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UNITEDWe Stand

By Erik Petersen

Fort Lauderdale United ince the raucous days of the 1970s Strikers playing
North American Soccer League games in a sold-
is South Florida’s newest Sout Lockhart Stadium, Fort Lauderdale has been
synonymous with South Florida soccer. Now a new team with
professional sports team and “Fort Lauderdale” on its crest is taking to the field - and this

its only major league time it offers something that the South Florida sports landscape
has been lacking. In Fort Lauderdale United, South Florida has
women’s team. Club founder a professional, major league women’s sports franchise.
Team founder and chairman Tommy Smith sees the club
and chairman Tommy Smith as something community-based that will provide great
entertainment at an affordable price.
wants to build a soccer team “Our location, the atmosphere of our games, I really do

that wins on the field and believe that we’ll be the club of the community,” Smith said.
“People are looking for entertainment, people are looking to
builds community off it. get behind something they can believe in. I think there’s a little
bit of frustration with some of the other soccer clubs pricing
people out.”

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