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Boston Legacy FC

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Boston Legacy)

Boston Legacy FC
A black badge with a green outline, with an image of a white swan at center.
Full nameBoston Legacy Football Club
FoundedSeptember 19, 2023; 3 years ago (September 19, 2023)
StadiumGillette Stadium (2026)
Centreville Bank Stadium (2026-2027)
White Stadium (2028)
Boston, Massachusetts
OwnerBoston Unity Soccer Partners
Head coachFilipa Patão
LeagueNational Women's Soccer League
Websitebostonlegacyfc.com
Current season

Boston Legacy FC is an American professional soccer team based in the Greater Boston area that competes in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). Joining in 2026,[1] its home ground will be at a renovated White Stadium, though the club plays at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, and Centreville Bank Stadium in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, during the team's first two seasons while White Stadium is redeveloped.

History

[edit]

Boston's second professional women's soccer club, the Boston Breakers, were founded in 2009, and competed in Women's Professional Soccer, Women's Premier Soccer League Elite, and the National Women's Soccer League.[2][3] The club folded in 2017 due to a limited fanbase, with reports generally blaming a lack of marketing.[4][5][6] Boston Unity Soccer Partners put forward bids during the 2024 and 2026 rounds of National Women's Soccer League expansion – ultimately winning the latter.[7]

The club originally unveiled their name as BOS Nation FC in October 2024 – an anagram of Bostonian, and a play on boss.[8][9] Their branding was launched with a marketing campaign that sported the tagline, "there are too many balls in this town".[10][8] While its intent was to highlight the patriarchal nature of sports in Boston, it was criticized by the LGBTQ community as transphobic, and by others for focusing on male athletes as opposed to highlighting Boston's existing and preceding women's sports teams.[11][12] Days after its branding launch, the club issued a public apology, and immediately discontinued the campaign.[13][14]

Criticism of the club's branding also led to a rebranding, which was unveiled as Boston Legacy FC in March 2025.[15] The team's redesigned crest was unveiled in June 2025, featuring an eight-feathered swan representing the eight original NWSL teams.[16] The design is also a nod to Romeo and Juliet, two female mute swans that previously resided in the Boston Public Garden.[17] The team will begin in the 2026 season, alongside Denver Summit FC, which will bring the NWSL to a total of 16 teams.[18]

Stadium

[edit]

Boston Legacy FC currently split home matches between Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts (home to the New England Patriots and New England Revolution), and Centreville Bank Stadium in Pawtucket, Rhode Island (home of Rhode Island FC), as an interim measure.[19]

The team plans to play home matches at White Stadium in Franklin Park[7] in Boston, following a multi-year renovation project funded by the team and the city of Boston. That stadium had originally opened in 1949, but had fallen into significant disrepair in recent years, including limited open hours and the entire east side having been condemned and closed off since a fire in the 1990s.

The stadium was announced as the first venue in the country to be the simultaneous home to both a major league sports franchise and the athletic program of a public high school.[20] The stadium is planned to be shared with Boston Public Schools track and soccer.[20] To avoid wear and tear on its playing surface, gridiron football matches would be prohibited on the field until after the professional soccer season, during the MIAA playoffs and Thanksgiving games.[20]

The city initially planned to commit up to $50 million towards the stadium's renovation, and BUSP pledged $30 million.[20] By 2026, estimates for the stadium revitalization had risen to $325 million, with $135 million committed in public funding from the city, and $190 million in private funding from the team.[21]

The Emerald Necklace Conservancy and a group of local residents sued both the city of Boston and the club over the White Stadium plan, but were denied a preliminary injunction for their claims,[22][23] and the suit was dismissed in April 2025.[24] The plaintiffs' appeal was denied by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court in August 2026, clearing the project to proceed as planned, albeit behind schedule.[25]

Temporary stadiums

[edit]

White Stadium renovations were not completed in time for the first season, and in May 2025 the team announced they would play their full first season at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough.[26] Ultimately the 2026 NWSL fixture list scheduled eight Legacy home games at Gillette Stadium and seven at Centreville Bank Stadium, due to scheduling conflicts at Gillette Stadium, particularly the 2026 FIFA Men's World Cup.[27][28]

On August 27, 2026, the club announced that it would play all of its 2027 home matches at Centreville Bank Stadium, and then move into White Stadium for the 2028 season.[29][30]

Organization

[edit]

