The bar is a Liverpool Football Club “official” fanbase, and there has been an uptick in excitement towards the sport over the last two years. Owner Vinnie Evans is a New York transplant from Liverpool, but has been in the city since 1999. He opened the bar in May of 2012 and has watched it grow in popularity, especially over the last two years. 

Vinnie Evans is originally from Liverpool and has watched the team grow in popularity over the last two years. Photo by Laurel Poole

Evans said that the English Premier League, including teams like Liverpool, is different from others because of the sense of loyalty and community. 

“It’s easy to see why people are becoming Liverpool supporters because we have the best history, the best fans, and ultimately the best community anywhere,” Evans said. 

With a slogan like, “You’ll never walk alone” it’s not hard to imagine why people are becoming Liverpool fans following a year of isolation. Many take the slogan quite seriously, with some people saying it to each other solemnly as a friend leaves the bar. 

People like Michael Busa, who help to run the Liverpool FC Brooklyn branch think the audience has grown ever since their 2020 Premier League championship.

“It’s hard to say whether this is people becoming fans of the club since COVID hit, or since we started winning games,” Busa said. 

Tom Farrell was walking down the street with his two year-old daughter in 2014, when he described seeing a wave of red heading into the Monro. After wandering in, the two became regular visitors and fans of the club. Farrell noticed a big difference in people’s attitude towards the club in the last two years.

“A decade ago they wouldn’t even show these games on TV, no one would have been here,” Farrell said. “But during COVID, people would reserve seats in the backyard just to sit outside in 30 degree weather. There were more people reserving seats and coming in just because they wanted the community of it [The Monro].” 

A close opportunity for Liverpool to score hits the sidebar and gets fans hopes up at the Monro Pub in South Slope. Photo by Laurel Poole

With shows like “Ted Lasso” rising in popularity, American audiences are intrigued by the global soccer community. The series is an Apple TV comedy detailing an American football coach becoming accustomed to coaching in the English Premier League. Echoing themes from Liverpool’s slogan, the show details how a sport can bring people together. 

Demian Knott has worked as a bartender at the Monro Pub since November of 2019. He said that stay-at-home orders actually caused a spike in interest.

“You know, because of the time difference, games are on from like 10:00 am to 5:00 pm which was difficult [to watch] before,” Knott said. “But with everyone working from home, it was like perfect to have on in the background.

Slowly, Knott believes people started finding their team affiliation and the Monro. Or the other way around. 

Demian Knott has been a bartender at the Monro since 2019. Here he is pouring drinks before the game starts, while everyone finds their seats. Photo by Laurel Poole

According to research from Nottingham Trent University, being in community while going through a crisis has major mental health benefits. During the COVID-19 pandemic, soccer allowed people to connect over traditions they don’t even understand- like memorizing the ending anthem of each Liverpool game. 

No one in the bar seemed to know where it came from or why they sing it (along with many of the other songs), but they threw themselves into the lyrics,

“When you walk through a storm

Hold your head up high

And don’t be afraid of the dark”

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“N-Y-C, N-Y-C, we are N-Y-C-F-C, from the Bronx all the way down to the Battery, we are N-Y-C-F-C!”

Three floors’ worth of fans, decked out in blue uniforms, hats and scarves, stood jam packed on Sunday afternoon in Nevada Smith’s, an East Village soccer bar, to watch the first regular season match between the two newest Major League Soccer (MLS) expansion clubs.

Celebrating its 20th season, the MLS announced the New York City Football Club (NYCFC) and the Orlando City Soccer Club as its 20th and 21st teams in May and November of 2013, respectively. NYCFC is owned by English Premier League powerhouse Manchester City FC and Major League Baseball’s New York Yankees.

Loyal followers of NYCFC spilled about their fandom, mixed emotions about calling Yankee Stadium home, and New York’s newest rivalry.

“I grew up playing soccer and never really had a team to connect to,” said Nick Ricci, 27, of Brooklyn. He was never a fan of the MLS New York Red Bulls, which have been around since 1994, and thought it was a perfect fit when NYCFC was announced. And as a Yankee fan, what’s better than watching his new team compete at his favorite ballpark.

Alex Sapuppo, 21, of Long Island, said he’s excited to be a part of a team built from the ground up.

“We were just talking about how we hope 50 years from now this team is still around and we can say we were there from the beginning,” Sapuppo said.

