On the latest edition of USL Super League Game Week, hosts Anna Witte and Marion Crowder discuss the league’s winter break signings and how the interleague transfers of Riley Parker to Carolina Ascent FC and Jorian Baucom to Fort Lauderdale United FC will impact their new squads.
Dallas Trinity FC midfielder Lexi Missimo later joins the show to discuss why she chose to sign with the club, how the Dallas community has welcomed her, and what she took away from her time at the U.S. Futures Camp with USWNT Head Coach Emma Hayes.
Dallas Trinity FC
What to expect from Dallas Trinity FC in the spring
We’re two weeks away from second-placed Dallas Trinity kicking off its second half of the 2024/25 USL Super League season. Here’s what we can expect to see out of the club in the spring:
No more Meza
Sam Meza was one of the Super League’s biggest stars in the fall; she led the league in duels won and led the team in tackles won, touches, recoveries, shots and possession won. However, Meza completed her loan and returned to Seattle Reign, leaving a huge hole in the midfield. Waniya Hudson’s loan from the Washington Spirit also ended, and four Academy players will not return to the club to begin their collegiate careers. Most notably among those is Jordyn Hardeman, who started six matches on Dallas’ backline.
Other stars stepping up
The departure of those players opens the door for others to lead Dallas to a successful second half of the season. Allie Thornton is second in the Golden Boot race with six goals, and her shooting accuracy is at a 68% clip. Chioma Ubogagu and Amber Brooks can set up their teammates with excellent crosses and balls in but are also not afraid to take their own shots. Plus, the addition of top college prospect Lexi Missimo – who doesn’t have to travel far from the University of Texas – will add talent to the midfield.
The Cotton Bowl will be a fortress
Dallas lost its first home match of the season in the fall finale against Brooklyn with the visitors’ 77th-minute goal being enough to earn all three points. Prior to that match, Dallas was 3-0-3 at the Cotton Bowl and had outscored its opponents 12-5. The atmosphere at the arena on matchdays is unlike any other and with three home matches to start the spring, it could create a huge boost for Trinity right out of the gate.
Dallas Trinity FC Signs Standout Midfielder Lexi Missimo
Dallas, TX – Dallas Trinity FC today announced that they have signed USWNT prospect and midfielder Lexi Missimo to a contract through the 2026-27 season. The signing of Missimo marks a significant milestone for both the club and the USL Super League as she joins her hometown team following a stellar collegiate and U.S. Soccer Youth National Team career.
“We are thrilled to bring Lexi home to play here in Dallas,” said Dallas Trinity FC’s General Manager Chris Petrucelli. “We’re not just getting an exceptional midfielder, we’re getting a player who understands what it means to represent Dallas. From her days at Solar SC through her historic career at Texas, she’s consistently shown the ability to elevate every team she’s been part of. Her decision to begin her professional career here in Dallas is a testament to our vision of building something special in North Texas.”
A Southlake native, Missimo comes to Dallas Trinity FC after solidifying her place in the record books at the University of Texas. While at Texas, Missimo logged 89 total appearances and finished as the program’s career leader in points (176), goals (56) and assists (64), in addition to becoming the first Big 12 Conference and Texas athlete to record a 20-goal, 20-assist season in 2023.
Her collegiate accolades include:
- SEC All-Tournament Team (2024)
- All-SEC First Team (2024)
- MAC Hermann Trophy Semifinalist (2024, 2023)
- United Soccer Coaches All-American (2024, 2023)
- Top Drawer Soccer National Player of the Year (2023)
- Big 12 Midfielder of the Year (2023)
- All-Big 12 First Team (2023, 2022, 2021)
- Big 12 All-Tournament Team (2023, 2022, 2021)
- Big 12 Freshman of the Year (2021)
“Joining Dallas Trinity FC and the USL Super League is an incredible opportunity to be part of something special,” said Lexi Missimo. “As a player just starting my professional journey, I’m excited to continue to grow women’s soccer in a league that’s creating new paths for athletes like me while returning close to home and my family.”
