Soccer in the New York metropolitan area
The sport of soccer has a long history in New York City, beginning in the 1910s with the first iteration of the American Soccer League. In the 1970s, with the rise of the first iteration of the North American Soccer League, the New York Cosmos became one of the most recognizable brands in American soccer.
Presently, there are five professional soccer clubs in the New York City region. New York City FC and the New York Red Bulls play in the top division, Major League Soccer. New York Red Bulls II, the reserve team for the Red Bulls, compete in the USL Championship, and New Amsterdam FC play in the National Independent Soccer Association, the second and third tier respectively. NJ/NY Gotham FC, a women's team, competes in the National Women's Soccer League. New York City FC plays in the Bronx, New Amsterdam plays in Hempstead, and the other three teams play in northern New Jersey. A second USL Championship club, Queensboro FC, will begin play in 2022.[1]
The region has also hosted 27 U.S. Open Cup finals at various venues including Starlight Park, Triborough Stadium, Dexter Park, the Metropolitan Oval, the Polo Grounds and Ebbets Field. Despite this, a New York City-based club has not won the Open Cup since the 1991 final, where the Brooklyn Italians defeated the Richardson Rockets. The last time a local club reached the final was 2003, where the New York Red Bulls, then known as MetroStars' lost to Chicago Fire.
Today, major stadiums that host soccer matches include Red Bull Arena, Yankee Stadium and MetLife Stadium, which is considered a strong candidate to host the 2026 World Cup Final.[2]
Professional clubs
| Club | Stadium | Capacity | Founded | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Major League Soccer (1) | ||||
| New York Red Bulls | Red Bull Arena | 25,189 | 1995 | New York's first MLS franchise. Play in New Jersey. Won the Supporters' Shield in 2013, 2015, and 2018. |
| New York City FC | Yankee Stadium | 33,444 | 2013 | Founded by City Football Group and the New York Yankees in 2013. First match played in 2015. Winner of 2021 MLS Cup |
| National Women's Soccer League (1) | ||||
| NJ/NY Gotham FC | Red Bull Arena | 25,189 | 2007 | |
| USL Championship (2) | ||||
| New York Red Bulls II | MSU Soccer Park | 5,000 | 2015 | New York Red Bulls reserve team. Winner of 2016 USL Cup. |
| Queensboro FC | Planned stadium at York College[3] | 7,500 | 2019 | Will begin play in 2022. |
| National Independent Soccer Association (3) | ||||
| New York Cosmos | Mitchel Athletic Complex | 5,000 | 2010 | Former member of NASL from 2013-2017. Winner of 2013, 2015, 2016 NASL Soccer Bowl. On hiatus since January 2021. |
| New Amsterdam FC | Hudson Sports Complex, Warwick, New York | 7,000 | 2020 | Joined NISA in 2020 for Fall Season. |
Amateur clubs
Most successful clubs overall
Teams in italics are no longer active.
| Team | D1 Regular Season | U.S. Open Cup | D1 Playoffs |
Domestic Total | CONCACAF Champions League | North American SuperLiga |
Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brookhattan | 1 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| Brooklyn Celtic | 7 | 3 | 5 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 15 |
| Brooklyn Field Club | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Brooklyn Hispano | 3 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| Brooklyn Italians | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Eintracht | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Elizabeth S.C. | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| New York AO Krete | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| New York Americans | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| New York City FC | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| New York Cosmos (original club) | 7 | 0 | 5 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 12 |
| New York Cosmos (modern club)[5] | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| New York Greek American | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| New York Hakoah | 3 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| New York Hungaria | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| New York Nationals | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| New York Pancyprian-Freedoms | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| New York Red Bulls | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Paterson | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Robins Dry Dock | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
New York derbies
There are 3 professional New York derbies:
- New York Red Bulls vs New York City FC ("Hudson River Derby"):
New York Red Bulls and New York City FC met for the first time in 2015 at the first inaugural New York derby in MLS[6]
New York Red Bulls and New York Cosmos met for the first time in 2014 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup
- New York City FC vs New York Cosmos ("East River Derby")
New York City FC and New York Cosmos met for the first time in 2015 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup
See also
- Soccer in the United States
- Soccer in Houston
- Soccer in Los Angeles
- History of professional soccer in Seattle
References
- ^ Rahman, Fatima (20 August 2021). "Queensboro FC: the team aiming to represent an area with 130 languages". theguardian.com. Guardian News & Media Limited. Retrieved 20 September 2021.
- ^ Lewis, Michael (6 July 2020). "MUM'S THE WORD: FIFA won't comment on that venue bid, but what would the World Cup be without New York/New Jersey?". frontrowsoccer.com. Front Row Soccer. Retrieved 15 September 2021.
- ^ Dorgan, Michael (27 April 2021). "Queensboro FC To Build New Home Stadium at York College in Jamaica". sunnysidepost.com. Queens Post. Retrieved 20 September 2021.
- ^ "All-Time Results". Columbia University Athletics. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
- ^ On hiatus since January 2021
- ^ "Red Bulls take care of NYCFC in raucous inaugural New York derby". Sports Illustrated. 11 May 2015.
External links
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