Courtesy of Jason Price

A semi-professional soccer team is set to kick off play in New Haven this May, following a six-year dearth of any sort of professional sports team in the Elm City.

New Haven United Football Club was officially established last month by Jason Price, a local entrepreneur who owns the arts incubator NXTHVN, as an expansion club in the National Premier Soccer League. Although not considered a professional team because the players won’t be paid, the team will compete in the fourth highest tier in American competitive soccer — a minor league, in other words.

“I purchased it for the love of the game, the love of the athlete and the love of the changing regional soccer ecosystem, but bringing it to a community that I’m involved with,” Price told the News. “I do believe that sport has a way to bring community together [as] something that a lot of communities enjoy rallying around … and since soccer is such a multicultural sport, it brings out a diverse group of New Haven citizens.”

New Haven United will compete in the NPSL’s North Atlantic Conference against at least four other clubs, with the possibility of advancing to a playoff series and even the U.S. Open Cup — a tournament consisting of American teams from four professional leagues and four amateur leagues. The regular season will run from May to July.

According to Price, the roster is made up of aspiring “pre-pro” players from NCAA Division I programs, including a few players from the Yale, Sacred Heart and UConn men’s teams, international players and older players who may have reached the end of their professional careers but can still play at a relatively high level. The NPSL, he said, is “a great pathway” to professional soccer in the United States or abroad.

Conrad Lee ’26, a goalkeeper on Yale’s men’s team, recently signed with the inaugural squad. 

He emphasized how important it is for Division I players like himself to play at a high level over the summer to ensure that they’re prepared for the NCAA’s fall soccer season, though they cannot be paid in a professional capacity in order to maintain NCAA eligibility. During his college summers, Lee has also played for Hartford City FC — another NPSL team — and Ballard FC — a semi-pro USL League Two team based in Seattle.

“I was looking for a place where I can get more minutes and get to play with my [Yale] teammates, as well, because there hasn’t been any kind of amateur setup in New Haven,” Lee said. “I’m lucky enough that they’ve signed me on to their roster for this inaugural season, and I’m super excited.”

Although New Haven hasn’t had a high-level soccer team — or any professional sports team for that matter — in six years, United has an impressive legacy to follow. Elm City Express soccer team won the 2017 NPSL championship in its inaugural season and advanced to the third round of the 2018 U.S. Open Cup. The Express took a hiatus for the 2019 season and was never reestablished.

Considering the legacy of amateur soccer in New Haven and the caliber of the incoming squad, Lee is hoping United will be able to make a run for a championship. 

“Any opportunity that I can get as a player to go and compete for something that means something, not just to the team, but for a place in the community is fantastic,” Lee told the News.

“It’s been very clear from the get-go that this club is going to try to establish that sense of community around the group, and that is awesome to play for when you are a player. When you’re playing for something bigger than yourself, that’s what makes it so much more rewarding.”

Mayor Justin Elicker is looking forward to the club’s first season and its potential impact on the city, and local players, fans and families should be, too, he wrote to the News.

“The arrival of New Haven United is a wonderful opportunity to support and grow the sport of soccer in the Elm City and across the region,” he wrote. “Jason Price has been a strong collaborator with and champion for the city, and we’re confident he’ll build an outstanding soccer program with New Haven United.” 

New Haven United will play its home games in Yale’s Reese Stadium — home to the Bulldogs’ men’s and women’s soccer and lacrosse teams.