DC Soccer Club and Washington Capital United are agreeing to a formal partnership for the 2024-2025 season that will allow the clubs to work closely together to develop and retain the top players within the Washington, DC soccer community. The shared goal of the partnership is to raise the level of club soccer in Washington DC and make teams more competitive. This will be mutually beneficial to both clubs and ensure stability in roster viability and potential growth opportunities with a proven pathway for the top talented players. Working together on this project will allow us to provide an opportunity for WCU to maintain a relationship with players that they have developed at the younger stages, and who now wish to play at a higher level. It would also allow DC Soccer and WCU to promote a true pathway towards a higher-level league to players currently in our clubs and potential new players in the DC area.
Greg Andrulis, Executive Director of DC Soccer Club said, “We are pleased to be partnering with Washington Capital United to grow the game of soccer in our nation’s Capital. Both clubs share the mission of player development and reducing socio-economic hurdles while also offering the highest level of instruction and mentorship possible. Players from both clubs will now have the opportunity to compete at the ECNLR level with a true pathway to bigger and better experiences in the future.”
Tudor Stanciu, Director of Soccer Operations of Washington Capitol United said, “We are very excited to enter into a partnership with DC Soccer Club and to work together to consolidate DC’s youth player talent at the elite level platform for both clubs. We share the same vision for the program and have the same holistic player development approach. The new partnership will create new opportunities for players from both clubs to compete at the highest level while building a strong program accessible to families that live in or borderline to Washington DC. For Washington Capital United this is a positive and historic step in the right direction and will open a collegiate roadmap for players within our clubs who have the desire and aspiration to play at the next level after club and high school soccer.”
Edu de Souza, Technical Director for DC Soccer Club said, “Our partnership with Washington Capital will open up opportunities for the DC players to participate in one of the best competitions in the country - ECNL Regional. This will energize DC athletes who are playing higher-level games nearby as we compete with the Virginia North pool. We are excited and looking forward to it.”