One of the biggest NYCFC names, David Villa, 33, from Langreo, Spain, was the club’s first-ever player, acquired through a free transfer from Atlético Madrid on June 2, 2014. Villa earned his professional breakthrough in 1999 with Sporting Gijón B, scoring 25 goals in 65 appearances. Named the Spanish Player of the Year in 2005-06, Villa went on to score three goals in the 2006 FIFA World Cup, finished as the UEFA Euro 2008 tournament top goal scorer, helping Spain to its title, and overtook Spanish player Raul as Spain’s all-time leading scorer with 59 goals in 97 appearances.

As soon as video of Villa walking in Orlando City SC’s Citrus Bowl flashed across wall-to-wall television screens, energetic fans, tossing up pints and pitchers in the air, sang their NYCFC song to the tune of “This Old Man.”

“[Villa] was the player I watched in college [on Barcelona] and now that he’s on our team it’s amazing,” said Long Islander Mike Greenbaun, 25, draped in an NYCFC baseball hat, scarf, tee and jacket.

NYCFC boasts a 28-man roster, comprised of players from all over the world. Their experiences range from the United States Men’s National Team (USMNT), international leagues and other MLS teams. Thirteen of the players are 25 and younger, with three at 21.

Mikkel Diskerud, who fans called Mix, appeared already a favorite too. The 24-year-old from Oslo, Norway signed on a free transfer from Rosenborg in early January. As a Norwegian and American citizen, Mix has competed on the USMNT and was named to the 2014 FIFA World Cup squad.

“Signing Mix was really cool for us ‘cause it’s something that we were talking about right before they did it,” said Sapuppo. “He’s one of our favorite players for the national team.”

Mix, in his MLS debut, cemented his name in NYCFC history by scoring the club’s first-ever goal in the 76th minute, a low shot to the far corner, driving past goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts. Fans at Nevada Smith’s erupted into cheers, singing to the tune of KISS’ “Rock and Roll All Nite,” “I wanna Diskerud all night and party everyday!” But the party halted when Orlando City SC’s Kaka – 2007 FIFA World Player of the Year – netted the game’s tying goal in the 91st minute when his free kick deflected in. The contest, in front of 62,510 fans, ended in a draw.

NYCFC’s next match on March 15 is another historic one – their first at home. They will host the New England Revolution at Yankee Stadium.

The ballpark will downsize from its current capacity of 49,642 seats to 33,444.

“Every soccer fan loves his own stadium, it’s just part of the culture,” said Peter Siafakas, 21, of Long Island. “[Yankee Stadium] is great for now, it gave us great exposure … but I hope they’ll move out soon.”

Sapuppo, a Red Sox fan, said he’s not excited about home field, but it’ll have to do.

“To be there from the beginning you got to stick out some stuff, right?” Sapuppo said.

Enduring a forced rivalry with Orlando City SC might be something that NYCFC fans will have to deal with for a bit. But Sean Proctor, 22, of Midtown, said he thinks a better rivalry would be against the Red Bulls.

Whether the two will end up rivals this season has yet to be determined. Fans will have to wait until May 10 when the two compete at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, N.J. For now, they’re excited to watch their new team.

“It’s nice to have someone here now,” said Thomas Bruno, 22, of Long Island. “I can support it and have something to really call our own. It is a New York City team.”

The post NYC gets a new Major League Soccer team appeared first on Pavement Pieces.

ASHBURN, VA-Since she was six months old Murielle Tiernan, 18, has been fighting cystic fibrosis, a genetic disease that causes her lungs to produce an excess of thick mucus. But anyone who has seen Tiernan take to the soccer field can see that in the fight against CF she is clearly winning.

Tiernan, a senior at Stone Bridge High School in Ashburn, Va. was recruited by Virginia Tech’s Women’s Soccer team and will begin her career as a Division I athlete this summer.

“The fact that Murielle has been so heavily involved in sports has been therapy and treatment and a health bonus because that’s the ideal circumstance, to go out and run and exercise,” her father, Ed Tiernan said.

Off the field, keeping Tiernan’s lungs as healthy as possible has been her family’s priority since her diagnosis. But as she prepares to head to college, Tiernan is confident that she can adequately administer her own nebulizer and mucus-loosening treatments.

“I could do it all on my own,” she said.

The post Thriving with cystic fibrosis appeared first on Pavement Pieces.

Players assemble a pick-up game of soccer April 22 at Pier 42 of Chelsea Piers Sports & Entertainment Complex in Manhattan. More soccer fields popped up in New York as more immigrants come to the city. Photo by Frank Riolo.

Big increases in the U.S. immigrant population could correlate with soccer’s growing popularity.

