One legend of U.S. soccer history. One Friendly Goalrilla. One shot.
A dream will be realized at Fort Wayne Football Club’s next home match, Oct. 17, at Ruoff Mortgage Stadium.
Fort Wayne FC’s biggest fan and mascot, Friendly, will face DaMarcus Beasley in a penalty kick for bragging rights during halftime of the match against the Sarasota Paradise.
Friendly, who has delighted the people of Fort Wayne since his adoption by the club July 4, fancies himself quite a goalkeeper. During his recent birthday celebration, he reiterated the same wish he’d had since first nesting at Ruoff Mortgage Stadium – that he could face Beasley in a PK.
Beasley, Fort Wayne FC’s Co-owner and Director of Football Operations, gladly granted the wish. Will he score? We’ll find out on Oct. 17!
Fittingly, since Friendly is such a champion of inspiring children, it will be Teacher Appreciation Night at the stadium and educators can get a complimentary ticket at the Ticket Office on matchday with identification.
The first 1,000 fans at Ruoff Mortgage Stadium will also receive a Friendly the Goalrilla trading card, courtesy of Midwest Box Breaks.
While no one is quite sure where Friendly comes from, his homepage offers theories. Undoubtedly, he’s been a hit with Fort Wayne, thrilling the more than 1,000 kids who have joined the Fort Wayne FC Kids Club, spending time at various events around Northeast Indiana, and earning praise from dignitaries such as Mayor Sharon Tucker, who called him a “tremendous addition to our community.”
While Friendly has been hard at work training for Oct. 17, he conveyed the following message to his fans: “Facing a legend of Northeast Indiana sports like DaMarcus Beasley is the greatest thing to happen to me since discovering frozen bananas at The Ru. This is about creating lasting memories – for all of the fans of the Autumn Gold & Black! 🦍🍌”
Fort Wayne FC, which plays Saturday at league-leading Union Omaha, has two remaining home matches: Oct. 17 and Oct. 24, against Athletic Club Boise. In its first season of professional soccer, Fort Wayne FC has a chance of clinching a playoff berth as soon as Saturday.
About Fort Wayne Football Club
Fort Wayne Football Club, founded in 2019, is a professional soccer club playing its first season in USL League One in 2026. The club plays home matches at Ruoff Mortgage Stadium, which opened May 2, 2026, and is a soccer-specific venue. In pre-professional USL League Two, Fort Wayne Football Club won division titles in 2023, 2024 and 2025. For more information, visit FortWayneFC.com.
About United Soccer League
Founded in 1986, the United Soccer League (USL) is the largest and fastest-growing soccer organization in the United States, impacting more than 200 communities nationwide. The USL is the first and only organization to offer a comprehensive youth-to-professional pathway for both men and women under one ecosystem. This structure includes four men’s leagues: the newly announced, top-tier professional Division I league, the USL Championship (Division II), USL League One (Division III), and USL League Two (pre-professional). The women’s pathway includes the top-tier USL Super League (Division I), which debuted in 2024, and USL W League, the country’s leading pre-professional women’s league. The USL also oversees USL Academy, a progressive talent development platform, and USL Youth, a premier national youth platform.