Before D.C.’s second professional women’s soccer team hits the pitch on Aug. 17, it already has made massive changes in its identity.
DC Power FC, one of eight teams set to play in the inaugural season of the USL Super League, has decided to change its team colors and main crest less than two months before its regular season opener. The club, which was formally introduced on May 20, has yet to make public who will comprise its first roster.
Jordan Stuart, one of Power FC’s co-owners and club president, spoke with WTOP about the decision to change the existing logo, what players are joining the team and where the team will play its games for the foreseeable future.
New crest, colors
When DC Power FC was first revealed, Stuart said the name recognized the District is “a power center” for the region and since it will play its first set games in D.C., it makes sense to have its identity tied with it. Its original primary colors were fuchsia red, black and white, with the club crest showing talons of an eagle along with three stars, similarly seen on the D.C. flag.
However, weeks after the reveal, ideas of using different images and variations of the logo that relate to D.C. did not work well with the color pattern selected by the organization. Jordan told WTOP instead of staying with what was announced, the franchise chose to pivot early enough in the process and make the change.
“We hadn’t produced our uniforms yet; we hadn’t produced our merchandise for sale,” Stuart said. “We hadn’t launched ticket sales with any type of announced roster, so now is the time to make that change.”
The new crest features the Washington Monument “piercing a blue sky over the National Mall” as the symbol of power for the District, Jordan said. DC Power’s new team colors are blue, black and white.
“There are multiple variables to consider when launching a new club and the crest is a key part,” Stuart said in a statement after its unveiling. “We take pride in DC being our home and decided to have our crest reflect just that of our beloved city from the blue skyline, the unforgettable Tidal Basin, and the Washington Monument as part of the center of our city.”
When asked about the changes, Stuart told WTOP no outside influences or legal issues came to play when the decision was made to change the team’s identity change before preseason. The organization hosted multiple listening sessions around the region before the May reveal, polling people on symbols, colors and home stadiums.
“We want to make sure we get that right because that brand is obviously filling in our identity for not only the crest, the players, the fan base and then the connections to the city itself,” Jordan said.
The original logo had a similar color pattern to MLS club D.C. United, who overlap with members of the DC Power organization. Jordan, a real estate executive who also owns a portion of minority partner in Loudoun United, a former sister club of United’s, said the close appearance to the men’s soccer club’s identity did play a factor in rebranding its crest and colors.
The decision had ripple effects: DC Power is the only team in the Super League to not announce members of its roster. Its website has shown limited updates, team merchandise is not available to purchase, and fans still cannot purchase tickets
For the fall season, the club plans to stick with its new primary color palette for its home and away jerseys. A plan of having alternate colors to be introduced as part of the club’s third kit is currently on hold as the club attempts to establish its identity in D.C.’s sports scene, with Jordan comparing its situation with the NFL’s Washington Commanders renaming situation.
“If we don’t feel like we have the right fit, when it comes to brand identity, we’re going to pivot, which is what we did,” Stuart said. “And that’s going to now create this identity just moving forward.”
Building out the squad
The inaugural Super League season will run through the spring with a winter break hiatus, aligning its scheduled with the global soccer calendar.
For the fall portion of its first season, DC Power will play in Audi Field in Southwest D.C., the region’s primary soccer stadium and the home of both D.C. United and the National Women’s Soccer League side Washington Spirit. The Power will also train in the Inova Performance Complex in Leesburg, Virginia, sharing the same space with the region’s other pro soccer teams.
While Power may have its home situation sorted for now, Stuart told WTOP the club has an “open-ended idea” of where it will play the spring half its season. However, club officials want to see how things work in the fall before making a decision.
Since then, Power was named in a study as a possible tenant for a future soccer stadium in Baltimore County, Maryland, Washington Business Journal reported in early June. Stuart told WTOP that he has not made any decision on the spring half Power FC’s season and denied having conversations with those involved with the Baltimore stadium process.
“I’ve had no interaction whatsoever with that study,” Jordan said. “We haven’t had any discussions about any other locations.”
Meanwhile, on the player front, Stuart said 17 players are under contract to DC Power, adding that they will be announced as part of the rebrand before preseason starts on July 8.
He called the signings “top-notch players” with experience throughout the women’s soccer scene in the U.S. On June 10, the team hosted an invite-only combine to identify other players for Power FC’s inaugural season.
“I’ve already talked to my players privately, who have said they don’t plan to lose a game at home,” Stuart said. “That’s on the record, by the way.”
Frédéric Brillant, who played for D.C. United for four seasons, has been signed to be Power FC’s first-ever head coach, as well as its sporting director. After retiring, the former defender spent time earning his coaching license, along with assistant coaching stints with Loudoun United, D.C. United and, most recently, NWSL side Utah Royals. The rest of his staff will be announced some time in the future.
Hear from our Head Coach, @BrillantFred13! ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/rVrwPwIJow
— DC Power Football Club (@DCPowerFC) May 20, 2024
DC Power will look to be a complementary piece in the region’s women’s soccer scene that it shares with the Spirit, which has been in the market for over 10 years and has an established, and growing, fan base. On June 16, an announced attendance of 19,897 went to Audi Field for the Spirit’s 1-1 draw against San Diego, setting a new club attendance record.
Power has brought attention-grabbing star power before ever signing a player. WNBA player and Baltimore native Angie Reese was named as one of the new members in its ownership group, which also includes Washington Nationals pitcher Josiah Gray and Washington Capitals center Hendrix Lapierre.
But first, Jordan said, the club wants to get its identity right. With the team’s first three games on the road, the club plans to reach out to the region and put its players out in the community to promote DC Power before its home opener on Sept. 13.
“We are preaching some patience with the fan base,” Stuart said. “We’re ready to engage with our fans pretty quickly. We just need to be completely prepared to do that.”
Those interested in tickets are asked to sign up using the club’s online interest form.
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