The Sunday before last, during a four-day break in New York, I managed to squeeze in time to visit the iconic Yankee Stadium to take in the opening night of MLS action in the Big Apple as David Villa’s NYCFC entertained Ashley Cole’s L.A. Galaxy.
Curious to see how the experience measured up to that of Premier League games, I took note of all around me.
It’s safe to say the American ‘soccer’ day out varied greatly to those I’ve had at the likes of Old Trafford and The Hawthorns.
Upon arriving at Yankee Stadium, the first thing you notice is how NYCFC’s equivalent of a ‘megastore’ is a couple of guys with no more than a wardrobe of merchandise looking to make a quick buck.
Even though kick off is fast approaching, the queue for Hard Rock Cafe will be at least an hour long which leads you to believe the fans are in no rush to see the game.
Once you dodge the numerous promotional staff attempting to get you to ‘sign up for free’ so you can skip the queue, and enter the doors, you truly realise that this is the home of the New York Yankees, one of the greatest baseball teams of all time, and New York City FC are merely renting out the grounds.
You walk through a hallway filled with fantastic tributes to legends who have graced the hallowed turf. Yankees legends that is.
The Andrea Pirlo poster you saw stuck onto a box outside doesn’t quite match up.
Before taking your seat your taste buds are be awoken by the numerous food options that the stadium has to offer, a major difference between the US approach and that in which the pie-loving English are used to.
Name the food and you’ll probably get it as the level is flooded with pizza parlours, southern-fried chicken haunts, burger joints, hot dog stands, beer counters, and even popcorn vendors.
It’s a world away from the few standardised chippers in England that are dotted around stadiums. Like most places in New York, the NYCFC food choices will leave you both fed
and broke.
The pre-game rituals are exactly what one would expect from any American sporting occasion; singing of the national anthem, an inflated importance given to the coin toss, in addition to the usual unnecessary hype for player announcements.
But what struck this writer most of all as the game got underway was the behaviour of the fans.
After the first few crunching tackles went in, it became clear that the Latin American mentality of berating officials had trickled down into the New Yorkers.
Imaginary yellow cards were being waved all across the stands for the most innocuous of fouls. Worst of all, when the referee bowed down to the blood-seeking mob and flashed the yellow, it was met with great applause and delight as if a goal had been scored.
The same can also be said for when a corner was won, which came with a standing ovation.
Strange indeed.
We’ve all seen some of the cringe chants that American sporting crowds deliver at major tournaments, including “I BELIEVE THAT WE WILL WIN”, and here was no different.
“N-Y-C” and “Come on New York, woooahhhh wooahhh oooahhhh…” won’t have taken the heads of the ultras too long to put together.
But, best of all?
Every 20 minutes or so someone from the crowd would rise up and scream “CHIIIIIICKEN BUUUUUUCKETS” , prompting the those around with greasy fingers to hoist their buckets a loft and repeat the chant a few times over.
The game itself was quite entertaining, as NYCFC took a 2-0 lead before Galaxy pulled one back to set up a grandstand finish. However, the game as a contest was dampened when Ashley Cole received a second yellow for upending David Villa.
For all the action and intensity, it was the sight of the former Champions League winner trudging off beside the Yankee’s home base that was the most vivid memory. And man of the match? David Villa, who else?
Finally, despite being thousands of miles from any of the big European clubs, one could spot the colours of Barcelona, Manchester United, Bayern Munich, and even a kid in a Kun Aguero Man City jersey littered amongst the crowd.
Perhaps supporting one of the Abu Dhabi business ventures means you support them all.
In summary, a far-from-filled stadium of 26,000 fans witnessed an exciting game of football, whilst an outsider looking in saw a club and a league that still has a long way to go to capture the imagination of serious fans from further afield.
…especially when one can buy a NYCFC (established in 2013) ‘classic’ jersey in the Yankee’s Store.
About Faolan Cahill
Marketing graduate with a love of soccer, as well as being a big fan of golf, tennis and more recently MMA. Work for a betting company but under no circumstances should you trust my tips.
