By Olivia Hillestad
With the train running behind the stands and the sun setting over the Manhattan skyline, the atmosphere at Rocco B. Commisso Soccer Stadium in New York City was electric.
Fans draped in Brooklyn Football Club merchandise filed the stands, buzzing with excitement for a piece of history. As the final whistle blew and Brooklyn FC walked off with a 2-0 victory, the crowd erupted, marking the beginning of something special in New York sports.
Brooklyn FC kicked off the inaugural season of the United Soccer League Super League with a win over Dallas Trinity FC on Sept. 25. The victory marked a promising start for the club while at its temporary home, as the squad aims to establish itself in the new league.
As one of the eight inaugural teams in the USL Super League, a Division One professional women’s soccer league, Brooklyn FC is dedicated to growing women’s soccer and enriching the local community. According to the club’s website, its mission is rooted in creating opportunities for female athletes and fostering New York pride.
“We watch Gotham [FC] and the [the New York] Liberty all the time, so we were really excited to hear about the new team,” said New York resident Emma Patel, who attended the game with her husband, Jason Patel. “We had a great time.”
The launch of Brooklyn FC and the USL Super League came during a time of tremendous growth in women’s sports. A recent report by Rain the Growth Agency noted that the consumption of female-dominated sports teams surged by 50% over the last 12 months, outpacing male-dominated teams, which saw a 39% increase. The study also found that over half of women’s sports fans only started watching within the past three years, underscoring the rapid rise in interest.
Search has increased greatly in the last five years, with spikes during the Olympics and the 2019
and 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup. Source: Google Trends. // Graphic by Olivia Hillestad/Long Island Advocate
Despite the growth, female sports viewership still faces challenges; as Rain the Growth Agency reported, 64% of respondents believe men have more opportunities in professional sports. An equal percentage said they think there is not enough media coverage of women’s sports. More than 50% also said they believe brands are not investing enough in women’s leagues.
The introduction of the USL Super League represents a step toward closing these gaps, providing an opportunity for fans to support and engage with women’s sports in New York, where teams like Gotham FC and the New York Liberty already have strong presences.
leagues, according to the Sports Viewership Report 2023 and Huff Sports. Source: Sports Viewership Report 2023/Huff Sports. // Graphic by Olivia Hillestad/Long Island Advocate
Brooklyn FC has had early success in games and is now 2-0-1 on the season. They opened play with a tie to Spokane Zephyr and followed with a win over the Tampa Bay Sun FC before the team’s home opener. The squad’s official debut was led by newly appointed head coach Jessica Silva, who signed a two-year contract just days before the match.
Silva coached and played in Canada and France, attending McGill University and acting as an assistant coach for Canada’s U20, U17 and U15 teams. Despite joining Brooklyn FC only recently, Silva expressed confidence in her squad.
“I’ve been with them the whole time, at least with my heart anyways,” Silva said. “But they’ve been doing great, and we have a lot of leadership on the team and this is a special group.”
The team’s roster features 23 players, many of whom are local to New York. Standout athletes include Caroline Nuttall, a Hofstra University and Long Island University alum, Sydney Moore, from St. John’s University, and Bronx native Samantha Rosette, who played for Villanova University.
Brooklyn FC’s ties to the city run deep, even extending to the club’s crest, which features old English typography as a nod to Brooklyn’s former name, Kings County. The crest incorporates an image of the Brooklyn Bride at its centers, as stated on Brooklyn FC’s website.
The club was initially set to play its home games at Maimonides Park in Coney Island, home of the Brooklyn Cyclones, a High-A affiliate of the New York Mets. However, due to issues with the field’s surface, home games were moved to the field on Columbia University’s Baker Athletics Complex for the rest of 2024.
“This is great for us,” midfielder Mackenzie Pluck said. “We’ve been training here in this environment. It’s very New York of us, and we’re very excited to be here. The girls have been working their butts off, and I’m so proud of this group for coming together.”
merchandise. // Photo by Olivia Hillestad/Long Island Advocate
Tickets for Brooklyn FC games are $25, with free admission for Columbia students.
“One of my friends told me about the game today, and I figured I might as well go since it’s at [Columbia’s] stadium,” said Lila Thompson, a Columbia senior. “It was really cool.”
Brooklyn FC’s upcoming home games at Rocco B. Commisso Soccer Stadium include matches against Carolina on Oct. 15, Tampa Bay on Oct. 23, Fort Lauderdale on Oct. 27 and Spokane on Oct. 31.
For more information on the USL Super League and Brooklyn FC, including game times, tickets and news, visit uslsuperleague.com and brooklynfootballclub.com.
