New York City will have a second professional soccer team playing in the five boroughs.
The New York Cosmos are leaving Hofstra University in Hempstead for MCU Park in Brooklyn, the club announced Thursday. The team had played at Hofstra's Shuart Stadium since its return to the North American Soccer League in 2013.
A total of 16 regular North American Soccer League matches will be hosted at MCU Park during the upcoming 2017 season, including the team's Apr. 1 home opener.
The club will share a space with the Brooklyn Cyclones, the New York Mets' minor league affiliate.
The move brings a second professional soccer team to the borough nearly two years after New York City FC began to play as a Major League Soccer expansion team.
Both clubs have a shared history: the first iteration of the Cosmos played at Yankee Stadium during the 1971 inaugural season. Conversely, the stadium has been home to NYCFC since 2015.
"With the Cosmos coming to Brooklyn, we're adding a world class franchise to New York City's proud soccer tradition," said Mayor Bill de Blasio. "We couldn't be more proud to welcome the New York Cosmos to the five boroughs."
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The move could add to the city's revenue stream and increase the growing popularity of soccer. MLS achieved its highest-ever average attendance two years in a row, with a 12 percent increase for the 2016 season. NYCFC cracked the top 5 in season average attendance for the league, and was even ranked one of MLS's most valuable clubs in 2015.
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