Despite the clouded history of professional sports in Santa Barbara, Peter Moore sees nothing but bright skies for the United Soccer League club he is launching, to begin play in 2024.
“I’ve lived [in the U.S.] 40 years, and soccer is on fire now in a way I’ve never seen,” Moore said in an interview before the public unveiling of his plans this week. “Whether it’s the Premier League on Saturdays, freaking Ted Lasso, everything else that has brought the game into focus … I’ve never seen anything more potent, more powerful and more right for it finally becoming something that every American kid wants to play.”
The club’s name, Santa Barbara Sky FC, is revealing in itself.