DAYTON, Ohio – Aboubacar Traore had the lone goal in the 35th minute, as Fort Wayne FC defeated the Dayton Dutch Lions 1-0 on Wednesday night at DOC Stadium in West Carrollton, Ohio.
The victory put Fort Wayne FC (8-2-1) back atop the Valley Division table with 25 points and the club can clinch its third straight division championship – and a USL League Two postseason berth – with a victory or a tie Saturday night at Bishop D’Arcy Stadium against Kings Hammer FC Cincinnati (2-6-3).
Fort Wayne FC has a two-point lead over second-place Lexington SC (7-2-2), which plays West Virginia United (5-5-1) on Saturday. Fort Wayne FC and Lexington SC are vying for the lone Valley Division playoff spot and Fort Wayne FC holds the tiebreaker.
“We talked in the locker room before we came out about getting control of the game as quick as we could, and I thought we did a pretty good job of finding ways to take control of the game,” Fort Wayne FC coach Mike Avery said. “I thought we grew through the first half and were very good at the start of the second half. Obviously, there were some more goals out there that if we would have finished (them) would have made it feel a lot easier. But it’s a good three points and we’re really excited about it.”
Fort Wayne FC went 3-0-0 against Dayton (1-8-2) this season and upped its all-time record against the Dutch Lions to 11-0-2 in what was the final match between the clubs. Fort Wayne FC is ascending to the professional ranks of USL League One in 2026.
“It was a tough game,” Traore said. “You always have to come on the field and earn your game. They’re never going to give it to you; there’s never an easy game. Every time we play the (Dutch) Lions, it’s always a tough game. We have to come out and earn it and that’s what we did today.”
Fort Wayne FC was 6-0-1 all-time at Dayton, where it outscored the Dutch Lions 18-0.
“They’ve been a great opponent,” Avery said. “The games have gone our way, but this was the seventh time we’ve played here in Dayton and not one of them have been easy. They’re a talented group and they’ve got a lot of really good college players, and they always give us a good, competitive game. I have a lot of respect for them as an organization and what they’re trying to do.”
In all matches played, Fort Wayne FC outscored Dayton 36-6.
Traore scored by speeding down the left side of the field and sending a shot into the far side of the net.
Fort Wayne FC’s goalkeeper, Aurie Briscoe, finished with one save for his sixth clean sheet of the USL League Two season. Dayton’s Cayden Crawford and Jason Ball combined for three saves.
Saturday’s Fort Wayne FC match against Kings Hammer FC Cincinnati will be FWFC’s final match at Bishop D’Arcy Stadium before moving into Fort Wayne FC Park in 2026. The first 1,000 fans will get DaMarcus Beasley trading cards.
The club will begin taking $25 deposits on 2026 season tickets 10 a.m. Monday. Fans are encouraged to place deposits and reserve their place in line for Fort Wayne FC Park matches.
Any playoff matches this season will be at sites yet to be announced by USL League Two. The dates also have not yet been announced.
Make sure to check out the Fort Wayne FC photo page.
About Fort Wayne FC
Fort Wayne FC, founded in 2019, is currently a pre-professional club in USL League Two’s Valley Division in the Central Conference. The club won Valley Division championships in 2023 and 2024. Fort Wayne FC is moving to the professional ranks of USL League One in 2026 at a new state-of-the-art stadium. www.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.
