View source for Northern Virginia FC

{{Short description|American soccer team}}
{{distinguish|Northern Virginia United FC}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2020}}
{{Infobox football club
| clubname = Northern Virginia FC
| image = Northern Virginia FC logo.png
| upright = 0.8
| caption = 
| fullname = Northern Virginia Football Club
| nickname = 
| founded = {{start date and age|1998||}}  as ''Northern Virginia Royals''
| dissolved = 
| stadium = Segra Field<br />[[Leesburg, Virginia]]
| capacity = 5,000
| coordinates =  
| league = [[USL League Two]]<br>[[USL W League]]<br>[[Eastern Premier Soccer League]]<br>[[Major Arena Soccer League 3|MASL3]]
| season = [[2024 USL League Two season|2024]]
| position = 4th, Chesapeake Division<br>Playoffs: DNQ
| website = http://www.novafc.org/
| American = yes
| pattern_la1 = 
| pattern_b1 = _whiteshoulders
| pattern_ra1 = 
| leftarm1 = 000000
| body1 = 000000
| rightarm1 = 000000
| shorts1 = 000000
| socks1 = 000000
| pattern_b2 = _blackshoulders
| pattern_ra2 = 
| leftarm2 = fff
| body2 = fff
| rightarm2 = fff
| shorts2 = fff
| socks2 = fff
}}

'''Northern Virginia FC''' (formerly '''Northern Virginia Royals''' and '''Evergreen FC''', and commonly known as '''NoVa FC''') is an American [[soccer]] club from [[Leesburg, Virginia]] competing in [[USL League Two]], [[USL W League]], [[Eastern Premier Soccer League]] and [[Major Arena Soccer League 3]].

The club's women's team was known as the [[Northern Virginia Majestics]], who played in the women's [[USL W-League (1995–2015)|USL W-League]], and fielded a team in the USL's [[Super-20 League]], a league for players 17 to 20 years of age run under the [[United Soccer Leagues]] umbrella. Throughout their recent history, NVFC previously enjoyed minor league affiliation with [[D.C. United]], the nearby [[Major League Soccer]] franchise.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.novafc.org/pdl/288293.html|title=Royals Owner Mo Sheta Inducted in USL Hall of Fame|work=Northern Virginia Royals}}</ref>

== History ==
=== Professional ===
Northern Virginia FC was founded in 1998 and joined the USISL D-3 Pro League as an expansion franchise in 1998, entering the team under the name Northern Virginia Royals.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/sports/1998/04/10/local-players-coach-gonzalo-make-royal-entrance-to-usisl/78b14cad-96bc-4271-9a88-817cadc445fe/|title=Local Players, Coach Gonzalo make Royal Entrance to USISL|first=Will|last=Kuhns|date=April 10, 1998|newspaper=[[Washington Post]]}}</ref> They ended their first season in 7th place in the Atlantic Division with a 5–12–1 record.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/read/20203938/untitled-usl-united-soccer-leagues|title=USL Pro Media Guide|date=2012|work=[[United Soccer League]]}}</ref> In their second season, they improved, winning 10 of their 18 regular season games, finishing fourth in the Atlantic Division and also qualified for their first [[US Open Cup]] campaign in 1999, where they were upset in the first round by Florida [[USL PDL|PDL]] side [[Cocoa Expos]] 5–3.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.socceramerica.com/publications/article/8294/us-open-cup-first-round-result-june-10.html|title=U.S. Open Cup: First-round result (June 10)|work=Soccer America|date=June 11, 1999}}</ref> In the playoffs they beat divisional rivals [[South Carolina Shamrocks]] 2–1 in the first round before falling 4–0 to Charlotte in the conference semi-final. The 1998 season and the Royals were featured in the book "Unlucky: A Season of Struggle in Minor League Professional Soccer" by Dave Ungrady, who trained and played briefly for the Royals as well<ref>{{cite web|url=https://phillysoccerpage.net/2017/12/28/putting-the-book-in-american-soccer-literature-to-read-this-winter/|title=Putting the book in: American soccer literature to read this winter|work=The Philly Soccer Page|first=Steve|last=Holroyd|date=December 28, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1049523|title=Soccer|first=Bob|last=Edwards|date=April 28, 1999|work=[[NPR]]}}</ref>

The D-3 Pro League became the USL Pro Select League in 2003, and the Royals finished bottom of the 3-team Southern Division, with just 6 wins for the year. 
The USL Pro Select League became the USL Second Division in 2005, and dispensed with divisions in favor of a single-table format; for the Royals, this proved to be yet another disastrous season.