Missimo was a member of Dallas’ Solar Soccer Club prior to playing collegiate soccer, being named United Youth Soccer Coaches All-American (2018, 2019). The Southlake native was the number one recruit coming out of Southlake Carroll High School in 2021, before reclassifying to the class of 2020.
On the international stage, Missimo represented the U.S. Youth National Team 32 times from U-14 through the U-23 level and was most recently selected to the 2025 USWNT Futures Camp. Missimo played a crucial role in the 2022 CONCACAF Women’s U-20 Championship, scoring three goals in seven appearances, leading the United States to gold and making the tournament’s Best XI.
Missimo is set to make her debut for Dallas Trinity FC when the squad returns to action Saturday, Feb. 15 at 5:30 p.m. CT versus Tampa Bay Sun FC at the Cotton Bowl.
Super League Midseason Picks
The Fall Schedule of the USL Super League 2024/25 season is complete, and multiple players and coaches have already made a name for themselves.
Our panel of Super League pundits gave their picks for the midseason MVP, defender, goalkeeper and coach based on who impressed them the most in the first 18 weeks of the season.
Meet the panel:
Kaylor Hodges is an Alabama native who founded Hammering Down – a podcast and website based on soccer in Birmingham. Hodges is also a regular on The USL Show.
Anna Witte is a sports broadcaster based in Charlotte, NC. Witte does play-by-play and sideline reporting for the Super League, as well as hosts the USL Super League Game Week podcast.
Dan Vaughn, Danielle Gawronski and John Howard-Fusco are representing Protagonist Soccer and The Super Show, a podcast that covers all things Super League.
Kaylor Hodges
Anna Witte
Protagonist Soccer
Most Valuable Player
Addie McCain – FTL
“McCain’s goal scoring record is going to gain attention, but her ability to create chances on and off the ball are what make her truly special. She is truly the ideal forward.”
Sam Meza – DAL
“The leader of Dallas’ midfield this fall. Crafty on the ball and created so much for the team in different roles on the field. Meza was the hardest player to stop in 2024 and so fun to watch on both sides of the ball.”
Addie McCain – FTL
“She’s the Golden Boot leader with 8 goals and is scoring about every game and a half. She’s dangerous around goal and only needs one chance to score. The MVP should be someone who if pulled out of the lineup, the team would be different, and they rely on her in FTL.”
Standout Defender
Brooke Hendrix – TB
“Hendrix is truly the complete package in terms of a standout defender. Her ability to win the ball back in the defensive third is second-to-none, but what makes her truly special is what she does with the ball at her feet in starting those attacking moments for the Sun.”
Allison Pantuso – BKN
“Brooklyn had a crazy October and Pantuso did a great job leading the backline and keeping the team organized defensively. Great 1v1, and strong communicator, I’ve really enjoyed watching Pantuso this fall.”
Hannah Davison – DAL
“She leads the team in defensive stats with 47 clearances, 17 interceptions, and 70 duels. She’s willing to take the best attackers in the league one-on-one. She’s a difference maker in every way.”
Standout Goalkeeper
Sydney Martinez – BKN
“If you’re looking for a keeper who is always in the right position with some of the safest hands in the league, look no farther than Sydney Martinez. What she does positionally to make difficult saves look routine is something truly special.”
Meagan McClelland – CAR
“Reliable, leads the league in clean sheets, and a big reason why Carolina has been able to get points and stay consistent defensively.”
Meagan McClelland – CAR
“In a league full of roster rotation, she’s the only one in the league to maintain the starting GK spot all season. That tells you enough. Leads the league with 36 saves and 6 clean sheets.”
Standout Coach
Jess Silva – BKN
“Despite a late start into the season, Silva has Brooklyn FC absolutely flying as the best team in the Super League. The moment she stepped onto the pitch with Brooklyn, the club went from a good team to easily the best team in this Fall Season.”
