Hartford Athletic, a United Soccer League expansion team set to begin play in 2019, confirmed to The Courant that it’s working closely with the New England Revolution to build a direct affiliation between the two franchises.
There are 19 USL teams already affiliated with Major League Soccer clubs. Hartford Athletic would essentially function as a minor league team for the Revolution. MLS teams can loan out players to their USL affiliates as well as other USL teams, too.
MLS clubs can have up to three “priority players” from their USL affiliates. The priority designation allows the MLS team to hang on to those players and call them up to the main team when they are ready or needed.
Representatives from both sides met Wednesday night to further discuss the deal. According to Bruce Mandell, the chairman and CEO of Hartford Sports Group, the two clubs have a good relationship and are moving towards an agreement.
Plans for the pro soccer team were announced earlier this week. The USL is considered a Division II league, essentially a step below the MLS. The league will include 33 teams after expansion takes place this year, and teams play a 30-game schedule beginning in March with playoffs extending into November.
The Hartford-New England affiliation cannot be finalized until Hartford Athletic hires a head coach and a director of soccer. Mandell added that the team is actively interviewing coaches, and hopes to narrow the search down to five to 10 candidates by next week.
The Revolution are one of the few MLS teams without a direct USL affiliate.
The two leagues announced a partnership in 2013. Existing affiliations include the Chicago Fire and the Tulsa Roughnecks FC, FC Dallas and Oklahoma City Energy FC, and the Montreal Impact and the Ottawa Fury FC.
Additionally, there are nine USL teams directly owned by MLS clubs. MLS teams that own USL teams tend to keep similar names and branding, as seen with the Atlanta United FC and the Atlanta United 2, and the LA Galaxy and the LA Galaxy II.
Hartford Athletic is going to open play at Dillon Stadium in April of 2019. Tryouts will be held in October, and the team will field a mix of national and international players.
Source: The Hartford Courant