Decatur FC gears up for second season
With the popularity of Atlanta United, Atlanta’s selection as a 2026 FIFA World Cup host city, and its role as the new home for the U.S. Soccer Federation headquarters, it’s clear Atlanta has soccer on the brain. Things will heat up even more this weekend when Decatur FC, a semi-professional women’s soccer team, begins its second season on May 23.
Last summer, Decatur FC made a successful debut in the Women’s Premier Soccer League (WPSL), ending the season ranked second in the Southeast division with a 6-1-1 record. The team shattered the WPSL attendance records and was also named Franchise of the Year.
Team owner Gareth O’Sullivan has built a lineup of Division One soccer players mostly from metro Atlanta. The roster features four players from Georgia Southern University, two from Auburn University, and the rest from various NCAA teams, including University of Virginia and University of Mississippi.
Coach Campbell Chapman is confident in the team’s strong roster and has a close relationship with many members of his team, including his daughter, Emma Chapman.
“Last week was our first time getting back together. But training has been good. It’s been very consistent,” Chapman said. “We had a scrimmage last week against the SSA USL team that was successful for us. We had a lot of good moments, a lot of good highlights.”
Returning Decatur FC defender Micah Bryant is thrilled by the community support and is excited to begin the season.
“We got a big turnout last year. I mean, that was more than we even expected,” she said. “So this year we’re just shooting for a bigger number. We want more fans. We always want more fans.”
Defender Jazmin Ferguson also commented on how special the Decatur FC fans are and how different of an experience it is from playing in college, even at the SEC level. Ferguson played at Louisiana State University.
“I feel like this is more like a close knit community. You know more people in the stands, and more people want to interact with the people on the team and on the field,” Ferguson said. “At school, you may see them in passing on campus or something, but it’s not like here where I can interact with the little kids, and I might see them again one day.”
Off the field, Decatur FC is working to build opportunities for young girls in the community through initiatives like the team’s new Wednesday Night Lights program. Recently promoted General Manager Joel Gould said that throughout the season, Decatur FC players will conduct free soccer clinics for girls ages 6 to 14.
“We think this Wednesday Night Lights program is one of our big efforts … to create a bigger funnel in the beginning,” Gould said. “We look at our home games as a tool to keep young girls engaged in [soccer] longer.”
Decatur FC will host Birmingham’s Union 10 FC in the season opener on May 23 at 7 p.m. at Decatur High School, its home pitch. The team will have five home games this season:
- Union 10 FC – May 23
- UFA – May 30
- AFU – June 6
- GA Impact – June 20
- Chattanooga – June 27
“This season we’re going to try to play the best brand of football that we can play. We will play in a way that is one, appealing to the fans, and two, obviously to get results,” Chapman said. “At the end of the day, we do want to win and have a product on the field that is successful.”
Decatur FC tickets can be purchased online.
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