Connecticut soccer fans will soon have a new team to cheer for.
“I mean, this is great for the area,” Miguel Martinez-Saenz, of Fairfield, said.
The former Shoreline Star Greyhound Park on Kossuth Street will undergo construction to become a new waterfront soccer stadium.
On Tuesday, Connecticut Sports Group announced Connecticut United Football Club as the newest MLS NEXT Pro expansion team.
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“The reason why we named it CT United is because we think if Connecticut unites, it can compete with any market in the country,” CTSG Founder André Swanston said.
Soccer is one of the fastest growing sports in Connecticut, both in participation and fan base, according to MLS NEXT Pro.
“Whenever the national team or there is big games going on, whether it is an MLS or another league, Connecticut is always high on the viewership ratings,” MLS NEXT Pro President Charles Altchek said.
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The goal is to have the new stadium and team ready by 2025. Swanston said a scouting group is searching for the best candidates in the world to lead the front office and to play on the field.
“We have been scouting players not only locally in Connecticut and across the country, but we also have in west Africa, eastern Europe, Central America, the Caribbean,” Swanston said.
The development is expected to generate $4.5 billion over the course of 25 years, and create over 2,000 construction jobs and 1,000 permanent jobs.
“I think Bridgeport deserves it so I am hopeful,” Martinez-Saenz said.
Martinez-Saenz oversees student life and athletics at Sacred Heart University. He is looking forward to the impact the team will have in the community and among young players.
“I mean, this is incredible to get an elite professional team like this, with the stadium that is coming along with it. I mean, it’s just going to uplift the community, and again one of the things I saw very valuable is the commitment to do youth development,” Martinez-Saenz said.
Meanwhile, Swanston is making history by becoming the first Black team owner in the league.
“Whether he was diverse or not, Andrea is a great leader who was a great potential owner in our league, but access and representation is one of our pillars and so this league is the league of opportunity,” Altchek said.
“It is exciting, it is humbling,” Swanston said.
