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Tiny Burlington, Vt., is now home to two soccer national champions in one year. And it likely wouldn’t have been possible without so much community support. Both the University of Vermont men’s soccer team and Vermont Green, Burlington’s USL League Two club, are national champs. Thousands of people showed up for their postseason games. And their successes likely benefited from broad community and even statewide support as well as public-private partnerships.

Here in Albany, we currently have our own USL club owned and operated by a private entity at their private facility. However, in order for Albany to achieve what Burlington managed, we need to build a broad coalition of community stakeholders who are committed to the greater community at large.

And while our region’s premier local soccer center and its owner have been instrumental in building the sport of soccer in our area, it’s time to build upon that success with an actual stadium, a place that can galvanize the community in the heart of our capital city. Plans are out there. People are on board.

Let’s build community in the heart of Albany. Soccer has the ability to transform us in ways we have yet to imagine. And if we can’t build a stadium downtown, we already have a great venue at the University at Albany, and this location should also be on the table.

The writer was a soccer official for 25 years.

Published Sept. 8, 2025

I do not believe a soccer stadium in the city of Albany is something that should be considered until other priorities are addressed. Specifically, the city needs to build a new bus station/transportation center in downtown Albany.

I remember coming home from college 40 years ago into the bus station and it was deteriorating then. Now, it is just a disgrace.

The current administration has done nothing of import to address downtown Albany with the vacant buildings, increase in crime, and the exodus of businesses from downtown Albany. I never knew that I would ever see in my lifetime Jonathan’s Pizza or Jack's Oyster House not being open.

Albany is the capital city and should be the pearl in........

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