NYCFC put on for the City last week with a 24 Hour Game at Rockefeller Center before bringing the party back to Yankee Stadium for a 2-1 victory over LA Galaxy in the 2018 Home Opener.
Players, staff, fans, and media alike all gathered to create a once in a lifetime spectacle on the plaza at Rockafeller Center.
On the scene, Post reporter Kyle Shnitzer wrote: “The two teams – Team Villa vs. Team Vieira – comprised over 500 New Yorkers participating in a 24-hour, five-on-five game on an artificial field smack in front of 30 Rockefeller Place.”
“Fans traveled from all over the tristate area to participate including Marco Garcia, 19, who took the Long Island Rail Road from Westbury before hopping on the subway to get to 30 Rock before his evening kickoff near 8 PM.
“It’s like a dream come true,’ Garcia said, an NYCFC fan since 2015. “I feel like I’m a professional.”
Certain to say there were a few David Villa style goals on display out there with 797 total goals scored by the two teams.
The NYCFC captain himself was on hand – and spoke to the Daily Mail about the start of his fourth campaign in the Big Apple.
Villa said, “We are just starting the season, but obviously to bring trophies to New York City – that’s what is causing me to sleep now.”
“I feel very good, honestly, I am very happy to be in this city and to live this opportunity. Obviously I came here to play soccer but also to part of this fantastic city as another New Yorker is fantastic for me.”
Claudio Reyna was on site as well, and NBC Sports reporter Joe Prince-Wright cautions in his title that you should listen when the former Captain America speaks on US Soccer…
He writes, “You can’t help but devote your attention to the Hall of Famer who speaks so eloquently and intelligently about the current state of the game in the USA.”
On the state of the USMNT, Reyna said “I do think we need to unite. There seems to be a strong division around all of this nonsense around German-American players, MLS players, European players, Mexican players that all play for the United States. I think it is all really nonsense and to be honest disappointing that we’ve become divided on how we view players who put on our national team jersey. I don’t care where they come from when they play for the national team. They have to be ready to perform and play. There are good players in Europe in MLS, there are no excuses. I am hopeful because we have good talent and good players, but my frustration is where we need to come together and eliminate some of the division which exists from players, coaches, leagues, everything in general, that is where I’m at with the cultural challenges that we have with our behaviors.”
Super facts on the state of American Soccer, courtesy of our Sporting Director.
Soccer Bible was on the scene snapping some of the amazing images...
After the #SoccerNeverSleeps event wrapped up on 4PM Saturday it was time to turn attention towards the real pros – with NYCFC continuing their undefeated record in Home Openers at Yankee Stadium in front of 26,221 on Sunday evening.
The reviews are in – and they are stellar for Patrick Vieira’s new and improved roster.
Dylan Butler from MLSSoccer.com wrote: “Anton Tinnerholm might be new to New York City FC, but the outside back is already an expert in the way Patrick Vieira wants to play… Tinnerholm showcased his attacking ability with a sensational left-footed strike in the 22nd minute and was solid defensively in limiting a dangerous Galaxy attack.”
David Villa added on his new teammate, “He’s a great player for us, he’s great on the field, which he showed, but he has the personality, he’s a leader, he’s a winner because he won in his past in Sweden. He arrived in the beginning of the preseason and he knows everything, the way Patrick wants him to play, in attack and defense.”
Tinnerholm is feeling confident himself as well, saying “We want to keep the ball on the team. I think a lot of teams are going to have problems when they come here, or even when we are away.”
Here’s to that!
