NYCFC and partners are offering Free Football for All for kids 7-14

Here’s some cool news about soccer that’s currently happening in the New York area. NYCFC along with the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association and Fidelis Health Insurance have partnered to bring Free Football for All to New York City, Long Island, and Westchester County.

It’s a great opportunity for children to get outside and get involved with soccer. Best of all, the program is free.

In addition to soccer, the program will also give children the opportunity to interact with other players and coaches. After being stuck inside for so long, it’s a great way to get kids back to a bit of normalcy as we ease back to life after the pandemic. It is hoped that the program will attract about 4000 kids.

New York City FC Youth coaches will oversee all clinics and games. Boys and girls 7 to 14 are eligible to play.

The aim of the initiative is to make the game of soccer more accessible while creating an environment for players to improve their game, decision-making, and leadership skills.

The programs are currently running and will continue through November. The format of the programs will include 3v3, 4v4, or 5v5 games. Groups will include players aged U7-U8, U9-U11 & U12-U14 participating in one-hour sessions.

When asked about the reason for Free Football for All, Brian Walsh, Director, Youth Programs at NYCFC said, “We are excited to see how Free Football for All will impact so many young players and will enable them to take ownership of their play while making leadership decisions.”

Anyone interested can register online at NYCFC.com/FreeFootball.

Skyblue is now NJ/NY Gotham FC of the National Women's Soccer League

It’s no surprise that the last two ticker-tape parades held in New York City were for championship sports teams. If you’re thinking the Yankees, the Giants, or maybe you’re a delusional Jets fan, you’re wrong. The USWNT that won the World Cup in 2015 and 2019 were both honored with parades down New York City’s Canyon of Heroes followed by a celebration taking place at City Hall.

No disrespect to the men’s national team, but the US Women dominate their sport. Players such as Megan Rapinoe, New Jersey’s Carli Lloyd, and Long Islands Crystal Dunn have become role models to many children; both girls and boys.

The new season of the National Women’s Soccer League has kicked off and the area’s former Sky Blues have been rebranded with a new name, a new logo, and a new home stadium.

Now known as NJ/NY Gotham FC, the team will play its home matches at the beautiful soccer-specific Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey. With 25,000 seats and access to public transportation, the games should be more easily accessible for fans.

Part of the reason for the team’s new identity is to help grow the team’s fanbase. This includes a new partnership with one of the city’s most popular youth clubs, Downtown United. Gotham FC will develop new players and its reserve players in conjunction with Downtown United. The Gotham FC Reserves will be a part of the semi-professional Women’s Premier Soccer League. They will play their matches on Randall’s Island which is already home to many youth and adult soccer leagues.

With this partnership, Gotham FC is hoping to provide more opportunities for girls to develop and advance in the game.

The first match of the NWSL season is next month, but teams are now taking part in the 2021 NWSL Challenge Cup. Gotham FC has two wins and is currently in first place in their division.

Carli Lloyd is the most recognizable name on the roster, but Gotham FC also includes international stars, Sodam Lee of South Korea, and former Japan National Team player Nahomi Kawasumi.

Gotham FC has a brand-new logo and color scheme. The club's new crest has a shield featuring the crown of the Statue of Liberty. The team’s official colors are sky blue, black, and white.

Queensboro FC launches in Queens, the country's most diverse county

When people speak of New York City, they are generally referring to the borough of Manhattan. Of course those familiar with the city know that Manhattan is just one of five boroughs that together are NYC. (Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, Staten Island). Of the five, Queens is the most diverse. In fact, Queens is the most diverse large county in the entire United States. If the borough of Queens was an independent city, it would be the nation's fourth most populous city, after Los Angeles, Chicago, and Brooklyn.

The diversity of Queens is what makes it special. One thing that unites people from the borough’s 91 distinct different neighborhoods is soccer. Some of the clubs that operate in Queens include:

Woodhaven Soccer Club

Queensborough United Soccer Club in Forest Hills

New York Talentos Soccer Club in East Elmhurst

Bambini Soccer Club in Jackson Heights

Auburndale Soccer Club

NY Greek American Atlas in Astoria

When it was announced in late 2019 that Queens would be the home of New York’s newest professional soccer team, it was met with major enthusiasm. The club, Queensboro FC, will be a part of the USL Championship. It is the second division of the US soccer pyramid and one level below Major League Soccer.

The team is part-owned by retired Barcelona and Spain legend David Villa. When asked about his involvement, Villa said,

I lived and played in New York for four years. I know what a special place Queens is. I love the cultures, the food, the people and their passion for life and, of course, soccer. There is no other place like it in the world. It’s a dream to help build this football club in Queens and I couldn’t choose a better location.

Villa also spoke of finding homegrown talent within Queens. "We will recruit the best players in Queens as we become the home team. Our goal is to have as many Queens-bred players as possible." 