Boston Legacy FC are owned by Boston Unity Soccer Partners (BUSP), an all-female ownership group led by Jennifer Epstein, Stephanie Connaughton, Ami Danoff, and Anna Palmer.[7] BUSP's investors include Aly Raisman, Elizabeth Banks, and Tracy and Brad Stevens.[8] In July 2025, WNBA All-Star Aliyah Boston joined the ownership group.[31]

On June 25, 2025, the club announced that they had hired Filipa Patão as their inaugural head coach.[32]

Former FC Barcelona Femení recruitment and contract manager Domènec "Domè" Guasch serves as the club's general manager.[33]

The club also hired former Brighton & Hove Albion women's player recruitment manager Edward Gallagher as their first director of player recruitment.[34]

In June 2026, the team broke ground on a 30,000-square-foot training facility in Brockton that was scheduled to open by the end of 2026, with an all-seasons bubble dome to be completed in January 2027.[35][36]

Players and staff

[edit]

Current squad

[edit]
As of July 21, 2026[37]
No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK  USA Casey Murphy
2 DF  USA Lilly Reale
3 DF  BRA Kaká
4 DF  USA Emerson Elgin
5 MF  DEN Josefine Hasbo
6 MF  USA Annie Karich
7 FW  CAN Amanda Allen
8 FW  USA Sammy Smith
9 FW  BRA Amanda Gutierres
10 FW  USA Ella Stevens
11 MF  USA Chloe Ricketts
12 FW  CAN Nichelle Prince
13 FW  UGA Fauzia Najjemba
14 FW  MLI Aissata Traoré
15 MF  USA Aleigh Gambone
16 DF  COL Jorelyn Carabalí
18 GK  USA Laurel Ivory
20 DF  MEX Nicki Hernández
21 MF  VEN Bárbara Olivieri
23 MF  USA Sarah Schupansky
24 MF  BRA Laís Araújo
26 MF  ESP Alba Caño
29 DF  USA Deja Davis
34 DF  USA Laurel Ansbrow
53 DF  CAN Bianca St-Georges
87 GK  JPN Hannah Stambaugh

Out on loan

[edit]
No. Pos. Nation Player
25 MF  USA Sophia Lowenberg (on loan to Brooklyn FC until December 31, 2026)

Coaching staff

[edit]
As of July 3, 2025.[38]
Position Staff
Head coach Filipa Patão
General manager Domènec Guasch
Director of player recruitment Edward Gallagher