=== Move to PDL ===
After finishing bottom of the league in the USL Second Division, the Royals management took the decision to self-relegate themselves to the [[USL Premier Development League]] for the 2006 season.<ref name=evergreen>{{Cite web|url=http://www.novafc.org/PDL/royalspdlteam/index_E.html|title=Evergreen FC formerly Northern Virginia Royals|work=Northern Virginia Royals}}</ref> The Royals won their first match in the amateur PDL 3–1 over [[West Virginia Chaos]], ultimately finishing fourth in the Mid Atlantic Division in their debut 2006 season.

The Northern Virginia Royals were inducted into the USL Soccer Hall of Fame in 2007.<ref name=evergreen />

===Partnership with D.C. United===
In 2015, the Royals rebranded as Evergreen FC and partnered with [[Major League Soccer]] club [[D.C. United]] and formed a joint PDL team called [[D.C. United U-23]], who combined their [[National Premier Soccer League|NPSL]] side with the Royals, to play in the PDL, finishing fifth in the Mid-Atlantic Division.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.oceancityfc.com/home/877394.html | title=New York Red Bulls and D.C. United U23 Join PDL | first=Christian|last=Candeloro | publisher=[[Ocean City FC]] | date=May 15, 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924054717/http://www.oceancityfc.com/home/877394.html | archive-date=September 24, 2015 | url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.dcunited.com/news/2015/02/dc-united-under-23-team-to-compete-in-premier-development-league-in-2015 | title=D.C. United Under-23 team to compete in Premier Development League in 2015 | publisher=[[D.C. United]] | date=February 19, 2015 }}</ref>

===Evergreen Hammers===

After the 2015 season, the Royals transferred their operations and relocated to Loudon County, Virginia in 2016 playing under the Evergreen FC banner as the Evergreen Hammers.<ref name=evergreen /><ref>{{cite web |date=June 22, 2016 |title=Next-Level Soccer: Evergreen Hammers Host Final Game Saturday |url=https://loudounnow.com/2016/06/22/next-level-soccer-evergreen-hammers-host-final-game-saturday/ |work=Loudoun Now}}</ref>

===Northern Virginia FC===
For the 2021 season, Evergreen which was already part of the Northern Virginia FC club, renamed the [[USL League Two]] club to sit under the NoVa FC banner.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.frontrowsoccer.com/2021/02/25/unveiling-the-schedule-usl-league-two-will-kick-off-may-1/|title=UNVEILING THE SCHEDULE: USL League Two will kick off May 1|date=February 25, 2021|work=Front Row Soccer}}</ref> NoVa FC had already operated teams under that name in the lower level [[United Premier Soccer League]] and [[Eastern Premier Soccer League]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.epslsoccer.com/epsl-welcomes-northern-virginia-fc|title=EPSL Welcomes Northern Virginia FC|date=August 26, 2020|work=[[Eastern Premier Soccer League|EPSL]]}}</ref>

On 27 August 2021, NoVa FC announced they would be reviving the women's program with a new side in the [[USL W League]] beginning in 2022.<ref>{{cite web |title=Northern Virginia FC Announced as Newest Club to Join USL W League |url=https://www.uslwleague.com/news_article/show/1180562 |website=www.uslwleague.com |access-date=27 August 2021}}</ref>

==Logo history==
[[File:NoVa_FC_logo_history.png|centre|Logo History|800px]]