Philip Poole – CAR
“In the league’s first ever 14 matches, Poole was able to lead his team to 11 straight results. The way Poole has gotten his whole team behind his principles in a short period of time is extremely impressive.”
Jess Silva – BKN
“Joined the club a few games into the season, immersed herself in a new culture and league, and has risen to the top of the league by overcoming challenges. They end the fall season with 6 straight wins. She knows how to make in-game adjustments and gives her team the confidence to take risks.”
What we learned from the Fall Schedule of the 2024/25 season
After 55 matches and 127 goals, we’ve reached the midway point of the USL Super League season.
Here are the three biggest takeaways from the Fall Schedule:
There will be peaks and valleys
A brand-new league is always going to come with a learning curve. Coaches are trying to find the best lineups and formations to earn results, teams are bringing in players to fill voids and bolster their squads. The first 18 weeks were a period of trial and error and seeing what does and doesn’t work.
With that comes peaks and valleys for each club. Carolina Ascent started on an 11-match unbeaten streak before losing its last three outings. Brooklyn faced some early bumps in the road before sailing to six consecutive wins and a comfortable first-place lead. Fort Lauderdale started strong, hit a rough patch of earning one point from five matches, then closed out the fall with three gritty wins.
The parity within the league means any team could win against any opponent. A lot of the results in the first half of the season were determined by the current state of the teams when they faced each other.
Finishing is crucial
The stats don’t lie when it comes to shot conversion in this league; results come from being able to finish in front of goal. Dallas, Brooklyn, Fort Lauderdale and Tampa Bay are all exceeding an 11% conversion rate, and they are averaging around 1.6 points per game. Lexington is the exception because while the team converted on goal, its defense often canceled out the offensive efforts.
Spokane, which finds itself at the bottom of the table, leads the league in shots (181) but ranks second-to-last in goals (13). DC Power is converting at the worst rate in the league (4.5%), has recorded only seven goals, and three of those came from the penalty spot or the other team. In Carolina’s last three matches, just six of its 27 shots were on target, resulting in only one goal and a 3.7% conversion rate.
These clubs, specifically Carolina and Spokane, which have exceptional backlines and goalkeeping, have to figure it out on the offensive end if they want a successful spring schedule.
Young players are rising to the occasion
The Academy players were some of the biggest names and brought major results to the teams this season. Sealey Strawn was a game-changer off the bench for Dallas over the second half of the fall campaign, finishing with a goal, an assist and four chances created. DC’s Allie Flanagan recorded a brace that gave the team its first home win.
The league also provided more opportunities for players straight out of college to make their professional debuts. Lexington’s Madi Parsons leads the league in goal contributions (5g/5a) in her first season of professional soccer. Four of the five Players of the Month were 23 years old at the time of the honor. Stella Spitzer made her debut at 14 years old for Carolina Ascent. This fall showcased the talents of the younger players and the future of women’s soccer.
This is an excerpt from The Super Newsletter, the USL Super League’s free weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it in your inbox every Thursday.
USL Super League Team of the Month – December
The USL Super League announced the Team of the Month for December on Thursday, with Fort Lauderdale United FC forward Jasmine Hamid earning Player of the Month.
Hamid recorded one goal and two assists, helping Fort Lauderdale to a perfect 3-0-0 record in December. Her goal against Dallas Trinity FC in the second minute of the match was the fastest recorded goal in league history. She also finished the month with eight shots, four chances created, and 17 duels won.
“We’ve seen a really good turnaround in results, and I’m proud that we could finish off strong through the ups and downs of a soccer season,” Hamid said. “I’m looking forward to us continuing our run moving into the new year.”
GK: Neeku Purcell, Brooklyn FC – The UCLA Bruin earns her first Team of the Month honor after making six saves and keeping clean sheets in both of Brooklyn’s wins in December.