According to U.S. Census data, the U.S. Latino population jumped 43 percent between 2000 and 2010—85 percent of whom are from countries such as Mexico, Argentina and Venezuela where soccer is king.

Major League Soccer also saw a 5 percent increase in average attendance in 2010, with more than 16,500 fans per game according to the Soccer America.

These stats could put soccer within striking distance of becoming a major sport in America.

“I think it definitely could become a major sport in the future,” said Paul Rolston, a former Division I soccer player for Manhattan College. “With the way the sport’s been developing in this country, I think there’s a good chance it will definitely become even more popular.”

Rolston, of Riverdale in the Bronx, said he played all types of sports as a kid, often following the lead of his older brothers. But when it came time to pick a high school sport, he chose soccer – both as a player and as a fan.

“They’re building new stadiums all over the place and selling out stadiums,” he said. “I was at a Red Bull’s game last weekend and it just seems that fans are very excited about the game now.”

Listen to what New York soccer fans have to say about the game’s popularity in America
Altarv1.mp3

New York City, which is home to more than 3 million Latinos, has contributed a great deal to the national soccer fan base.

The New York Red Bulls, the metropolitan area’s MLS franchise, saw a 48 percent increase in attendance in 2010 after opening a new stadium last year in Harrison, N.J.

The addition of the Vancouver Whitecaps and the Portland Timbers also boosts the MLS franchise total to 18 teams, giving the league six more teams overall since 2000.

Soccer’s popularity among younger Americans has also increased. The non-profit organization U.S. Youth Soccer now has more than 3 million members between 5 and 19-years-old.

“I think it’s a number of factors,” said U.S. Youth Soccer president John Sutter, referring to the growth in participation. “You have soccer becoming more of a mainstream sport. The 1994 World Cup kicked (the increase) off and each of the World Cups since then have probably spread interest. And you have the message that schools are pushing down on kids – that we want you to become a little more physically fit.”

U.S. Youth Soccer represents the largest youth sports organization in the country, according to its website; its membership is higher than that of Little League baseball and dwarfs Pop Warner football.

Sutter said the number of Latinos and other immigrant participants have contributed to the increase in U.S. Youth Soccer’s membership. He said the organization does not keep exact figures on immigrant participation, but added that the group establishes programs where immigrants settle.

“We have special inner-city programs, like our Soccer Across America program, which specifically targets folks in those types of areas,” Sutter said. “Those will reach out to the more diverse cultures. Most of which have soccer in their background.”

Sutter also credited Title IX, the U.S. law that protects against discrimination from an activity based on sex, for growing interest in the game among U.S. female adolescents.

Despite soccer’s growing popularity, sports management expert and former sports agent Robert Boland said he’s not sold on the idea of it becoming a major sport in America.

“I think soccer is better served by being realistically aware of what its limitations are and what its economic model is,” he said.

While soccer has taken a tremendous leap as a participatory sport, Boland said spectator numbers do not indicate any notable achievement, adding that most recent immigrants also assimilate to the American sports scene.

“Pele’s first game in the U.S. in 1970 drew 10 million viewers on CBS,” Boland said, referring to the Brazilian soccer star Edson Arantes do Nascimento’s – better known as “Pele” – first visit to America. “Last year’s World Cup finals drew 17 million viewers 40 years later. The population has grown by 33 percent. So, based on those numbers alone, a throwaway event that was essentially a minor league involving Pele drew as many viewers as the World Cup finals.”

Boland also said he’s not sure whether MLS can replace one of the lesser of the four major U.S. sports, the NBA and NHL, based on total attendance. He said popularity should be measured in other ways.

“That’s an apples to oranges comparison,” Boland said, referring to MLS attendance versus that of the NHL or NBA. “An indoor arena that holds 20,000 at 17,000 attendance has sold most of its seats…Percentage of capacity is more important than pure number of fans…If MLS is playing in front of 17,000, but the average stadium capacity is 28,000 or 29,000 that’s not as good comparatively.”

In other words, if the NHL or NBA played in bigger arenas they would probably be outdrawing MLS by a more significant number.

Boland said MLS must keep ticket prices lower than other professional American sports in order to keep fans coming back. He added that puts MLS closer to the category of Minor League Baseball and the Ultimate Fighting Championship, or UFC.

But others like Rolston still believe the sport can have a foothold within the American public. He said if MLS can recruit more foreign superstars, such as David Beckham, and the U.S. National team continues to perform well at international tournaments, soccer may soon be considered another American pastime

“I think for young people growing up watching these great players will help them learn the game better,” he said. “I think (kids) will work harder to try to be better players if they are led by good examples.”

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