The Dutch Lions make their return to DOC Stadium Wednesday night to take on Toledo Villa FC in their home opener. Last season, Toledo finished one spot above the Lions in fourth place in the USL2 Valley Division. The new season brings new faces to the Dutch Lions ready to make an impact.
There is a strong cohort of local players on the team, including Brandon Osterholt, John Ruetschle, Brady Shapiro, Connor Bailey. The hometown boys alongside the rest of the squad will be aiming to bounce back from a tough 2022 campaign and finish top three in the conference.
Coach Hans Pascoal has 25 years of coaching experience, with his playing career starting in the Netherlands with NAC Breda’s academy before playing Division I at Xavier University. He hopes to instill the Dutch philosophy into the team, saying, “we will play an attacking style of soccer based on positional play with much ball movement and player position changes.”
The home opener will be an exciting test for players and the atmosphere should be lively, so don’t miss out.