NEED TO KNOW:
- RGV FC will oversee all aspects of soccer operations, including player selection and technical staff
- Houston Dynamo FC will retain the MLS affiliate rights for players under contract with RGV FC & can loan Dynamo players to RGV FC
- RGV FC will be eligible to compete in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup in 2021
EDINBURG, Texas (Wednesday, Dec. 23, 2020) – Houston Dynamo FC and Rio Grande Valley FC announced today that the two organizations have agreed to restructure their affiliate partnership moving forward.
Under the new arrangement, RGV FC will manage all aspects of soccer operations for the Toros, including player selection along with coaching and technical staff decisions. RGV FC will begin the process of selecting a new head coach immediately.
The new structure is in line with traditional affiliate relationships in place across America between clubs in Major League Soccer (MLS) and the United Soccer League (USL). The restructured partnership also includes the option to extend the agreement beyond the current term, which runs through the 2021 MLS and USL seasons.
As a result of the restructured affiliate relationship, RGV FC will be eligible to compete in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup for the first time in 2021. The agreement also maintains a direct pathway to Major League Soccer and a first-division career for players on the RGV FC roster.
“The next era of our valuable relationship with Houston Dynamo FC is exciting for both clubs. The Valley deserves a winning team and this new chapter in the partnership between these two great organizations can help us all accomplish our goals,” said Rio Grande Valley FC President Ron Patel. “I’m extremely appreciative of all the hard work John Walker, Matt Jordan, Nick Kowba and all of the Dynamo staff have put into this and will continue to do into the future. This partnership is a ‘Win’ for both clubs and for the people of the Rio Grande Valley!”
“The COVID-19 pandemic created a number of challenges for both of our clubs this year on and off the pitch, and that led us all to reevaluate the nature of the partnership going forward,” said Houston Dynamo FC President John Walker. “It has been a long process to get to this point, but thanks to the leadership of Ron Patel at RGV FC, we were able to work out an agreement that sets both organizations up for success going forward.”
Houston Dynamo FC will continue to hold the MLS affiliate rights to all players under contract with RGV FC; and both clubs will continue to have the ability to loan players to one another for individual games or for longer durations during the MLS and USL seasons.
“Due to the unpredictable nature of the pandemic and the challenges it has presented, we’ve had to work as partners to allow both clubs to focus on our primary objectives,” said Houston Dynamo FC Senior Vice President and General Manager Matt Jordan. “We are pleased to have reached this agreement to restructure our affiliation with RGV FC while continuing to provide a platform for our players to gain crucial experience in a professional and highly competitive environment. We take a tremendous amount of pride in this partnership and look forward to continuing to help the growth of the game in the Rio Grande Valley.”
Over the first five years of the partnership, 12 players have been signed to the Houston Dynamo FC roster after first playing for the Toros. Additionally, another 37 players have seen minutes for RGV FC while on loan from Houston.
The 2021 league schedules for both MLS and the USL Championship are expected to be released early next year.
ABOUT THE HOUSTON DYNAMO FOOTBALL CLUB
The Houston Dynamo Football Club is a multi-faceted organization that includes the Houston Dynamo, Houston Dash, Houston Dynamo Academy, Dynamo Dash Youth, Club affiliates, and the Club’s supporters. The Dynamo are a Major League Soccer team that has won two MLS Cup championships, one Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup and four conference championships in its first 16 seasons and has qualified to represent the United States in international competition seven times. The Dynamo have advanced to the Conference Championship series seven times in 15 years, the most of any Major League Soccer team since 2006; and the club’s four appearances in the MLS Cup Final are tied for the most in the league during that time span. The Houston Dash joined the Houston Dynamo Football Club on Dec. 12, 2013 as the first expansion team of the National Women’s Soccer League. The NWSL is supported by the Canadian Soccer Association and the United States Soccer Federation. It is the top-flight women’s professional soccer league in North America, featuring many of the top players from the United States and Canada, as well as talent from around the world. The Dash began play in April 2014 for the start of the league’s second season. The Dash captured their first league trophy, the 2020 NWSL Challenge Cup, on July 26, 2020. The teams train at Houston Sports Park (HSP), the premier training facility in Southeast Texas, and play at BBVA Stadium in downtown Houston. For more information, log on to www.HoustonDynamoFC.com or call (713) 276-7500.
ABOUT RIO GRANDE VALLEY FC
The Rio Grande Valley FC Toros (RGV FC) enter their sixth season in the United Soccer League (USL) Championship in 2021. The club plays at H-E-B Park, a state-of-the-art soccer specific stadium that holds 9,700 people, the club trains in H-E-B Park’s world class training facility adjacent to the stadium. RGV FC is the only professional soccer team located within the Rio Grande Valley. In 2016, RGV FC became USL’s first team to develop a hybrid affiliation model with a Major League Soccer (MLS) franchise. This partnership, with Houston Dynamo FC, began in 2016. The relationship has now evolved into a more traditional USL/MLS affiliation where RGV FC manages all aspects of the club and the Dynamo are able to loan players to the Toros for development purposes. For more information, please visit www.www.rgvfc.com/rgvfc.
# PARA EL VALLE #
