Filipa Patão's First Look at Gillette Stadium
"I feel that if we have our support here with us, [it’s] going to be amazing.”
Filipa Patão walked out of the tunnel at Gillette Stadium with an entourage of team staff and took in the empty grounds for the first time Saturday.
“It’s huge,” BLFC’s head coach said, recounting her first impressions. “Great stadium, great place to make history, to build our first legacy. … I feel that if we have our support here with us, [it’s] going to be amazing.”
The team will call Gillette home during its inaugural season, adding to an already packed lineup. In addition to hosting BLFC, the stadium will hold New England Revolution and New England Patriots games, as well as serve as a host site for the FIFA Men’s World Cup next year.
While the 2026 National Women’s Soccer League schedule has not been finalized, Commissioner Jessica Berman has said there will be some games during the World Cup, which falls in the middle of the season.
The Legacy expects to play on a grass field from March up until the end of the World Cup in July, and then on turf for the latter half of the season, but does not have a timeline for when the grass will be installed.
The team plans to have the stadium’s lower bowl, about 30,000 seats, available for its games, nearly three times the capacity of White Stadium.
Building Relationships
The Legacy is months out from preseason and does not have a complete roster yet, but the staff is making an effort to connect with the current squad.
Patão has monthly meetings with her players — who are all on loan to clubs around the world — offering advice and feedback based on their games.
The technical staff is also taking advantage of the time it has without its players, discussing future plans and ensuring everyone is in accordance.
“When the players do come to us in January and we start training, we [will] not only have the best professionals in every single area, but they're also aligned, which is as important as having the talent,” General Manager Domènec Guasch said.
Patão previously said her assistant coach at Benfica, Bárbara Reis, will be joining her in Boston after her visa is approved, and the search for the rest of the coaching staff continues.
Player Experience
Club ownership has been making strides in creating an environment that will suit its players. The team recently announced the establishment of its Athlete Advisory Board, a group of current and former professional athletes who will consult on player initiatives and experience.
Members of the board include:
Aliyah Boston, WNBA/Indiana Fever player and BLFC investor
Allison Feaster, Boston Celtics vice president of team operations and organizational growth and former WNBA player
Kristine Lilly, US Soccer Hall of Famer
Sam Mewis, World Cup champion and Olympian
Mewis said she has seen intentionality to every detail in her conversations with the club and thinks it is a sign that players will feel safe to address any issues.
“I feel, as a player, you want to be seen as human first,” she said. “The player experience and player safety is of the utmost importance to me, and I am aligning myself with this club because I can see that it's of the utmost importance to them too.”