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Diegnan Calls on Red Bulls to Show Some Garden State Pride as New York Acquires its Own Soccer Team

Assemblyman Says New Jersey-Based Team with Publicly Financed Stadium Should Drop ‘New York’ From Its Name

With news that New York is adding its own Major League Soccer (MLS) Team,Assemblyman Patrick Diegnan called on Major League Soccer and the Red Bulls soccer team to end the charade of using the name “New York” to refer to a New Jersey-based team.

“A Hudson County-based team in a New Jersey publicly financed stadium calling itself the ‘New York Red Bulls’ is a slap in the face to New Jersey residents and taxpayers who help support the team.

“Since, their inception as the New York/New Jersey MetroStars playing in East Rutherford, New Jersey, Major League Soccer has continually marginalized its relationship with New Jersey. This is an affront to the residents of this state. It is a particular insult to the high school players who have proudly hailed from New while representing our country on the Men’s and Women’s U.S. National teams as well as in professional soccer at the highest levels.

“Apparently MLS Commissioner Don Garber is unaware of the boundaries, tunnels, bridges, and tolls separating New York and New Jersey when he declares that people will ‘look forward to an intense cross-town rivalry between New York City Football Club and the New York Red Bulls that will captivate this great city’.

“If MLS and the Red Bulls want to continue this charade, they should return the public financing they’ve received from New Jersey’s taxpayers,” said Diegnan (D-Middlesex).