== Year-by-year ==
===Professional/USL League Two===
{| class="wikitable"  style="text-align: center;"
!Year
!Division
!League
!Regular season
!Playoffs
![[U.S. Open Cup]]
|-
!colspan="6"|Northern Virginia Royals
|-
|[[1998 USISL D-3 Pro League|1998]]
|rowspan=8|3
|[[USISL D-3 Pro League]]
|7th, Atlantic
|''did not qualify''
|''did not qualify''
|-
|[[1999 USL D-3 Pro League|1999]]

|rowspan=4|[[USL D-3 Pro League]]
|4th, Atlantic
|Conference Semifinals
|[[1999 U.S. Open Cup#First round|1st Round]]
|-
|[[2000 USL D-3 Pro League|2000]]
|7th, Southern
|''did not qualify''
|[[2000 U.S. Open Cup#Second round|2nd Round]]
|-
|[[2001 USL D-3 Pro League|2001]]
|4th, Southern
|''did not qualify''
|''did not qualify''
|-
|[[2002 USL D-3 Pro League|2002]]
|4th, Southern
|''did not qualify''
|''did not qualify''
|-
|[[2003 USL Pro Soccer League|2003]]
|rowspan=2|[[USL Pro Soccer League]]
|3rd, Southern
|''did not qualify''
|''did not qualify''
|-
|[[2004 USL Pro Soccer League|2004]]
|3rd, Southern
|''did not qualify''
|''did not qualify''
|-
|[[2005 USL Second Division|2005]]
|[[USL Second Division]]
|9th
|''did not qualify''
|''did not qualify''
|-
|[[2006 PDL season|2006]]
|rowspan=9|4
|rowspan=9|[[Premier Development League|USL PDL]]
|4th, Mid Atlantic
|''did not qualify''
|''did not qualify''
|-
|[[2007 PDL season|2007]]
|7th, Mid Atlantic
|''did not qualify''
|''did not qualify''
|-
|[[2008 PDL season|2008]]
|5th, Mid Atlantic
|''did not qualify''
|''did not qualify''
|-
|[[2009 PDL season|2009]]
|7th, Mid Atlantic
|''did not qualify''
|''did not qualify''
|-
|[[2010 PDL season|2010]]
|5th, Mid Atlantic
|''did not qualify''
|''did not qualify''
|-
|[[2011 PDL season|2011]]
|2nd, South Atlantic
|Conference Quarterfinals
|''did not qualify''
|-
|[[2012 PDL season|2012]]
|7th, South Atlantic
|''did not qualify''
|''did not qualify''
|-
|[[2013 PDL season|2013]]
|3rd, South Atlantic
|''did not qualify''
|''did not qualify''
|-
|[[2014 PDL season|2014]]
|6th, Mid Atlantic
|''did not qualify''
|''did not qualify''
|-
!Year
!Division
!League
!Regular season
!Playoffs
![[U.S. Open Cup]]
|-
!colspan="6"|[[D.C. United U-23]]
|-
|[[2015 PDL season|2015]]
|4
|USL PDL
|5th, Mid Atlantic
|''did not qualify''
|''did not qualify''
|-
!colspan="6"|Evergreen FC
|-
|[[2016 PDL season|2016]]
|rowspan=4|4
|rowspan=3|[[Premier Development League|USL PDL]]
|7th, Mid Atlantic
| ''did not qualify''
| ''did not qualify''
|-
|[[2017 PDL season|2017]]
|7th, Mid Atlantic
| ''did not qualify''
| ''did not qualify''
|-
|[[2018 PDL season|2018]]
|6th, Mid Atlantic
| ''did not qualify''
| ''did not qualify''
|-
|[[2019 USL League Two season|2019]]
|[[USL League Two]]
|8th, Mid Atlantic
| ''did not qualify''
| ''did not qualify''
|-
|[[2020 USL League Two season|2020]]
|colspan=5|''Season cancelled due to [[COVID-19 pandemic]]''
|-
!colspan="6"|Northern Virginia FC
|-
|[[2021 USL League Two season|2021]]
|rowspan=4|4
|rowspan=4|[[USL League Two]]
|3rd, Mid Atlantic
| ''did not qualify''
| ''did not qualify''
|-
|[[2022 USL League Two season|2022]]
|3rd, Chesapeake
| ''did not qualify''
| ''did not qualify''
|-
|[[2023 USL League Two season|2023]]
|2nd, Chesapeake
| ''did not qualify''
| ''did not qualify''
|-
|[[2024 USL League Two season|2024]]
|4th, Chesapeake
| ''did not qualify''
| ''did not qualify''
|}

