Several distinct soccer cultures converge in Ridgewood, a little triangle along the Brooklyn border hemmed in by the industrial zone north of Metropolitan Ave and the freighter tracks to the east. Yesterday, I saw a guy walking on Fresh Pond Road in a Lewandowski jersey (representative of the neighborhood’s large Polish population) and a little… Continue reading Ridgewood, QNS
Soccer in the Shadow of NYCFC Stadium
Mulally Park sits on the north side of Yankee Stadium – behind left field, an area few Yankee and NYCFC fans visit if they don’t already live in the Bronx – between Jerome Ave and the 4 Train. It has a skatepark, several basketball and handball courts, grassy fields, flowered walkways and two tight, green… Continue reading Soccer in the Shadow of NYCFC Stadium
Red Bull family needs Red Bull
On Tuesday night, I followed a family through the underground hallway between 6th and 7th Avenues and down the steps to the L train. The mom, dad and son headed to Brooklyn bundled in beefy coats and mittens and the kid kept his fur-lined hood over his head though we were about to enter a steamy… Continue reading Red Bull family needs Red Bull
Soccer for breakfast
I saw this Frosted Flakes ad called “Morning Ritual” for the first time the other day. In the commercial, a dad gently wakes his tween daughter at 4:45 am. “It’s time,” he says. The girl excitedly throws off the covers to reveal the soccer jersey she wore to bed. Her dad is wearing the same… Continue reading Soccer for breakfast
Searching for a Bundesliga presence in NYC
“If a player from the United States would come here and score every week,” said Bayer Leverkusen CEO Michael Schade, “it would be a dream come true.” Yesterday, Terrance Ross led with that quote in his Guardian piece on the Bundesliga’s attempts to gain a foothold in the USA. It’s a pretty direct indication of the club’s,… Continue reading Searching for a Bundesliga presence in NYC
I logged every piece of club apparel I saw in NYC over 30 days. On Day 31, I spotted Alecko Eskandarian
Back in early-November, I charted every piece of MLS and English Premier League apparel I saw over four days at three Disney amusement parks in Florida. It was a fun way to pass the time so I decided to expand my field research to New York City. Each week, I experience a representative sample of diverse… Continue reading I logged every piece of club apparel I saw in NYC over 30 days. On Day 31, I spotted Alecko Eskandarian
SPOTTED: Father-Son Barca Day in Park Slope
Club: FC Barcelona (not the one in Ecuador) Photo subjects: Barca Dad overcompensates for his own father’s detachment and ensures that this father-son outing upholds Park Slope parenting stereotypes. When this kid rebels, let’s hope it’s with weed and beer and not Real Madrid. Location: Park Slope, a scrubbed and comfy Brooklyn neighborhood where molly-fueled Bushwick freelance hipsters move when they… Continue reading SPOTTED: Father-Son Barca Day in Park Slope