Managers

[edit]
As of April 4, 2026
Name Tenure Refs
Portugal Filipa PatãoJune 25, 2025 –

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ↑ "NWSL Announces 2026 Schedule Footprint | News | NWSLsoccer.com". NWSL. July 2, 2025.
  2. ↑ "Breakers History". Boston Breakers Women's Professional Soccer. Archived from the original on April 16, 2015. Retrieved June 8, 2015.
  3. ↑ "2012 WPSL Elite Season Preview". National Soccer Coaches of America Association. Archived from the original on November 17, 2015. Retrieved December 17, 2012.
  4. ↑ "Boston Breakers fold after ownership deal falls through". January 25, 2018. Archived from the original on June 5, 2023. Retrieved July 6, 2018.
  5. ↑ Churchill, Samantha (May 2, 2018). "The Fall of the Boston Breakers". The Wellesley News. Archived from the original on December 5, 2023. Retrieved January 6, 2024.
  6. ↑ Kassouf, Jeff (October 16, 2019). "How an era ended: The mysterious final months of the Boston Breakers". The Equalizer. Archived from the original on September 30, 2023. Retrieved January 6, 2024.
  7. 1 2 3 "Professional Women's Soccer Returns to Boston as National Women's Soccer League Awards Expansion Franchise to Boston Unity Soccer Partners". NWSL. Sidearm Sports. September 19, 2023. Archived from the original on October 7, 2023. Retrieved January 6, 2024.
  8. 1 2 3 Silverman, Michael (October 15, 2024). "Boston's NWSL team has a name: Introducing BOS Nation FC". The Boston Globe. Retrieved October 15, 2024.
  9. ↑ Guilfoil, Kyla (October 15, 2024). "National Women's Soccer League reveals name for new Boston team". NBC News. Retrieved October 16, 2024.
  10. ↑ "Boston NWSL Team Branding Officially Revealed". NWSLSoccer.com. October 15, 2024. Retrieved October 16, 2024.
  11. ↑ Silverman, Michael (October 16, 2024). "Boston's NWSL team, BOS Nation FC, ditches 'Too Many Balls' promotional campaign after backlash". The Boston Globe. Retrieved October 16, 2024.
  12. ↑ "NWSL's BOS Nation to be renamed after backlash". ESPN.com. March 15, 2025. Retrieved April 9, 2025.
  13. ↑ Andrejev, Alex (November 27, 2024). "BOS Nation considering name change after public backlash". The Athletic. Retrieved November 27, 2024.
  14. ↑ Kassouf, Jeff (March 14, 2025). "NWSL's BOS Nation FC to change name after backlash". ESPN. Retrieved March 15, 2025.
  15. ↑ "Boston's new pro women's soccer team gets a new name: Boston Legacy Football Club". WGBH. March 26, 2025. Retrieved March 26, 2025.
  16. ↑ Bird, Hayden (June 7, 2025). "Boston Legacy FC unveils team crest featuring an eight-feathered swan". Boston.com. Retrieved March 30, 2026.
  17. ↑ Linehan, Meg (June 7, 2025). "Boston Legacy FC unveils new team crest: 'It's been a learning process. We had a hiccup'". The New York Times. Retrieved March 30, 2026.
  18. ↑ "Boston's NWSL team reveals new name -- again". ESPN.com. March 26, 2025. Retrieved April 9, 2025.
  19. ↑ NWSL (January 15, 2026). "News | NWSLsoccer.com". NWSL. Retrieved September 14, 2026.
  20. 1 2 3 4 Hohler, Bob (December 12, 2023). "Plan for professional soccer at White Stadium sharply reduces access for Boston high school football". The Boston Globe. The Boston Globe. Archived from the original on December 12, 2023. Retrieved January 6, 2024.
  21. ↑ "Mayor Michelle Wu Shares Progress Updates on White Stadium". Boston.gov. February 6, 2026. Retrieved May 6, 2026.
  22. ↑ "Judge denies request for injunction against White Stadium renovation project". GBH. March 22, 2024. Retrieved April 9, 2025.
  23. ↑ Fleming, Margaret (March 18, 2025). "Boston White Stadium Opponents Dealt Blow As Trial Set to Begin". Front Office Sports. Retrieved April 9, 2025.
  24. ↑ "Court Victory Allows Boston, NWSL To Proceed With White Stadium Renovation". Bisnow. Retrieved April 9, 2025.
  25. ↑ Zuckoff, Eve (August 19, 2026). "Mass. high court allows White Stadium rebuild to continue, sides with city of Boston". WBUR-FM. Retrieved August 24, 2026.
  26. ↑ Bird, Hayden (May 22, 2025). "Boston Legacy FC supporters 'disappointed' team will play at Gillette Stadium in 2026". www.boston.com.
  27. ↑ Healy, Emma (December 19, 2025). "NWSL's Boston Legacy FC will play some 2026 games in Rhode Island due to Gillette Stadium conflicts". The Boston Globe. Retrieved December 19, 2025.
  28. ↑ "Boston Legacy FC, Centreville Bank Stadium Announce 2026 Schedule". Rhode Island FC. Retrieved March 1, 2026.
  29. ↑ Kassouf, Jeff (August 27, 2026). "Stadium woes force Boston Legacy to play 2027 NWSL season in R.I." ESPN. Retrieved September 1, 2026.
  30. ↑ Finn, Chad (August 27, 2026). "NWSL's Boston Legacy FC won't play at White Stadium until 2028". Boston Globe. Retrieved September 1, 2026.
  31. ↑ "Indiana Fever's Aliyah Boston invests in NWSL's Boston Legacy". ESPN. July 14, 2025. Retrieved July 14, 2025.
  32. ↑ "Boston Legacy FC Names Filipa Patão as First Head Coach". Boston Legacy FC. Retrieved December 6, 2025.
  33. ↑ Yang, Steph; Herrero, Laia Cervelló (March 26, 2025). "BOS Nation FC hire former FC Barcelona executive as new general manager". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved April 9, 2025.
  34. ↑ "Edward Gallagher Hired as Director of Recruitment". Boston Legacy FC. Retrieved September 16, 2025.
  35. ↑ Rial, Bradley (July 15, 2025). "Boston Legacy to build $27m performance centre".
  36. ↑ Bustillos, Esteban (June 1, 2026). "Brockton performance center for women's pro soccer team to be completed by end of 2026". WGBH (FM). Retrieved September 1, 2026.
  37. ↑ "Meet Our Athletes". Boston Legacy FC. Retrieved February 13, 2026.
  38. ↑ Abola.pt (May 22, 2025). "Notícia A BOLA Benfica: Filipa Patão de saída | Abola.pt". Abola.pt (in Portuguese). Retrieved May 22, 2025.
[edit]
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