===Eastern Premier Soccer League===
{| class="wikitable"  style="text-align: center;"
!Year
!Division
!League
!Regular season
!Record (W-D-L)
!Playoffs
![[U.S. Open Cup]]*
|-
|2020–21
|rowspan=3|5
|rowspan=3|[[Eastern Premier Soccer League]]
|2nd, Mid-Atlantic
|6–0–1
|''did not qualify''
|[[2022 U.S. Open Cup|2nd Round]]
|-
|2021–22
|1st, Mid-Atlantic
|12–0–1
|[[Eastern Premier Soccer League#Champions|Champion]]
|[[2023 U.S. Open Cup qualification#Fourth qualifying round|4th Qualifying Round]]
|-
|2022–23
|1st, Mid-Atlantic
|10–0–0
|[[Eastern Premier Soccer League#Champions|Champion]]
|[[2024 U.S. Open Cup qualification#Fourth qualifying round|4th Qualifying Round]]
|}
<nowiki>*</nowiki>Club entered in [[U.S. Open Cup#Qualification|local qualifying round]]

===Major Arena Soccer League 3===
{| class="wikitable"  style="text-align: center;"
!Year
!Division
!League
!Regular season
!Record (W-L-T)
!Playoffs
|-
|2021–22
|rowspan=8|3
|[[Major Arena Soccer League 3]]
|1st, East
|10–0–0
|[[Major Arena Soccer League 3#Champions|Champion]]
|-
|2022–23
|[[Major Arena Soccer League 3]]
|1st, East
|7–2–0
|[[Major Arena Soccer League 3#Champions|Champion]]
|}

===USL W League===
{| class="wikitable"  style="text-align: center;"
!Year
!Division
!League
!Regular season
!Record (W-L-T)
!Playoffs
|-
|[[2022 USL W League season#Mid Atlantic Division|2022]]
|rowspan=8|4
|[[USL W League]]
|5th, Mid Atlantic
|1–7–2
|''did not qualify''
|-
|[[2023 USL W League season#Mid Atlantic Division|2023]]
|[[USL W League]]
|3rd, Mid Atlantic
|6–0–5
|''did not qualify''
|-
|[[2024 USL W League season#Mid Atlantic Division|2024]]
|[[USL W League]]
|6th, Mid Atlantic
|4–8–0
|''did not qualify''
|-
|[[2025 USL W League season#Mid Atlantic Division|2025]]
|[[USL W League]]
|2nd, Mid Atlantic
|7–2–1
|''did not qualify''
|}

==Honors==
===League===
*'''[[Eastern Premier Soccer League]]'''
**'''[[Eastern Premier Soccer League#Champions|Mid-Atlantic Conference Regular Season Champion]]''' (2): 2021–22; 2022–23
**'''[[Eastern Premier Soccer League#Champions|Playoff Champion]]''' (2): 2021–22; 2022–23
*'''[[Major Arena Soccer League 3]]'''
**'''[[Major Arena Soccer League 3#Champions|East Division Regular Season Champion]]''' (2): 2022; 2023
**'''[[Major Arena Soccer League 3#Champions|Playoff Champion]]''' (2): 2022; 2023
*'''[[National Independent Soccer Association]]'''
**[[NISA Nation|'''NISA Nation National Champion''']] (1): 2023

