South Bend Lions FC
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2020}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2020}}
{{Infobox football club
| clubname = Michiana FC Lions & Lionesses
| image =
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| fullname = Michiana Fútbol Club
| nickname = Michiana FC Lions & Lionesses
| founded = {{start date and years ago|2019|11|18}}
| dissolved = Dec 31 2024
| stadium = Leighton Stadium
| capacity = 3,500
| owntitle = Owner
| owner = Ritchie Jeune
| chrtitle = Technical Director
| chairman = Shek Borkowski
| mgrtitle = Head coach
| manager = Shek Borkowski
| league = USL League Two
| season = 2023
| position = 7th, Great Lakes Division
Playoffs: DNQ
| website = https://www.michianalionsfc.com/
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Michiana Fútbol Club formerly South Bend Lions Football Club was an American soccer club based in South Bend, Indiana, that plays in USL League Two, the American pre-professional soccer league. The club was established on November 18, 2019. The 2022 USL2 campaign was successful by winning the Valley Division.
History
On November 18, 2019, it was announced by USL League Two that South Bend Lions FC would be the newest team to join the league for their 2020 season, joining the Great Lakes Division.{{cite news |last1=Catania |first1=Anthony |title=South Bend awarded United Soccer League team |url=https://www.southbendtribune.com/sports/south-bend-awarded-united-soccer-league-team/article_9f93baec-0af7-11ea-b5ad-83f9a9e57187.html |access-date=January 23, 2020 |work=South Bend Tribune |date=November 19, 2019}} The logos and colors for the club were also unveiled at a press conference held in South Bend's County-City Building. Ritchie Jeune was introduced as the club's owner while Thiago Pinto, the head coach of Bethel University's soccer team, was introduced as the club's technical director. During the press conference, Jeune stated that South Bend was one of "three or four different locations" that his team visited before deciding to form a team in the city.
Ownership
The club's owner is Ritchie Jeune, who is also the principal owner of Kettering Town, in England's Southern League Premier Division Central, Shantou Lions FC, a club based in China.{{Cite web|url=https://www.league1ontario.com/news_article/show/1189418|title=Pickering FC to rejoin L1O Premier in 2022 with new ownership|date=October 19, 2021|work=League1 Ontario}}
Management team
| class="wikitable" |
| Position
!Name !Nation |
|---|
| Technical director/Head Coach
| {{flagicon|POL}} Poland |
| Assistant Coach
| Nathaniel King | {{flagicon|ENG}} England |
| Assistant Coach
| Erik Castro | {{flagicon|ECU}} Ecuador |
| Goalkeeper Coach
| {{flagicon|NGA}} Nigeria |
| Equipment Manager
| Bobo Galoblow | {{flagicon|USA}} United States |
| Head Data Analyst
| Michael Bellina | {{flagicon|USA}} United States |
2022 Roster
| class="wikitable" |
| Position
!Name !Nation |
|---|
| Goalkeeper
| Jacob Madden | {{flagicon|USA}} United States |
| Goalkeeper
| Owen Cornell | {{flagicon|USA}} United States |
| Goalkeeper
| Johnny Guedert | {{flagicon|USA}} United States |
| Goalkeeper
| Finn Popescu | {{flagicon|GER}} Germany |
| Defender
| Jack Empson | {{flagicon|ENG}} England |
| Defender
| {{flagicon|ENG}} England |
| Defender
| Jaylen Shannon | {{flagicon|USA}} United States |
| Defender
| Josh Ramsey | {{flagicon|USA}} United States |
| Defender
| Jonny Mora | {{flagicon|USA}} United States |
| Defender
| Diego Rodriguez | {{flagicon|USA}} United States |
| Defender
| Joao De Oliviera | {{flagicon|BRA}} Brazil |
| Defender
| Lucas Barankiewciz | {{flagicon|BRA}} Brazil |
| Midfielder
| {{flagicon|GHA}} Ghana |
| Midfielder
| Brennan Creek | {{flagicon|USA}} United States |
| Midfielder
| Duvan Canchila | {{flagicon|COL}} Columbia |
| Midfielder
| Landon Fisher | {{flagicon|USA}} United States |
| Midfielder
| Tim Noeding | {{flagicon|GER}} Germany |
| Midfielder
| Gabriel Nyenka Jr | {{flagicon|LBR}} Liberia |
| Midfielder
| Sebastian Green | {{flagicon|USA}} United States |
| Midfielder
| Daniel Lynch | {{flagicon|USA}} United States |
| Forward
| Fumiya Shiraishi | {{flagicon|JPN}} Japan |
| Forward
| George Herbert | {{flagicon|ENG}} England |
| Forward
| Kainan Dos Santos | {{flagicon|BRA}} Brazil |
| Forward
| Connor Duggan | {{flagicon|ENG}} England |
| Forward
| Andrew Michael Andrew | {{flagicon|TAN}} Tanzania |
Statistics and records
=Season-by-season=
{{updated|31 March 2025}}
| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align: center" |
| scope="col" rowspan="2" | Season
! colspan=8 class="unsortable" | USL League Two ! scope="col" rowspan=2 class="unsortable" | Finals ! scope="col" rowspan=2 class="unsortable" | USOC ! scope="col" rowspan=2 class="unsortable" | CONCACAF ! scope="col" colspan=3 class="unsortable" | Top Scorer |
|---|
| {{tooltip|P|Games played}}
!{{tooltip|W|Games won}} !{{tooltip|D|Games drawn}} !{{tooltip|L|Games lossed}} !{{tooltip|GF|Goals for}} !{{tooltip|GA|Goals against}} !{{tooltip|Pts|Points}} !{{tooltip|Position|Position}} ! class="unsortable" | Player ! class="unsortable" | Goals |
| 2020
| colspan= 13 rowspan=1 | Season cancelled due to 2019-2020 Coronavirus Pandemic |
| 2021
|14 |5 |4 |5 |27 |17 |26 |5th, Great Lakes Division |did not qualify |Ineligible |— |{{flagicon|GHA}} Nana Tuffour |6 |
| 2022
|14 |10 |2 |2 |40 |12 |32 |bgcolor="B3B7FF"|1st, Valley Division |Conference Quarterfinals |did not qualify |— |{{flagicon|BRA}} Kainan Dos Santos |10 |
| 2023
|12 |0 |3 |9 |8 |33 |3 |7th, Great Lakes Division |did not qualify |did not qualify |— |{{flagicon|ENG}} Sahel Yessen |4 |
| 2024
|14 |0 |2 |12 |6 |55 |2 |8th, Great Lakes Division |did not qualify |did not qualify | --- | | |
Youth development
The Club has grown to include a successful USL-Academy boys team (Summer 2023) that currently plays in USL-Academy League play. As well as women's programs to debut (summer 2024) USL W League Lionesses and USL-A women's team.{{cite news |last1=Hough |first1=Austin |title=South Bend Lions Football Club to debut in May 2020 |url=https://www.goshennews.com/sports/south-bend-lions-football-club-to-debut-in-may/article_6ae09cb6-0b06-11ea-8977-0bfc90c33fe3.html |access-date=January 23, 2020 |work=Goshen News |date=November 19, 2019}}
See also
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{Portal bar|United States|Soccer}}
- {{Official website|https://www.michianalionsfc.com/}}
{{USL League Two}}
{{Soccer in the United States}}
{{Indiana Sports}}
Category:Soccer clubs in Indiana
Category:Association football clubs established in 2019