Latest news with #BostonLegacy
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Boston Legacy in advanced talks to hire Benfica's Filipa Patao as their first head coach
Boston Legacy in advanced talks to hire Benfica's Filipa Patao as their first head coach Benfica women head coach Filipa Patao is set to leave the club and is in advanced talks to join the Boston Legacy FC for its debut season in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL), sources tell . Benfica are currently participating in the inaugural World Sevens Football (W7F) tournament, where Patao is expected to oversee her final matches in charge of the team. The DAZN broadcasters mentioned the potential move at the start of Benfica's match against Roma, which ended with Roma winning in penalty kicks. Advertisement Portuguese newspaper A BOLA was first to report the talks. The 36-year-old joined Benfica in 2020, two years after its debut season. Under Patao, the club has won the Campeonato Nacional, the highest level of women's football in Portugal, five times in a row. She also won the Taca de Portugal and the Taca da Liga (twice), the nation's two domestic cup competitions. Patao also led the club to the quarterfinals of the Champions League in the 2023-24 season, becoming the first Portuguese side to reach the last eight of the competition. Benfica lost 2-1 against Paris-Saint Germain and 3-1 against Manchester United in their first two W7F matches. Advertisement The Legacy is in search of its first ever head coach and is set to play its first NWSL season next year alongside a new team in Denver that is yet to be named. It did not respond to a request for comment when contacted by The team was set to play its inaugural campaign at White Stadium in Boston but delays in its redevelopment have meant that they will now play at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass. They will share the stadium with Major League Soccer's New England Revolution. Boston won its expansion bid in 2023 and the team was originally named BOS Nation FC but was renamed after facing criticism. The club received over 500 suggestions during the name change process. The Legacy is set to reveal its crest on June 7. This article originally appeared in The Athletic. NWSL 2025 The Athletic Media Company
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
NWSL expansion team Boston Legacy gets White Stadium court win
NWSL expansion team Boston Legacy gets White Stadium court win A Superior Court Justice on Wednesday ruled that the renovation of White Stadium, the future home of Boston Legacy FC in the NWSL, is not in violation of state law. Judge Matthew Nestor found that the Franklin Park stadium parcel, where the stadium is being revitalized, is not subject to Article 97 of the Massachusetts Constitution, allowing the project to proceed as planned. Advertisement The decision is a major win for Boston Legacy and the City of Boston, which have long championed their vision of bringing professional women's soccer back to the city through a public-private partnership that would renovate the historic stadium, which will remain at 10,000-seat capacity once the work has been completed. The stadium would be shared by the professional team and Boston Public Schools (BPS). A release from the City of Boston last month said the renovation will triple the available hours the BPS can use the stadium to between 750-900 per year. 'With today's ruling, we are pleased to continue the revitalization of White Stadium alongside the city of Boston,' Jennifer Epstein, Boston Legacy FC's controlling manager, said in a statement. 'Boston Public Schools students and the communities around Franklin Park have long deserved the type of generational investment this project delivers.' Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, a staunch supporter of the project, called the decision a 'historic victory' in a separate statement. Advertisement 'A renovated White Stadium will be open and used by BPS students, coaches, and community 15 hours per day, more than 345 days per year,' Wu said in the statement. 'We thank the Superior Court for twice affirming this vital project for our students and community as a year-round facility that will inspire the next generation of Boston students.' The team is slated to begin play in 2026 alongside another expansion club in Denver. Construction is expected to finish next winter, in time for the start of the 2026 NWSL season. The end of this legal challenge removes a major hurdle for Boston Legacy, which has had a turbulent journey since Boston Unity Soccer Partners LLC, the investors group behind the club, was awarded NWSL expansion rights in September 2023 The White Stadium lawsuit, filed five months later, hoped to halt the project altogether. Advertisement The plaintiffs — the Emerald Necklace Conservancy and several residents who live near Franklin Park — argued the project would equate to the privatization of public land that was legally mandated to remain public. The plaintiffs, in their challenge against White Stadium, were met with various setbacks along the way. They failed to convince the Suffolk Superior Court judge to provide an injunction last March and then were denied their request for a trial delay. One day before the trial, a ruling by Nestor essentially threw out half of the plaintiffs' case, signaling that his decision may eventually sway in the defendant's favor. The judge in that pre-trial hearing ruled that the conservancy had no standing to bring a case against the defendants on the matter of whether the George Robert White Trust, which owns the stadium and the parcel of land where it sits, could make a deal with the city. The conservancy's president, Karen Mauney-Brodek, said in a statement on Wednesday that their group was 'deeply disappointed' by Nestor's decision and that they 'plan to assess our legal options.' Advertisement 'Our advocacy for Franklin Park and the community is about supporting our kids and the park with a truly public stadium. The communities around the park should be central to decision-making for our parks, not asked their opinion after decisions are already made,' Mauney-Brodek said in the statement. 