">Wowies Girls</a>, which are perfect eye-candy for those games where you’re watching a nil-nil draw between New Zealand and Paraguay.
If you’re looking for a place to watch the tournament, Wowies Sports Grill is your World Cup headquarters in South Florida. In the coming days, I’ll be sharing more details about the World Cup viewing parties such as free drink specials for readers of EPL Talk. Wowies will be open for all of the games (except the 7:30am ET kickoffs). So if you live in the area, or if you want to fly or drive to South Florida for the games (especially the USA v England World Cup viewing party), please be my guest. We have plenty of surprises in store and will be revealing more in the next week.
<a href="http:\/\/wowiessportsgrill.com/" target="_blank">Wowies Sports Grill</a> is located on the corner of Palmetto Park Road and Powerline in Boca Raton at 7036 West Palmetto Park Road. Their phone number is (561) 392-5040. I look forward to seeing you there!
For more details about Wowies (and a flyer for a free drink or T-shirt), visit our sister site World Cup Buzz at <a href="http:\/\/www.worldcupbuzz.com/wowies" target="_blank">http:\/\/www.worldcupbuzz.com/wowies</a>

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Women's pro soccer comes to Miami/Fort Lauderdale for 1st time

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Where to Watch the World Cup Final in South Florida: Wowies

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EPL Talk Viewing Parties for World Cup: Wowies Sports Grill