D: Sabrina McNeill, Fort Lauderdale United FC – Since joining the club in October, McNeill has become an integral part of FTL’s starting lineup. She played all 270 minutes and recorded an assist, three chances created, nine clearances and won all seven of her tackles.
D: Allison Pantuso, Brooklyn FC – The 5’11 centerback continues to hold down the backline for Brooklyn. She won 12 duels and made five clearances while maintaining 80% passing accuracy.
D: Jenna Winebrenner, Dallas Trinity FC – The TCU alum put on a defensive clinic for Dallas this past month, finishing with a league-high 88.9% duel success rate on 16 won duels, 16 clearances, six tackles and five interceptions.
D: Julianne Vallerand, Spokane Zephyr FC – The Canadian international is the lone defender on the list with a goal this month. Vallerand also led Spokane in duels won (21) and interceptions (6).
M: Sam Kroeger, Brooklyn FC – Kroeger joins Pantuso on the Team of the Month as two of three Brooklyn players to have played every minute for the team this season. Kroeger recorded an assist, nine duels, six tackles, five interceptions and six clearances.
M: Shea Moyer, Lexington SC – Lexington’s captain led the way for the team this month, tallying two assists in its first home win along with six chances created while keeping 85% passing accuracy.
M: Addie McCain, Fort Lauderdale United FC – The Golden Boot race leader added two goals to her stat sheet this month, while also recording 17 duels, six interceptions and three chances created in FTL UTD’s undefeated month.
F: Natasha Flint, Tampa Bay Sun FC – The English striker’s three-minute brace lifted the Sun to a come-from-behind home win to close out the month. Flint also had four shots, three on target and nine duels won.
F: Allie Thornton, Dallas Trinity FC – The Texas native continues to shine for Dallas, picking up her third Team of the Month honor. She finished the month with two goals, five shots and three chances created.
F: Jasmine Hamid, Fort Lauderdale United FC – Hamid led the league in goal contributions this month, helping Fort Lauderdale to a three-match winning streak. She also had team-highs in shots (8), chances created (4) and duels won (17).
Coach: Jess Silva, Brooklyn FC – Silva guided Brooklyn to two shutout wins in December, including becoming the first team to defeat Dallas at the Cotton Bowl, as the club extended its first-place lead in the standings.
Bench: Susanna Friedrichs (DC), Julie Mackin (LEX), Jordyn Listro (TB), Sydney Studer (CAR), Bridgette Skiba (LEX)
Super League Power Rankings – Week 18
Brooklyn, FTL finish fall on winning streaks
The Super League’s Fall Finale was a thrilling cap to the first half of the inaugural season headlined by four exciting matchups. Brooklyn, Lexington, Fort Lauderdale and Tampa Bay came away with three points, and three different players found the back of the net twice on Saturday.
Brooklyn earned its sixth consecutive win and fourth straight shutout and became the first road team to take down Dallas Trinity at the Cotton Bowl. Substitute Isabel Cox scored the game winner, her third of the season. Brooklyn now has five different players with 3+ goals; no other team has more than three players.
Fort Lauderdale’s Kiara Pralle, Lexington’s Hannah Richardson and Tampa Bay’s Natasha Flint all scored braces to help their teams to a win. It was Pralle’s and Richardson’s first two goals of the season; meanwhile, Flint continued her three-match streak of scoring at home. They were the eighth, ninth and tenth braces of the season and it was the first for FTL UTD.