'We are proud to stand with community leaders who are not being heard. It's our organization's mission to work with all to protect and support Franklin Park and the rest of the Emerald Necklace for today and the future.' The cost of the stadium project is expected to exceed $200 million, with the NWSL club responsible for more than half of those costs. The debate over the future of White Stadium has become a hotly debated subject in the city's current mayoral race, which inadvertently brings with it a version of soccer politics. Boston's current mayor, Michelle Wu, has been a staunch supporter of the White Stadium project, as well as the NWSL team behind it. The incumbent is facing a unique challenge by Josh Kraft, who has been an outspoken critic of the stadium. Kraft – son of New England Patriots and New England Revolution owner Robert Kraft – also has ties to his family's push to build their own soccer-specific stadium for the Revolution in Everett, which would require an agreement with the city. This article originally appeared in The Athletic. NWSL, Sports Business 2025 The Athletic Media Company
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
NWSL expansion team rebrands as the Boston Legacy after shedding previous name
After having to apologize for its first team name reveal, the expansion National Women's Soccer League team in Boston has a new moniker: Boston Legacy FC. The name unveiled Wednesday replaces BOS Nation, which was announced last October with a widely criticized marketing campaign, 'Too Many Balls,' which some considered offensive. A day later, the team apologized, saying it 'missed the mark' with an attempt to 'create a bold and buzzworthy brand launch campaign.' The NWSL team, which begins play next year, announced earlier this month that it was shedding BOS Nation. The decision to rebrand was made after conversations with fans and stakeholders, as well as surveys and other analysis, the team said. 'Our name is just the beginning,' team controlling owner Jennifer Epstein said in a statement. 'It's what we build together, through dedication, commitment, and grit that will give it life. We aim for our values to reflect a city that breathes competition, passion, and pride, and to pay tribute to those who paved the way before us, including the gamechangers who helped build previous women's professional teams in Boston." The team said fan feedback and independent brand advisers connected to women's sports were instrumental in selecting the new name. Among those advising the club was former U.S. women's national team star and Women's World Cup winner Kristine Lilly. 'I look forward to watching the Boston Legacy build a club for a new generation while honoring those who helped build the game," Lilly said. 'It is an exciting time for women's soccer and I look forward to cheering on the Boston Legacy.' The team plans to announce a crest and additional branding in coming months. Boston and an expansion team in Denver will bring the NWSL to 16 teams when they begin play next year. ___ AP soccer:
Associated Press
26-03-2025
- Sport
- Associated Press
NWSL expansion team rebrands as the Boston Legacy after shedding previous name
After having to apologize for its first team name reveal, the expansion National Women's Soccer League team in Boston has a new moniker: Boston Legacy FC. The name unveiled Wednesday replaces BOS Nation, which was announced last October with a widely criticized marketing campaign, 'Too Many Balls,' which some considered offensive. A day later, the team apologized, saying it 'missed the mark' with an attempt to 'create a bold and buzzworthy brand launch campaign.' The NWSL team, which begins play next year, announced earlier this month that it was shedding BOS Nation. The decision to rebrand was made after conversations with fans and stakeholders, as well as surveys and other analysis, the team said. 'Our name is just the beginning,' team controlling owner Jennifer Epstein said in a statement. 'It's what we build together, through dedication, commitment, and grit that will give it life. We aim for our values to reflect a city that breathes competition, passion, and pride, and to pay tribute to those who paved the way before us, including the gamechangers who helped build previous women's professional teams in Boston.' The team said fan feedback and independent brand advisers connected to women's sports were instrumental in selecting the new name. Among those advising the club was former U.S. women's national team star and Women's World Cup winner Kristine Lilly. 'I look forward to watching the Boston Legacy build a club for a new generation while honoring those who helped build the game,' Lilly said. 'It is an exciting time for women's soccer and I look forward to cheering on the Boston Legacy.' The team plans to announce a crest and additional branding in coming months. Boston and an expansion team in Denver will bring the NWSL to 16 teams when they begin play next year. ___
