Fort Wayne FC’s first match at Bishop D’Arcy Stadium in USL League Two play was against Kings Hammer FC Cincinnati.
It was a 1-0 victory May 13, 2023.
The clubs will meet again 7 p.m. Saturday – for the final match ever at Bishop D’Arcy Stadium – and a similar result would suit Fort Wayne FC (8-2-1) just fine.
Fort Wayne FC can guarantee itself a third consecutive Valley Division Championship, and the division’s lone playoff spot, with either a victory or a draw against Kings Hammer FC Cincinnati (2-6-3). Otherwise, Fort Wayne FC would need Lexington SC (7-2-2) to draw or lose against West Virginia United (5-5-1) to clinch a postseason berth.
An opening playoff match would be held at a nearby regional site, not yet announced by USL League Two, against an opponent yet to be determined.
“How could you not be excited about having your last game of the year at home and having a chance to win a championship,” said Fort Wayne FC coach Mike Avery, whose club is coming off a 1-0 victory at the Dayton Dutch Lions on Wednesday.
Fort Wayne FC is moving to the professional ranks of USL League One in 2026. The club will play at Fort Wayne FC Park, the soccer-specific stadium being built at Bass Road and I-69, which will be the largest outdoor venue in Northeast Indiana.
The club will begin accepting $25 deposits on 2026 season tickets at 10 a.m. Monday.
Wednesday’s pivotal victory at Dayton included a goal by Aboubacar Traore, who won a one-on-one run down the left sideline and shot the ball into the far side of the net.
“As we play, we have our way of playing and we also play to our strengths. I’m the type of player who likes 1v1, so that’s what I was doing the whole game and it worked,” Traore said.
Fort Wayne FC goalkeeper Aurie Briscoe made one stop in the match for his sixth clean sheet of the USL League Two season.
“It sets us up with a really good opportunity to clinch a championship at home, in front of our home fans,” Avery said after the match. “I know our guys are going to be really excited about that.”
Fort Wayne FC is 2-0-0 this season against Kings Hammer FC Cincinnati, winning 3-1 on May 31 at Bishop D’Arcy Stadium and 1-0 on the road June 14, when captain Tiago Dias had the goal and Briscoe the clean sheet.
Briscoe was in net for the first match at Bishop D’Arcy Stadium in 2023. Defender Reid Sproat, still a member of the club, played the entire match. And Tavio D’Almeida was a starter.
Fort Wayne FC is 14-3-1 all-time in USL League Two play at Bishop D’Arcy Stadium, 14-2-1 in the regular season. In friendlies, Fort Wayne FC is 6-3-0, making for an overall record of 20-6-1 at Bishop D’Arcy Stadium.
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.
