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New York/New Jersey MetroStars Team Formation
The club was established in October 1994 and began to play in the league’s inaugural season in 1996 as the New York/New Jersey MetroStars. In 2006, the team was sold to Red Bull GmbH and re-branded as part of the company’s global network of football clubs, leading to the team’s current name.
When the league began play in 1996, it was expected that the MetroStars would quickly become the league’s dominant team. This expectation never materialized. Despite famous players and high-profile coach, the team never seemed to click together. The team’s first home game against the New England Revolution proved to be a harbinger of things to come. Former Juventus defender Nicola Caricola inadvertently flipped a cross into his own net in the dying minutes to hand New England a 1–0 win in front of 46,000 fans.
Established
1994
City
New York
League History
1996 – Present / Major League Soccer
Team History
2006 – Present / New York Red Bulls
1998 – 2005 / MetroStars
1996 – 1997 / New York/New Jersey MetroStars
Nickname
MetroStars – The club’s original name was Empire Soccer Club, which gave birth to the name of the team’s largest supporters’ group, Empire Supporters Club.[citation needed] The team’s original owners were John Kluge and Stuart Subotnick. The name MetroStars was chosen in reference to Metromedia, the media company founded by Kluge, after Nike’s original suggestion “MetroFlash” was rejected. The owners also considered but rejected buying the rights to the name “Cosmos.”
Championship
MLS Cups 0
Stadium
2010 – Present / Red Bull Arena
1996 – 2009 / Giants Stadium
Owner
2006 – Present / Red Bull GmbH
2001 – 2006 / Anschutz Entertainment Group
1995 – 2001 / John Kluge and Stuart Subotnick
Retired Number
*Blue is this team’s history