Though still in the process of creating a team and filling out their roster, DC’s newest women’s soccer team kicks off their first season this weekend in a game that is also the very first match for the fledgling USL Super League. DC Power Football Club will play Carolina Ascent FC this afternoon in Charlotte, NC.

The road here hasn’t exactly been smooth for Power FC, who were the last of the USL Super League teams to announce any player signings and launched a full rebrand just weeks after first unveiling their crest and colors.

“This is the difficult part of the job,” head coach Frédéric Brillant said. “We were in a rush with everything. We worked very hard, we didn’t sleep too much.” Despite this, Brillant described a team ready for the challenge of this evening’s opening match.

Season calendar

Unlike most other American leagues, the USL Super League will operate on a fall to spring calendar. The first season will run from today until late May, with a mid-season break beginning in October.

In their first season, Power FC will play 28 matches –14 home and 14 away – against the other seven teams in the league. Only the fall schedule has been announced at this point. Power FC will play home games at Audi Field in Buzzard Point for the fall, while their springtime home is yet to be determined.

Head coach Brillant

One of the team’s first moves was hiring former D.C. United player and assistant coach Frédéric Brillant as head coach. Brillant had moved west to work as an assistant coach for the NWSL’s Utah Royals but was happy to return to Washington when he got the call.

“I knew I wanted to be a head coach,” he said. “I started the process when I was very young.”

Brillant said he was excited by the opportunity to build a team from the ground up and especially to instill a strong culture. He described that culture as one of hard work and a willingness to fight until the end. Brillant also hoped that Power FC can build a shared identity with D.C. United, with whom they share some owners.

Building a team

There is no draft in the USL Super League, so each team was expected to build up their initial rosters through recruitment. In selecting their first roster, Brillant said the team strove to get a good mix of players: both those with experience and young players; players who grew up in the DMV and internationals.

“We tried to get good players but also good people,” he said, indicating that this would help the team implement a good culture from the beginning.

Roster

Heading into their first match, Power FC have announced 18 players (although some others appear to be training with the team, and Brillant alluded to waiting on a visa for an international player). The Super League has not published roster rules, but based on the roster for today’s opponent, at least 26 players are permitted to be signed.

Goalkeepers (2): Morgan Aquino, Adelaide Gay
Defenders (5): Susanna Friedrichs, Abbey-Leigh Stringer, Myra Conte, Claire Constant, Amber DiOrio
Midfielders (7): Anna Bagley, Grace Ngock Yango, Charlie Estcourt, Alex Kirnos, Katie Duong, Madison Murnin, Yuuka Kurosaki
Forwards (4): Jorian Baucom, Myriah Lee, Phoebe Canoles, Katrina Guillou

Players to watch

Jorian Baucom, the club’s first announced signing. Baucom previously played with NWSL teams Houston Dash, Racing Louisville, and NC Courage, as well as some clubs in Europe. Most recently, she made a big impression at Hiberian Women’s Football Club in Scotland, where she scored 25 goals in 32 appearances.

Center back Claire Constant is coming off of a year spent rehabbing an ACL injury and said she was excited for the chance to play again. A native of Alexandria, VA, Constant has also played for the Haitian National Team and helped them win qualification to their first Women’s World Cup in 2023. Earlier this week, Constant was named team captain for Power FC.

Playing Carolina Ascent

Before the match, Brillant was realistic about his team’s chances against Carolina: “I think they are more prepared than us, so I think it’s going to be a big challenge,” he said, later adding that he felt the Ascent were several months to a year ahead of DC in the project of creating a new team.

Carolina Ascent selected Philip Poole, a USWNT assistant coach, as their head coach in January and have put together a roster of 26 players. Though they’ve only been able to train together since the preseason started July 1 – just like DC – the Ascent had more players signed early in that window, meaning the group has had more time to build chemistry and practice joint tactics that could give them the win tonight.

Preparing for a game in which no tape exists on either team, Brillant said his side will focus on themselves and implementing what they’ve been working on during preseason. “We are going to try to do our best and show our identity,” he said.

Constant echoed his comments about the Power focusing on themselves, no matter what the other team throws at them.

“We’re coming to fight, and we hope that we can make you guys proud,” Constant said.

Match details

Location: American Legion Memorial Stadium, Charlotte, NC
Kickoff time: 7 p.m. ET
Referee: Alexandra Billeter
Available streaming: Peacock