On The Move
Rank |
Team |
Change |
Summary |
|
| 1 |  |
Brooklyn FC (9-3-2) Week 19: — |
 Last Week: 1 |
Standing strong at the top of the pack is Brooklyn. The winning streak gets more and more impressive, but to have outscored its last four opponents 8-0 is a testament to how complete the team is from front to back. |
| 2 |  |
Fort Lauderdale United FC (6-5-2) Week 19: @ TB |
 1Last Week: 3 |
FTL UTD flipped a switch in December and went a perfect 3-0 in the last three weeks. The team’s offense was already clicking with Addie McCain, Jasmine Hamid and Sh’Nia Gordon, but bringing Kiara Pralle into the mix has made Fort Lauderdale that much more dangerous. |
| 3 |  |
Dallas Trinity FC (6-3-5) Week 19: — |
 1Last Week: 2 |
Dallas put up a strong fight against Brooklyn, and by just looking at the stats, it probably should have come away with a result. Trinity is normally sharper in front of goal, but with only four of 19 shots on target and none truly testing Brooklyn’s goalkeeper, it was a tough loss to end the Fall Schedule. |
| 4 |  |
Tampa Bay Sun FC (5-4-4) Week 19: vs. FTL |
 Last Week: 4 |
We know by now that Tampa Bay can never be counted out. The team battled back from a 2-1 deficit to earn the 3-2 win against Spokane thanks to the brilliance and composure of Natasha Flint, one of many game-changers along the frontline for the Sun. |
| 5 |  |
Lexington SC (3-8-3) Week 19: — |
 3Last Week: 8 |
Hannah Richardson and Bridgette Skiba led Lexington to its first home win and clean sheet of the season. Grace Wisnewski also scored her first goal of the season and captain Shea Moyer tallied two assists of her own to make for the team’s most cohesive and impressive win yet. |
| 6 |  |
Carolina Ascent FC (5-3-6) Week 19: — |
 1Last Week: 5 |
The Ascent continues to topple down the rankings after suffering its third loss in a row. The loss of Ashlynn Serepca and Jaydah Bedoya stifled the already-struggling offense, and the defense was no match for the firepower of FTL’s front line. |
| 7 |  |
Spokane Zephyr FC (2-6-6) Week 19: — |
 Last Week: 7 |
It looked for a moment that Zephyr could pick up three points in its final road match of the fall, but they couldn’t hold off a Tampa Bay comeback. Fortunately, the team has a more balanced home/away schedule in the spring to help combat these road struggles. |
| 8 |  |
DC Power FC (3-7-4) Week 19: — |
 2Last Week: 6 |
The spring is an opportunity for DC Power to reset and fine-tune the areas it struggled with both offensively and defensively. The –11 goal differential is the worst in the league, so DC needs to figure out where to make changes if it wants to move up the standings in the second half of the season. |
Fall Finale Photo Gallery
Carolina, Lexington look to rebound and close Fall Schedule with wins | Week 18 Match Previews
Lexington SC vs. DC Power FC
Venue: Lexington Sporting Club Stadium; Lexington, KY
Kickoff: Saturday, December 14; 12 p.m. ET
Weather: Showers, 56°
Broadcast: Peacocktv.com
Things to Know
- DC Power earned a 2-1 comeback win against Lexington when the two teams met earlier this season.
- Lexington is still searching for its first clean sheet and first home win.
- This is DC’s first match in three weeks since its 1-0 win over Fort Lauderdale on November 23.
Players to Watch
LEX – Julie Mackin: The Clemson alum has earned her way into the starting lineup for the last three matches. During that stretch, she has recorded 11 tackles, 11 clearances and eight interceptions on the backline.
DC – Anna Bagley: The midfielder’s late-game heroics off the bench against Fort Lauderdale earned DC its third win of the season. Bagley has tallied seven shots, 10 interceptions and a 75% tackle success rate in just 670 minutes.
| Lexington SC | DC Power FC | |
| Head Coach | Mike Dickey | Phil Nana (Interim Coach) |
| Club Record | 2-8-3 | 3-6-4 |
| Standings | 8th | 6th |
Dallas Trinity FC vs. Brooklyn FC
Venue: Cotton Bowl; Dallas, TX
Kickoff: Saturday, December 14; 3:30 p.m. ET
Weather: Partly cloudy, 64°
Broadcast: Peacocktv.com
Things to Know
- This is a No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup. Dallas has to win by at least two goals to move to first place in the standings.
