Footy in New England is thriving!

Despite 98.5 "The Sports Hub's" coverage, or should I say, lack thereof, the beautiful game is alive and well in New England.

With 7 pro teams in the region, New England has become a hotbed for the game. Adding to the pro teams, we also have some of the best amateur teams in the nation. From recent USL 2 champions Seacoast United and Vermont Green FC, to 2024 NCAA champs Vermont Catamounts, you cannot deny that our corner of the United States is and will continue to thrive.

Let's break down the teams......One of the new teams on the block is Boston Legacy FC. The 1st year NWSL side has sold over 20k seats for it's inaugural match on March 14th. The Swans will be playing games at Gillette Stadium and Centerville Bank Stadium in 2026 while waiting for White Stadium to be fully renovated.

The 2nd newcomer to New England is Connecticut United FC. The MLS Next Pro side will be playing games in and around Bridgeport, Connecticut. United opened up their MLS Next Pro campaign with a convincing 3-1 win over FC Cincinnati 2 last weekend.

The other MLS Next Pro side are the New England Revolution 2. The baby Revs are embarking on their 5th season in MLS Next Pro. The Revitos have hosted games at Gillette Stadium, Southern New Hampshire University, and this year they will be playing at Bryant University.

Crossing over leagues to the USL Championship, which is considered 2nd division in the United States, you have Rhode Island FC, and Hartford Athletic. RIFC is beginning their 3rd season in the league and opened up their brand new spot last year. Centerville Bank Stadium is a wonderful place to watch a game of Footy. With a capacity of just over 10k, the Pawtucket based club averaged over 8k fans a game last year. In it's inaugural season RIFC played at Bryant University and frequently sold out their matches. Adding to this RIFC made it all the way to the USL Championship game in 2024.

Head down Route 6 a bit and you will run into RIFC's USL Championship rival Hartford Athletic. Beginning play in 2019 Hartford saw their most successful season in the USL Championship last year. Hartford hoisted the USL Cup (Jagermeister Cup) trophy. Hartford defeated Sacramento 1-0 last year in the USL Cup final. Hartford averages nearly 5k fans every match.

That takes us to New England's sweetheart club, Portland Hearts of Pine. Last year was Portland's 1st season, as they compete in USL League 1. USL League 1 is considered 3rd division in the US Soccer pyramid. The Hearts are a must see, with every game being a sellout. Portland plays at historic Fitzpatrick Stadium right off of 295 in downtown Portland. In it's 1st season Portland achieved playoff status and hosted a whopping 6k plus at every match. Portland has hit right on everything, from its kits, to marketing, making the HOP a nearly impossible ticket to get.

Despite the New England Revolution never winning and MLS Cup the Revs are near the top in MLS attendance every year, averaging around 25k for its matches. The Revs took a massive step forward this year with the announcement of a brand new Soccer specific stadium in Everett. Though the stadium is a few years out, the anticipation is monumental.

This leads me to my main point. Despite the lack of coverage on your radio stations, ⚽ is alive and well in New England. Despite my criticism of the Flagship station (98.5), NESN does a nice job broadcasting Portland Hearts of Pine games and RIFC games as well, kudos to them.

While radio stations 98.5 and 93.7 pretty much refuse to talk about ⚽, other than the patty cake session between Zo & Bertrand and whomever the Revs coach is at the time. While 98.5 broadcasts Revs games (unless they conflict with the Bruins or Pats) they put minimal effort post game. If they decided to take calls and really break down the games I believe interest would be high, but they don't. They don't have any ⚽ peeps as personalities and don't seem interested in getting any.

In conclusion let me say.....Don't believe the hype...... ⚽ Is thriving in New England, more than it ever has before, and the old guard is SCARED.........

Photos courtesy of the NWSL and MLS Next Pro