Sky Blue FC to move to NY Red Bulls training facility in East Hanover (updated)

Listen to this article

Women’s professional soccer team Sky Blue FC will share Major League Soccer’s New York Red Bulls practice facility in East Hanover this season.

Sky Blue will have access to the field, a complete athletic training room, fitness center, team meeting spaces, and full coach and player locker rooms.

“Ownership continues to explore ways to transform Sky Blue into the gold standard for the [National Women’s Soccer League],” said owner First Lady Tammy Murphy. “I am pleased to work collaboratively with the Red Bulls to the benefit of both clubs. This new practice field agreement provides our players the professional amenities and atmosphere they deserve, and I cannot thank our partners at Red Bull enough for their cooperation and support.”

Sky Blue players Carli Lloyd, Mallory Pugh, and Margaret Purce have been named to the U.S. women’s national team 26-player training camp roster in preparation for the 2020 SheBelieves Cup, an invitational women’s football tournament featuring national teams from Spain, England, Japan, and the U.S. taking place in March. Red Bulls Arena will host a game between the USWNT and Spain on March 8.

Lloyd and Pugh were on the USWNT last year, which won its second consecutive and fourth overall World Cup.

Sky Blue announced in November that Red Bulls Arena would be the team’s home venue for the 2020 season. RBA hosted two Sky Blue matches last summer.

“[The move to the new training facility] is providing an environment with the amenities that are going to help the players excel. It begins with having the right field environment, and the Red Bulls training facility has both grass and turf fields, and they’re absolutely beautiful. Day in and day out, in terms of training environment that certainly helps,” Sky Blue General Manager Alyse LaHue said. “And having access to our own private locker rooms really just making it feel like it’s our own space. That helps as well, to really feel like it’s a home for us and for our players.”

The team previously practiced at Georgian Court University in Lakewood.

“Were grateful for Red Bull’s continued interest in working with us and expanding our partnership. Without them, we wouldn’t have these opportunities. We’re grateful for their friendship in this process,” LaHue said.
Preseason begins March 9.

Editor’s note: This story was updated at 5:09 p.m. EST on Feb. 19, 2020 to add comments from Sky Blue General Manager Alyse LaHue.