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 - If you’re a die-hard soccer fan, you know the New York/New Jersey MetroStars have been around since 1996. But do you know where their nickname came from? The origins of their name are pretty interesting!
The MetroStars were founded in 1995 as part of Major League Soccer’s inaugural season. At the time, they were owned by AEG (Anschutz Entertainment Group) and had no official name or logo. It wasn’t until late 1995 when they announced that the team would be named after two states: New York and New Jersey – hence “MetroStars.”
This was done to represent both sides of the Hudson River; one side represented Manhattan while the other represented Newark, NJ—both cities having long histories with professional soccer teams before MLS's formation in 1993.
In addition to referencing both states, “Metrostars" also pays homage to another iconic symbol: public transportation systems like subways and trains connecting people across vast distances throughout urban areas—something many residents rely on daily for work or leisure activities! This is why it made perfect sense for them to use this as an inspiration for their nickname, connecting all those who live within these two great states together through sportsmanship & passion towards a shared goal - winning championships!
So there it is – now, whenever someone asks where your favorite team got its name from? You can tell them how much thought went into choosing such an appropriate title back in 1995…and how we still see its influence everywhere we look — whether at home games or on social media platforms like Twitter & Instagram — #GoMetrostars forever!!
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
- 1996
- 1996
- 1997
-
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. -
Eddie Firmani – First Coach of New York MetroStars
He was a former forward who played for Charlton Athletic, Sampdoria, Inter Milan and Genoa in England and Italy. He scored over 200 goals in his club career and won two caps and scored two goals for Italy. He coached the MetroStars for their first eight games in 1996, but he was replaced by Carlos Queiroz after a poor start. ... -
The club reached the semi-finals of the U.S. Open Cup
In 1997: The club signs Antony de Ávila and Mike Sorber as their new additions. Savarese scores 14 goals again. Queiroz leaves the club and is replaced by Carlos Alberto Parreira as head coach. The club finishes fifth in the Eastern Conference and ninth overall in the league. They fail to qualify for the playoffs, but they reach the semi-finals ...
To qualify as the greatest player for this team, the player must have played one season for this team. If not, we will remove the player.
* verifies that player has played for this team as an added player by a fan.
History of the MetroStars
The New York/New Jersey MetroStars have a long and storied history in Major League Soccer. Founded in 1994, the team was one of the original ten franchises that made up MLS’ inaugural season. Since then, they have consistently been in American soccer circles and are now known as the New York Red Bulls.
In their early years, the MetroStars struggled to succeed on or off the field; however, things changed when former USMNT star Tab Ramos took over as head coach for two seasons from 1999–2001. Under Ramos’ leadership, the team improved dramatically with several winning seasons culminating with an appearance at MLS Cup 2000, where they were unfortunately beaten by Chicago Fire 2–0 after extra time.
Despite this setback, it marked a significant milestone for both the club and league—it was only the first final ever held by MLS! The following year saw them make another playoff run but ultimately lose out to San Jose Earthquakes 4–2 on the aggregate scoreline, which ended their 2001 campaign prematurely yet again despite some promising performances throughout regular season play earlier that year.
Afterward, there were more ups than downs, including back-to-back Supporters Shield titles won consecutively during the 2013 & 2014 campaigns, plus four consecutive trips to Eastern Conference Finals between 2011 -2014 before finally capturing elusive hardware when claiming the 2018 Supporter's Shield title! This proved a critical, momentous event not just because it meant much-deserved silverware had come way NYC outfit but also signified how far the organization has come since its formative years under Tab Ramos' tutelage all those many moons ago.
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Retired Number
*Blue is this team’s history