Aug 30, 2024 14 min read Virginia Dream FC

Falls Church’s ‘Virginia Dream F.C.’ Launches 2nd Season, Following League Soccer Championships, Worldwide Press

With Meridian H.S. as their home field, Virginia Dream F.C., has won championships in the NPSL, UPSL, and VSSL. Team owner Lucas Mendes is in first row, second-from-right. Photo by Paulo Mendes.

Have you heard of Virginia Dream F.C., the City of Falls Church’s championship semi-professional men’s soccer team whose home stadium is “The Cloud” at Meridian High School?

Not only has this dynamic new national-level football club garnered worldwide press attention for their creative kits and merchandise, but in only their second year they’ve won championships in three American leagues: the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL), the United Premier Soccer League (UPSL), and the Virginia Super Soccer League (VSSL).

The team has become a magnet for high-level soccer talent. Former U.S. Men’s National Team star goalkeeper and local phenom Bill Hamid is the squad’s goalkeeper.

As a semi-pro team, Virginia Dream F.C. is also on a mission to financially support all its team members for their soccer-related expenses while developing and promoting them to higher and more lucrative levels of professional soccer.

Celebrating the NPSL Championship! Courtesy Virginia Dream F.C.

Off to a Blazing Start

At 2-0, “Virginia Dream FC have started their 2024 Fall UPSL Season with a bang,” the team said in a recent press release. “On the heels of a DMV South Conference Championship Title in the Spring Season, on Saturday Aug. 17, the Dream defeated Alexandria Reds Pro 2-0 at ‘The Cloud,’ aka Meridian High School, to kick off the new campaign.” On Aug. 26, they stoked their momentum by crushing Blazers FC 10-1 in an away game. Virginia Dream’s new head coach, CJ Taylor also “earned Conference Head Coach of the Week” from the UPSL.

Virginia Dream F.C.’s next game vs. VA Revolution Pro is at Meridian High School, or “The Cloud,” this Saturday, Aug. 31 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 at the door and, “as always, children under 12 and all FCCPS students get in for free.”

Interview with Virginia Dream’s Operations Director

The Falls Church Independent interviewed Virginia Dream’s Operations Director, Paulo Mendes, to find out about the club, how it began, the challenges it faces, and what makes the team such a special draw for the City of Falls Church.

Turns out, Mendes’s son, Lucas Mendes, is the team’s founding owner and a key driver of the creativity behind its uniform and merch designs, while dad Paulo Mendes calls himself “just the operations guy” for the team.

“Mind you, Paulo Mendes said, “all of these ideas, the creative stuff, it’s all Lucas. He does all the design stuff, all the creative direction of the team which is a big part of what he wanted to do. He’s the owner of the team.”

Lucas Mendes earlier in his pro career. Instagram photo.

Rooted in Soccer Stardom

You may have seen Lucas play in the area. Currently, he’s a star attacking forward and midfielder for Virginia Dream F.C.

In 2016 he was the Gatorade National Player of the Year after helping his Washington-Lee (now Washington Liberty) High School team in Arlington win the Virginia state championship.

Lucas went on to play for the UVA men’s soccer team in 2016. His profile page for the team lists just a few of his earlier accomplishments: 2016 NSCAA High School All-American; 2016 Virginia High School State Player of the Year; 2016 All-USA Boys Soccer First Team; Played with DC United Academy for three seasons (2013-2016) where he scored 28 goals and 17 assists in 45 matches; etc.

After one year at UVA, Lucas decided to go pro. So, he went to New York to play for the legendary New York Cosmos – the team that once included Pelé. Mendes played for the USA567 men’s national team. And he played for the Richmond Kickers, but was unfortunately injured.

Creative Kits Receive Worldwide Press

So, Lucas decided that in addition to still playing soccer, he wanted to pursue his own dream – creating a highly competitive, national-level team that would treat its players well and cover their costs while firing it up with the excitement of a creative team culture reflected in their unique kits, merch designs, and close camaraderie.

He saw that American soccer did not have the cultural excitement, style and edginess of world-class soccer franchise players or of U.S. professional basketball stars. “I guess the best way to think about it is, the NBA is not just about the game. It’s about the culture, the fashion, the music, the lifestyle, people wearing the NBA jerseys as part of their outfits kind of thing,” Paulo said. “I’m an old guy, so for me the concept was kind of like, ‘Okay?’”

Team owner, attacking forward and midfielder, Lucas Mendes, sports one of his jersey designs. Instagram photo.

“But [Lucas] had a clear vision in that he wanted to make sure that everything was very fashion-oriented, very street oriented – more than just soccer. He wanted it to be like a Thing,” Paulo said. A cultural statement. “And it seems like he hit on a nerve. And we’ve been trying to keep it going because – well, people have begun to pay attention, which is great.”

Virginia Dream's provocative kit caught the attention of Soccer Bible. Photo by Jared Soares.

But, it’s not just hype. The uniform and merch designs Lucas and team Creative Director Jared Soares designed for Virginia Dream’s first two seasons have been highlighted on the Soccer Bible website, one of the most intensely followed soccer platforms around the globe, with 5.9 million Instagram followers.

