By Hayden Yu Andersen
Reporting for West Seattle Blog

Tomorrow, West Seattle soccer fans will get their first look at the new pre-professional soccer team Rhodies FC, and you’re invited to March to the Match, too.

Named for the Rhododendron flower, to represent a commitment to community and strength, The Rhodies will make their home debut Sunday at 2 pm against Ballard’s Salmon Bay FC. The Rhodies are affiliated with West Seattle Junction FC, which made its own debut a year ago, following a trend of growth for pre-professional soccer across the last several years.

As a new USL W League team, the Rhodies are joining an ever-expanding network of almost 100 clubs across the country, since the league’s inaugural season in 2022.

(Rhodies Head Coach Lyndsey Patterson at a recent training session – photo by Erik Sandvik @slow_snaps)

The Rhodies’ head coach is Lyndsey Patterson, a 24-year veteran of women’s soccer with experience coaching at University of Tennessee and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, as well as a professional career spanning seven years, including time with Seattle Reign FC and Seattle Sounders Women.

The ties to West Seattle Junction FC, the Rhodies are embedded in the community. According to their website, “Just as Rhododendrons thrive in clusters, our strength lies in unity. We are deeply connected to West Seattle, committed to building relationships that strengthen our local soccer culture and bring people together.”

The Rhodies’ home field is Nino Cantu Southwest Athletic Complex (2801 SW Thistle). Fans are invited to get there via a family-friendly March to the Match ahead of time, from EC Hughes Playground a few blocks north. Here’s the plan:

Participating in the march and its adjacent activities is free, but tickets will be required to watch the Rhodies play. They are available online here. Tomorrow is one of five home matches on the Rhodies’ inaugural schedule.