Khano Smith Reflects on Growth of Soccer in New England
The growth of soccer can be seen throughout the United States and the development of the sport in New England is a great example.
The growth of soccer can be seen throughout the United States and the development of the sport in New England is a great example.
When current Rhode Island FC head coach Khano Smith was playing for the New England Revolution, the MLS club was the only professional team in town. Now, the Revs are joined by Hartford Athletic, Portland Hearts of Pine, and RIFC.
Rhode Island will be among the first professional teams to get acquainted with New England’s newest club, the Hearts of Pine. The Maine club will join RIFC down in Bermuda for a set of friendlies. In 2026 BOS Nation FC will also join the ranks.
Smith reflected on the growth of the sport in the region and specifically the addition of the Hearts to the New England soccer ecosystem when speaking at one of the first open training sessions of 2025.
“I think it's really good,” the head coach said. “Portland's doing a really good job. We will play them in preseason a couple of times, play them in the regular season. I think it's fun. Logistics-wise, it saves us a lot of headaches having to not fly to games because it's really difficult to fly to games.”
Rhode Island’s head coach highlighted how soccer in the United States is distinct in how intense the travel requirements are. While flights are often required for away games, in Europe buses are commonly the preferred mode of transportation since stadiums are so close to one another.
“If you were to go to London or Manchester, any big city in the UK, you have those situations where you don't even have to drive,” he said. “I think that's a unique situation about our country.”