“They have millions and millions of followers all over the world,” Paulo said. “And they usually run soccer fashion just for teams like Barcelona and Real Madrid and Man United, those kinds of teams. And somehow, with our very first kit we designed – and when I say 'we,' I mean Virginia Dream, not me, I had no input on the fashion side of it – Somehow Soccer Bible got wind of it and ran his whole thing. And it got tremendous exposure. I mean, his fashion stuff has gotten exposure all over the world, France, England, Spain, everywhere. And then, once he did the 2024 kit we’re wearing this year, they picked him up again immediately and it got even more exposure. So, it’s been extremely unusual for a team at this level – not only unusual, I’ve never even heard of it – to get that kind of support from such a [global] soccer fashion entity.”

In a Northern Virginia Magazine article, Lucas Mendes describes his vision for Virginia Dream F.C.: “...the club’s projects will create an organic connection between soccer, art, fashion, and music, sparking a unique culture built around collaboration and hard work.”

What Does Soccer Bible Say?

“Founded in 2022, Virginia Dream FC is a new franchise rooted in creativity and forward-thinking that will support players both on and off the field,” Soccer Bible wrote in 2023. “Their mission is to have the creative off the pitch match the level of play on it. To this end, the club have unveiled their new kits for Spring/Summer 2023. Dream Pink will be home and Azulejo the away and the designs and the colours are in line with the club’s motto, ‘Soccer In The Clouds.’"

“The Spring/Summer 2023 Home and Away jerseys were hand-dyed using a Japanese technique called Shibori Itajime, which utilises boards clamped together around sections of folded fabric to resist the dye in different patterns. The technique creates a unique but uniform aesthetic for each shirt – an effect that reflects the diversity and camaraderie of the team. The box/windowpane design references Portuguese tiles, which is a nod to the heritage of club owner/founder Lucas Mendes and creative director Jared Soares. Mendes and Soares hand-dyed each shirt on the stove tops of their kitchens at home.”

Virginia Dream's 2023 kit modeled for Soccer Bible. Photo by Jared Soares.

For this year’s 2024 jerseys, Soccer Bible wrote: “Returning with another helping of bespoke creativity that’s a calling card of the club, Virginia Dream FC have unveiled their new home shirt for 2024. It once again sees a hand-dyed approach, this time with an eye-catching gradient stripe down the centre.”

“Arlington-based amateur football club Virginia Dream FC – who were founded in 2022 with the mission of connecting soccer, art, fashion, and music – came to prominence last year with their hand-dyed home and away kits. Now they are back for the 2024 season, where they’ll be competing in the United Premier Soccer League and the National Premier Soccer League, with a new hand-dyed creation.”

2024 kit modeled for Soccer Bible. Photo by Jared Soares.

“The club’s ‘Pink Quartz’ 2024 home jersey features a gradient stripe down the centre with the club’s monogram designed in the spirit of an Azulejo tile, a reference to the Portuguese heritage of the club’s front office members. ‘No Risk, No Magic’, the club’s motto for this year’s campaign, appears on the yoke of the shirt.”

Another Reason to Support Virginia Dream F.C.? Their Positive Mission

But, it’s not just about the team’s cool aesthetics and kit vibe. Virginia Dream F.C. also has a very focused mission on fully supporting their players financially. Though the club can’t yet pay salaries (so are technically semi-pro or amateur), they do cover all their players’ soccer-related expenses.

In a YouTube interview on the World XP Podcast, May 23, 2023, Lucas Mendes described the elements of Virginia Dream’s meteoric rise to success so far: “I think at the beginning we were just trying to do things the right way in terms of the way we treated our players, in terms of trying to go above and beyond and make it kind of as professional as possible. And… we were really trying to push something different in terms of the art, the fashion, at the forefront of the club and [to take] a different approach to the aesthetics and the way things look. I think that matched with the way we try to do things for the players, and then obviously getting high-level players and then combining all of that kind of made it successful… And, when you’re able to get a franchise in the NPSL, it kind of legitimizes everything.”

Lucas Mendes (left) appears on World XP podcast. Video screen capture.

Lucas’s dad, Paulo Mendes is passionate about the team’s mission to support its players. The goal is to flip the current model where young players and their families have to pony up thousands of dollars just to join higher level teams and training programs.

“Our mission really is one where the system we have in this country is more of a pay-to-play system,” Paulo Mendes said. “In other words, if you can afford to play on the youth team and go to these showcase events and get scouted by recruiters, and take trips and all of that, then you can play. But, that excludes a lot of kids, young men who for some reason or another can’t afford that or they have a child when they’re young and they have to start work or they have work responsibilities for keeping the home, or they don’t have the grades or money to go to college or whatever. So part of what we do in our mission – which is very opposite of what most teams do at this level – is we want to pay, and we have so far, for every expense related to soccer for these players. And they’re significant, because some teams, believe it or not, charge in the thousands of dollars for players to play on their teams.”

