For Liyuan Woo, the opening of TOCA Football Inc.’s first U.S. TOCA Social venue in Dallas earlier this month was more than just the grand opening of a new location.
It was the result of behind-the-scenes work paying off just before the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Woo serves as the chief financial officer of the Costa Mesa-based soccer experience company, the largest operator of tech-enabled indoor soccer training centers in North America.
The new TOCA Social in Dallas is a 20,000-square-foot immersive soccer-themed entertainment and dining venue, similar to Top Golf but for soccer.
With two locations in London and one in Birmingham, it’s expected to be the next step for the brand in the U.S., Woo told the Business Journal.
“We’re continuing our growth trajectory,” she said. “We’ve had success overseas. Dallas is our first step here, and it’s a big one.”
The Business Journal caught up with Woo, who won the CFO of the Year Award in the private company category last year.
Steady Growth
Woo stepped into TOCA in 2023 at a complicated time.
The company had grown quickly by acquiring indoor soccer facilities across the country, building a network of about 40 training centers. In 2023 alone, the company acquired 22 locations, Woo said.
But that growth brought challenges, she said, like different systems, inconsistent operations and pressure on profitability. When she came on board, Woo focused on tightening the business and improving efficiency rather than expanding further.
She is credited with restructuring the company’s operations, synergizing the global overhead and helping secure a $100 million Series F funding round and a $20 million refinancing deal with JPMorgan Chase.
“We needed to digest the growth,” she said. “So, the focus was improving the fundamentals and making sure the model really works.”
A big part of this has been refining TOCA’s membership-based training program, which can range from $250 to $300 a month.
Inside the facilities, players use machines that deliver soccer balls at different speeds and angles to help build skills through repetition. She said it’s like tennis players using machine ball launchers to practice their stroke.
In a single one-hour session, soccer players can kick the ball 300-400 times in ideal conditions, far more than in a typical outdoor team practice.
TOCA’s system can personalize and track performance, speed, accuracy and foot position, and give players measurable progress over time.
Woo said the approach has helped the company maintain steady growth of about 20% to 30%.
The Next Phase
Woo said TOCA’s goal is to reach beyond young children and serious athletes.
The TOCA Social concept aims to attract a wider audience: families, casual players and even corporate groups looking for a new kind of night out.
The timing is in the company’s favor.
Soccer’s popularity in the U.S. continues to rise, with the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles expected to bring even more attention to the sport.
The company, which has a partnership with Major League Soccer, has two more TOCA Social openings soon — one in Monterrey, Mexico and another in Paris, France.
Woo said the company is also investing heavily in technology to support its next phase.
“What’s really exciting is we have an AI-first mindset, and we want to move very quickly because speed does matter,” she said. “We’re building a scalable platform. It’s about using technology and AI to simplify the business and create a better experience.”
She said the goal is to be creative “with AI and other innovative technology to streamline and provide the best consumer experience.”
“I think that’s where we’re putting a lot of energy in the next year,” she said.
