Why Vale and Connecticut Rush merged to form Vale Rush United

Vale Rush United began tryouts this week. (John Belancik)

Connecticut’s club soccer landscape is shifting — and Vale and Connecticut Rush are betting now is the time to act.

The two clubs officially merged earlier this month, forming Vale Rush United in an effort to expand opportunity, deepen the player pool and compete at higher levels on both the boys’ and girls’ sides.

“It was about opportunity in the marketplace,” said Vale founder Zach Eddinger. “The age change has already brought an opening for people to explore what other opportunities are out there. Then, inside central Connecticut, changes were happening. When you put those two things together, we felt that if there was a time to merge, the time is now.”

Starting next fall, Vale Rush United will compete in the MLS Next Academy Division and the National Academy League on the boys’ side, and in the ECNL Regional League and the National Academy League on the girls’ side.

Vale previously competed in the National Academy League, but Connecticut Rush’s place in the MLS Next Academy Division provided a clear pathway for both sides to higher-level competition. Connecticut Rush joined the MLS Next Academy tier last fall and has teams across the U-13 to U-19 age levels in the New England Division.

The reason behind the merger is simple: to deepen the player pool and raise the club’s floor and ceiling.