“So, we cover food, transportation, training, field space, any expense related to the soccer stuff, so that they don’t have to worry about that. And our goal really is to expose these guys, some of them want to move on and go to the next level. And it’s already happened actually in our short existence. We had a young man who got an injury before going to college. He stopped being looked at. He played on our team for a year. A community college was impressed with him. He went there and was extremely successful. So he got the chance. Another player got a trial with a USL which is the fully professional league just below the MLS, he got a trial with them, played very well, but unfortunately they didn’t pick him up for the contract. But that’s the kind of thing we want to do. We want to help those kind of people advance.”

Psyched for season 2! Photo by Jared Soares.

Both Paolo and his son Lucas saw highly talented players be financially excluded from participation as Lucas grew up and played on more and more competitive teams. “My son played through it and we were fortunate enough where we could play and afford it,” Paulo said. “But, we also saw in a lot of these leagues, the guys who are incredibly, incredibly talented, but just could never afford it. They were at work, they didn’t have time, they could not afford to pay a $50 uniform fee or anything like that. You know, they’d rather buy food for their family. So they play just for a love of the game in these little outside leagues. So there are a lot of people who get lost in the shuffle of things.”

Because Virginia Dream F.C. plays at various levels in several seasonal leagues throughout the year, it maintains a roster of “maybe 40-50 kids,” according to Paolo. “A lot of these young men also have jobs. You have kids who have to travel for work. You have family obligations. You’ve got injuries, etc. So we have a pretty big roster.”

Expanding the Fan Base in Falls Church

"Falls Church City is a really nice, tight community which we really love,” Paulo said. ‘They really support their own over there,' which we found to be very true. But Falls Church is kind of forgotten sometimes because of Arlington. So I’d like [folks] to take us in as Falls Church’s own soccer team and as another entertainment opportunity for the people of Falls Church.”

“This is high-level soccer. A lot of these players already have played professional-level soccer and want to keep playing. This is competitive, high-stakes kind of stuff. It’s fun. You can bring your kids or you can come yourself. We have a food truck available there for people to enjoy the goodies. It’s just fun, family, affordable entertainment, and just another entertaining option with some high-level stakes thrown in.”

Virginia Dream F.C. in action. Instagram photo.

“And I’d like them to know we're trying something that’s very unusual. We’re trying to help and give young men a sense of a second chance and for some even a first chance at keeping their love for the game going and to keep playing the game and seeing if they can move ahead without having to worry about paying for gas to get to a game or tournament or without having to worry about paying for post-game food, etc., those kind of things, so that they can just focus in on soccer and maybe getting an opportunity to move on. And I think Falls Church can support us and see what we’re trying to do and help support the cause.”

We commended the team’s dedication to supporting its young players, to which Paulo responded, “Well, we’re trying. We’ve just been fortunate enough – Lucas loves the game, you know. I mean, I’m Portuguese, so we’re kind of born into soccer. We love the sport and we love to see it at all levels.”

Funding the Team

In addition to charging $10 for admission to matches, the team also raises funds through well-publicized merch sales. Currently, Virginia Dream F.C.’s primary sponsor is Roadside Development LLC, a real estate development company, whose insignia is emblazoned on the team’s game day jersey. “We would like to keep growing in [the sponsorship] aspect of it because I think people, businesses, etc., who realize what we’re trying to do will appreciate [it] and we have a fairly decent fan base right now for a small first years' team. So it’s pretty awesome,” said Paolo. “This year we’re also going to start selling memberships for people who would like to support the club. You get early access to player announcements. You get some merchandise, events, etc. So, that’s going to be next.”

Virginia Dream F.C. also partners with Meridian High School in interesting ways. “We’re trying to reach into the community more,” Paolo said. “For example, we work with Meridian High School. We offer internships and job shadowing for their Sports Medicine Department. So we’ve had a few of their students come through us. That kind of thing…. We have not done anything yet with the soccer team, but we’d like to…. We would like to do something like a fundraiser with the team…. [The students] have been great in terms of their support, etc. So, it’s been good with their students. They come and cheer for us, etc. So, that’s been great.”

Another championship for Virginia Dream F.C.! Instagram photo.

We asked if the team has approached the City Council or the Chamber of Commerce for outreach. “Not yet. We started this as a low-level thing, and it’s such a mom and pop operation right now. So we’re trying to not get in over our heads in the sense of too many things to do. But, we're slowly getting there,” Paulo said. “We'll be doing the Chamber of Commerce events. Of course, I have a full-time job outside of this. I have my own business. I have a personal training facility in Arlington and we’ve been here for 16, 17, or 18 years, I don’t even know. So I do that. And my wife does the same thing. She also helps with the team but she also has a full-time job which is also running the fitness center. It’s called Arlington Personal Fitness. A pretty simple, straightforward name [Laughs].”

“So we try not to get in over our heads. With the times and restrictions we have, we have to do this one step at a time. Lucas runs all the soccer aspects and also the creative aspects of the club. So he’s got his hands full too. But I was talking with him a little time ago and we have a booth at the Falls Church City Festival. We just got accepted there on September 14th. So, we’ll be there with our stuff. It will be the first time we’ll really be publicly out there for Falls Church to see. So I’m hoping that will help get the message out. We’re trying to increase the local fan base as much as possible.”