===Cups===
*'''[https://www.mdcvsasoccer.org/ Metropolitan DC-Virginia Soccer Association]'''
**'''[https://www.mdcvsasoccer.org/Default.aspx?tabid=770623 MDCVSA State Cup]''' (2): 2021, 2022
*'''[[National Independent Soccer Association]]'''
**'''[[2022 National Independent Soccer Association season#Mid-Atlantic Region|NISA Independent Cup – Mid-Atlantic Region]]''' (Runner-Up): 2022
*'''[[USASA Region I|US Adult Soccer Association Region I]]'''
**'''[[2022 National Amateur Cup#Region I|National Amateur Cup Region I]]''' (1): 2022
*'''[[United States Adult Soccer Association|US Adult Soccer Association]]'''
**'''[[2022 National Amateur Cup#National Amateur Cup Finals|National Amateur Cup]]''' (Runner-Up): 2022

== Statistics ==
===Career USL 2 Goal Leaders===
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
|-
!Rank
!Player
!Goals
!Career span
|-
|1||align="left"|AJ Sheta||'''13'''||2016-
|-
|2||align="left"|JP Ayolmbong||'''12'''||2022-
|-
|3||align="left"|Vagner Marquis||'''11'''||2022-
|-
|4||align="left"|Tyler Clegg||'''8'''||2018-2022
|-
|5||align="left"|KJ Nadeau||'''7'''||2019-
|-
|6||align="left"|Bernardo Majano||'''6'''||2016-2019
|-
|6||align="left"|Martin Ngoh||'''6'''||2021
|-
|8||align="left"|DJ Charlton||'''5'''||2018-2019
|-
|9||align="left"|Luke Campbell||'''4'''||2021-
|-
|9||align="left"|Connor Coward||'''4'''||2016-2017
|-
|9||align="left"|Jhonny de Souza||'''4'''||2018-
|-
|9||align="left"|John Emmons||'''4'''||2017-2018
|-
|9||align="left"|Lewis Long||'''4'''||2017
|-
|14||align="left"|Samuel Biyo||'''3'''||2018
|-
|14||align="left"|Graydon Hester||'''3'''||2016-2017
|-
|14||align="left"|Iliass Laghjibi||'''3'''||2022-
|-
|14||align="left"|Declan Quill||'''3'''||2023-
|-
|14||align="left"|Alton West||'''3'''||2021-
|-
|}
<nowiki>*</nowiki>Through 2023 USL 2 Season

== Head coaches ==
* {{flagicon|Spain}} [[Silvino Gonzalo]] (1998–2007)
* {{flagicon|USA}} [[John Pascarella]] (2007–2008)
* {{flagicon|USA}} [[Tom Torres]] (2009–2010)
* {{flagicon|ENG}} [[Richie Burke (football manager)|Richie Burke]] (2011–2012)<ref>[http://pdl.uslsoccer.com/home/490380.html Royals Hire Burke as PDL Coach]</ref>
* {{flagicon|USA}} [[Grady Renfrow]] (2013–2014)
* {{flagicon|ENG}} [[Richie Burke (football manager)|Richie Burke]] (2014–2015)
* {{flagicon|ENG}} [[Brian Welsh]] (2014–2015)
* {{flagicon|ENG}} [[Ian Bishop (footballer)|Ian Bishop]] (2016)
* {{flagicon|USA}} [[Grady Renfrow]] (2017)
* {{flagicon|USA}} [[Paul Ngend]] (2018–2019)
* {{flagicon|USA}} [[Grady Renfrow]] (2021–)

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
* [http://www.novafc.org Official website]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110610082455/http://www.uslsoccer.com/teams/2010/22363.html#MAIN Official PDL site]

{{Northern Virginia Royals}}
{{USSoccer}}
{{USL League Two}}
{{Virginia Sports}}
{{Washington, D.C. sports}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Association football clubs established in 1998]]
[[Category:USL League Two teams]]
[[Category:Sports in Northern Virginia]]
[[Category:Leesburg, Virginia]]
[[Category:Soccer clubs in Virginia]]
[[Category:D.C. United]]
[[Category:USL Second Division teams]]
[[Category:1998 establishments in Virginia]]