Get to Know: Dayton Dutch Lions

Sporting Kansas City welcomes the Dayton Dutch Lions to LIVESTRONG Sporting Park at 7:30 p.m. CT on Tuesday in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup quarterfinals. Get your tickets!

The Dayton Dutch Lions aren’t a team most fans in Kansas City know much about. After all, this is a club that is in unfamiliar territory. Besides the fact that they have never gotten out of the first round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, the Dutch Lions are only in their third year of existence. They played in the Premier Development League (PDL) in 2010 and are currently playing in the United Soccer Leagues Professional Division (USL PRO), which they joined in 2011.

Other members of USL PRO include Orlando City SC (who Sporting KC beat 3-2 in the third round of this year's U.S. Open Cup), Richmond Kickers (who eliminated Sporting KC with a 2-0 win in last year's quarterfinals) and Harrisburg City Islanders (who play the Philadelphia Union in the quarterfinal whose winner will face either KC or Dayton in the semifinals).

On Tuesday, Dayton will be playing in its fourth consecutive road match in the U.S. Open Cup. They have taken down all three opponents by the score 2-1. In the second round it was Chicago Fire Premier, next was an improbable win over Columbus Crew and most recently in the fourth round, Dayton took out the Michigan Bucks in extra time.

While the Dutch Lions have had success in the USOC, their season in USL PRO has been anything but easy. They currently sit second from the bottom in the table with a record of 1-7-5. Their first win of the season came just a couple days ago against the Wilmington Hammerheads when they won 4-0. Not to mention in six USL PRO road matches they have just one goal while giving up nine.

Yet somehow, the Dutch Lions have prevailed. They already beat an MLS team on the road in the Columbus Crew. They scored two goals against a club who only allows 1.07 goals per game in MLS play. When you look at the numbers, it might not make much sense, but on Tuesday night that won’t matter. All that matters is that Dayton has made it as far as Sporting Kansas City in the USOC.  

Once again Sporting KC will have their hands full in the quarterfinals of the USOC against a USL PRO side.