Brooklyn Italians
ClubnameBrooklyn Italians SC
FullnameBrooklyn Italians Soccer Club
Founded1949 (age 77)
StadiumJohn Dewey High School
Brooklyn, New York City
Capacity~1,000
ChrtitlePresident
ChairmanPeter Ciaccia
MgrtitleTechnical Director
ManagerAntonio Superbia Jr
LeagueUSL Academy League
Websitebrooklynitalians.org
Season2025
Position?
Americantrue
Pattern b 1_shoulder stripes white stripes
Pattern sh 1_white_stripes_adidas
Pattern so 1_color_3_stripes_blue
Leftarm 1000066
Body 1000066
Rightarm 1000066
Shorts 1000066
Socks 1ffffff
Current2025 NPSL season

Brooklyn Italians SC is an American soccer team based in Brooklyn, New York City, New York, United States. Founded in 1949, the team has won two Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup (1979, 1991), making it the last team from New York to have won the tournament. It last played professionally in the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL), the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the Northeast Atlantic Division during its 2019 season. The club is currently an academy affiliate of the New York Red Bulls and competes at the semi-professional level in the United Soccer League Academy.

History

The Brooklyn Italians are generally regarded as one of the most successful semi-pro teams in the United States, with a linear history that now stretches back over 60 years. Founded in 1949 by John DeVivo, an Italian immigrant to the New York area, the team was originally part of the Metropolitan Soccer League in the early 1950s, before joining the American Soccer League prior to the 1956–57 season. The Italians finished seventh in their first season in the ASL behind champions New York Hakoah.[1]

The Italians changed their name to the "Inter-Brooklyn Italians" when they merged with a local rival club in 1961, became "Inter SC" in 1962, and before the 1963 season the team changed its name again and became "Boca Juniors", named after the famous club in Argentina, but played just one season with this name before resigning from the ASL in 1964.

For the next 20 years or so the team continued to play in amateur leagues under various names – at one time or another were they known as "Palermo Football Club" and the "Brooklyn Dodgers" (after the former Brooklyn baseball team) – before reverting to their original name in 1991.[2] They were also regular participants in the National Challenge Cup, winning the title twice during the pre-MLS all-amateur era, in 1979 (when they were still called the Dodgers) and 1991, and reaching the final in 1981 and 1990.

As a result of their success in the 1990 tournament, the Italians played in the qualifying rounds of the 1991 CONCACAF Champions' Cup. In April 1991, they beat Bermudian side Dandy Town Hornets 4–3 on aggregate; they withdrew before the second round of the tournament. In November 1991 they lost 6–1 on aggregate to Club Universidad de Guadalajara in the first round of the 1991 CONCACAF Cup Winners Cup.

The Italians joined the National Premier Soccer League in 2010, with head coach Joe Barone calling it "a new adventure".[3]

In addition to the new NPSL side, the Italians continue to field a number of teams in the New York-based Cosmopolitan Soccer League. The Italians also regularly compete in various amateur tournaments world-wide, including the Memorial Claudio Sassi in Italy, the Dallas Cup, the President's Day Tournament in Phoenix, and college showcases across the country. International travel is encouraged, and teams have trained with many of the elite teams from Italy.

In 2020, the team was not listed among the clubs taking part in the 2020 NPSL season.

On May 5, 2021, the New York Red Bulls announced the Italians as an official Academy Affiliate.

Year-by-year

YearDivisionLeagueRegular seasonPlayoffsNational Cup
1956–571ASL7th
1957–5810th
1958–594th
1959–604thdid not qualify
1960–618thdid not qualify
1961–622nd
1962–632nd
1963–644th
1979Exhibition clubChampions
1981Runner-up
1990N/ANESSL2nd, North DivisionChampionRunner-up
19911st, North DivisionRunner-upChampions
20104NPSL2nd, Atlanticdid not qualifyFirst round
20111st, AtlanticDivisional FinalFirst round
20122nd, AtlanticDivisional Semi-FinalSecond round
20131st, AtlanticDivisional Semi-FinalFirst round
20142nd, North AtlanticRegional Semi-FinalThird round
20154th, North Atlanticdid not qualifyFirst round
20166th, Atlanticdid not qualifydid not qualify
20172nd, Atlantic BlueConference Semi-Finaldid not qualify
20182nd, North AtlanticConference FinalFirst round
20192nd, North AtlanticConference Finaldid not qualify
2025N/AUSL-AN/A

Team names

  • Brooklyn Italians (1949–1961)
  • Inter-Brooklyn Italians (1961–1962)
  • Inter SC (1962–1963)
  • Boca Juniors (1963–1964)
  • Brooklyn Dodgers / Palermo Football Club (varying names) (1964–1991)
  • Brooklyn Italians (1991–present)

Honors

Head coaches

Notable players

Stadium

See also

References

  1. ^ "USA - American Soccer League II"
  2. ^ "Brooklyn Italians: How the club was started". Archived from the original on 2016-12-27. Retrieved 2010-05-31.
  3. ^ Brooklyn Italians try their hand, feet at NPSL Archived July 18, 2011 at the Wayback Machine