HIGH POINT, N.C. —Professional soccer is coming to the Triad.
A press conference was held Thursday in High Point to announce the establishment of a new professional soccer team, which will be called the Carolina Core. The team will be based out of High Point.
The team will also be part of MLS Next Pro, a professional men’s soccer league. MLS president Charles Altchek was at the press conference for the announcement. He said the league chose High Point because of the vision of local leaders.
“It was all about the vision,” he said, “that Megan and her partners and the mayor had about bringing professional soccer to this city, into this region, and using it as a vehicle to grow the sport and provide opportunity. And that’s what we got excited about and it all came together today. Today’s a culmination of a lot of hard work and effort from everybody involved. So we’re thrilled to be here.”
It was also announced that the team would tap former professional soccer player Eddie Pope as the team’s Chief Sporting Officer. Pope, who has played at the national and international level, is originally from the High Point Area and he said he was excited to be back.
“It’s super special having grown up here,” he said, “having sort of plied my trade here. Whether it was in middle school soccer or high school soccer out of Southwest Guilford then going to UNC Chapel Hill, and it kind of culminating my career from there. It’s super special to come back home.”
Pope said he hopes the club will inspire future players in the Piedmont Triad.
The team’s first game is expected to be in the spring of 2024.
Reprinted from November 10, 2022: WXII12 News