- Both teams are coming off wins from Week 17. Brooklyn defeated Lexington 3-0, and Dallas won 2-0 against Tampa Bay Sun.
- Dallas (20) and Brooklyn (18) have scored the most goals this season.
- Brooklyn won 2-0 against Dallas when the two teams met in September in New York.
- Brooklyn is on a five-match winning streak.
- Brooklyn has recorded clean sheets in its previous three matches. It last conceded in the 3-1 win against Fort Lauderdale on October 27.
- Dallas remains undefeated at the Cotton Bowl (3-0-3).
Players to Watch
DAL – Allie Thornton: The SMU alum has found her stride and scored in Dallas’ last two matches. The striker currently leads the team with six goals and is second in the league behind FTL’s Addie McCain (8).
BKN – Jess Garziano: Brooklyn’s No. 9 picked up her fourth goal of the season and the second of the match last week against Lexington. She also created two chances and maintained nearly 80% passing accuracy in the victory.
| Dallas Trinity FC | Brooklyn FC | |
| Head Coach | Pauline MacDonald | Jess Silva |
| Club Record | 6-2-5 | 8-3-2 |
| Standings | 2nd | 1st |
Tampa Bay Sun FC vs. Spokane Zephyr FC
Venue: Riverfront Stadium; Tampa, FL
Kickoff: Saturday, December 14; 7 p.m. ET
Weather: Partly cloudy, 70°
Broadcast: Peacocktv.com
Things to Know
- Both teams are looking to bounce back after losses in Week 17.
- Spokane will be traveling for its final of six consecutive road matches. It has gone 0-2-3 during the road trip thus far.
- Spokane’s last win was against Tampa Bay in October, a 1-0 victory behind a goal from Marley Canales.
- Tampa Bay’s Brooke Hendrix is unavailable for the match (face fracture). Hendrix has started every match and has played the most minutes (1,072) for the Sun this season.
Players to Watch
TB – Cecilie Nielsen: The Danish international is aggressive on both sides of the ball for the Sun. Nielsen recorded seven tackles, 11 duels and three shots in the match against Dallas.
SPK – Emina Ekić: Ekić continues to be the facilitator for Spokane this season. She finished the match at Fort Lauderdale with eight crosses, three chances created and two interceptions.
| Tampa Bay Sun FC | Spokane Zephyr FC | |
| Head Coach | Denise Schilte-Brown | Jo Johnson |
| Club Record | 4-4-4 | 3-5-6 |
| Standings | 5th | 7th |
Fort Lauderdale United FC vs. Carolina Ascent FC
Venue: Beyond Bancard Field; Fort Lauderdale, FL
Kickoff: Saturday, December 14; 7:30 p.m. ET
Weather: Clear skies, 61°
Broadcast: Peacocktv.com
Things to Know
- Carolina is looking to bounce back from back-to-back losses. It’s returning to action for the first time since November 23.
- Fort Lauderdale has won back-to-back matches against Spokane and Dallas.
- Carolina earned a 2-1 win over Fort Lauderdale when the two teams met in early September.
- FTL’s Addie McCain leads the league with eight goals. She has scored in the past two matches.
Players to Watch
FTL – Jasmine Hamid: December has been Jasmine Hamid’s month. In her two appearances, she has one goal, two assists, four shots, three chances created, four tackles and 12 duels won.
CAR – Vicky Bruce: The veteran presence of Bruce will be needed as Carolina attempts to rebound from its recent losses and close the fall with a win. In the team’s last match, Bruce recorded five clearances, four tackles, an interception and maintained over 83% passing accuracy.
| Fort Lauderdale United FC | Carolina Ascent FC | |
| Head Coach | Tyrone Mears | Philip Poole |
| Club Record | 5-5-2 | 5-2-6 |
| Standings | 4th | 3rd |