EL PASO, Texas – The scene that welcomed USL officials led by President Jake Edwards at the Philanthropy Theatre at El Paso Live on Wednesday afternoon served to underline the belief the league had in the city when discussions with MountainStar Sports & Entertainment began two years ago, with the passionate fanbase that included a loud contingent of the local American Outlaws chapter welcoming professional soccer to the league.

“El Paso has all the ingredients to make a sustainable and successful professional soccer club — a passionate fan base, committed local government, a stadium plan that will be the envy of many cities across this country,” Edwards told the El Paso Times after the latest addition to the league for the 2019 season had been unveiled. “El Paso will join an expanding Southwestern part of our league in the USL and will be facing pretty cool regional rivals.”

El Paso Mayor Dee Margo and County Judge Ruben Vogt were among the officials present at the ceremony, with Margo presented with the first El Paso USL scarf by MSSE Chief Executive Officer and Edwards as part of the ceremony. The club is set to kick off at Southwest University Park next spring, with the goal of moving into a soccer-specific stadium in the near future.

Given the impact of Southwest University Park, home of Triple-A baseball club the El Paso Chichuahuas, the addition of a second facility would be welcomed by many in the local community.

“The downtown ballpark has been a catalyst for redevelopment, new construction, residential activity, for a lot of the restaurants and bars,” Jessica Herrera, the City of El Paso's Economic Development Director, told ElPasoProud.com’s Patrick Hayes. “[The new USL club is] a big asset to our downtown and definitely an opportunity to have that name recognition across the country. USL is expanding across many cities that I think El Paso will be able to compete with.”

The opportunity to raise the city’s profile in a similar manner that has occurred with the Chihuahuas, which under MSSE’s guidance sat in the top 15 for attendance across all minor league baseball in 2017, is an attractive one for Mayor Margo.

“A USL team will provide our city with the opportunity to share our story and culture with numerous cities, thereby increasing El Paso's visibility across the nation,” Margo told KVIA.com’s Mauricio Casillas. “El Paso is winning and continues to win. Remember, we are two cities, two countries and three states – but we are a single community.”

And for some of those in the crowd, there was also a sense of opportunity as to what the new club will bring to the city.

"I feel very excited for all the soccer fans and for all the players. I might get a chance to play for them one day," El Dorado High School player Dylan Herrera told the El Paso Times.