Queensboro FC was expected to start playing this year, but the ongoing COVID pandemic led to the launch date being postponed until 2022. The club will play its home matches at a new 7,500 seat soccer stadium to be built at York College in Jamaica.

The delay in the team’s inaugural season has allowed the club to start building roots in the community even before a match is played. Queensboro FC continues to be involved in various events and charitable events throughout the borough.

Most recently the club announced the release of a limited-edition jersey that will help raise awareness and financial support for hospitals in Queens. 100% of net proceeds from the jerseys will benefit hospitals throughout the borough.

Human Rights Violations Continue as Qatar 2022 Approaches

Two years ago Soccer Walks NYC wrote a blog post entitled: Why the 2022 World Cup in Qatar is a disgrace - Qatartroversy. It basically outlined the controversies surrounding FIFA’s awarding of the 2022 World Cup to the tiny gulf nation. These included:

• Human Rights violations within the country

• The exploitation of migrant workers compared to modern-day slavery

• No football history

• The fact that the entire football world is being forced to reconfigure their schedules. In order to accommodate Qatar, FIFA is moving the World Cup from summer to winter due to the intense heat in Qatar.

The UK’s Guardian has been following the ongoing human rights violations in Qatar since the 2010 announcement my FIFA.

In a recent article, the Guardian reported that 6,500 migrant workers from India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka have died in Qatar since it was awarded the World Cup. This averages out to 12 workers from these five south Asian nations dying each week since December 2010.

It’s believed the death toll is even higher as the deaths from a number of countries that send large numbers of workers to Qatar, including the Philippines and Kenya are not included.

The need for laborers is due to the fact that Qatar had no infrastructure capable of holding the world’s largest sporting event. The country’s building program includes seven new stadiums, a new airport, roads, public transport systems, hotels, and a new city, which will host the World Cup final.

Responding to the Guardian’s report, a spokesperson for FIFA, said it is fully committed to protecting the rights of workers on FIFA projects.

A number of countries have voiced their concerns over the issue of human rights in Qatar.

This week the Norway national team wore t-shirts bearing the slogan “Human rights – on and off the pitch”. This was in response to a debate in Norway about whether the Norwegian Football Federation should boycott the 2022 World Cup.

The Dutch national team is committed to highlighting the mistreatment of migrant workers in Qatar. Coach Frank de Boer said at a news conference this week, "A lot of attention is now focused on whether we should go there if we qualify. It is right to ask that question ... Everyone knows that what is happening there is not good".

Last month, the English Football Association announced that it will raise human rights abuses and homophobia issues with the Qatar FA after signing a memorandum of understanding with the hosts of the 2022 World Cup.

Amnesty International has been reporting on human rights violations in Qatar for years. In fact, in a report entitled Qatar World Cup of Shame, it details the full list of abuse that migrant workers have been subjected to.

Amnesty International recently sent a letter to FIFA President Gianni Infantino. In it, they called for FIFA to live up to its responsibilities to prevent, mitigate and remedy human rights risks connected to the tournament, and to “use the full extent of its influence” to urge Qatar to fulfill its program of labor reforms before the World Cup kicks off.

The controversies and problems surrounding FIFA’s decision to award the 2022 World Cup to Qatar have been going on for well over a decade now. Expect the conversations to get louder and more frequent as the dates for the tournament get closer.

The Continuing Story New York Hakoah

Soccer was still in its infancy in the United States when a record crowd of 46,000 gathered for a match at the Polo Grounds on May 1, 1926. It took 51 years for this record to be broken. That was accomplished in 1977 when the New York Cosmos led by Pele when 77,961 came out to the Meadowlands to see the Cosmos defeat Fort Lauderdale Strikers 8-3.

The match at the Polo Grounds in 1926 featured the Hakoah All-Stars, an all-Jewish team from the Austrian first division. The opponent for this exhibition match was the New York Stars (this included players from New York teams playing in the American Soccer League.)

The match had particular significance in New York as many Jewish immigrants had settled in the New York area. The opportunity to see a team made up of professional Jewish athletes helped draw the large crowd that day in upper Manhattan.

The match proved so popular that other Jewish teams would visit the area for exhibition matches. Some of those included:

• 1927 Hakoah played the New York Giants in front of 40,000 at the Polo Grounds. This match was the first professional soccer match to be played at night under the lights in the US.

• 1947 Hapoel from Tel Aviv played a New York all-star team in front of 43,177 at Yankee Stadium.

• 1956, the Israeli Olympic team played an American Soccer League all-star team in front of 42,455 at Yankee Stadium.

The original Hakoah club was founded in 1901 and won its first Austrian championship in 1925.

The initial visit of Hakoah proved so successful that eight of the club’s best players remained in the states rather than go back to Europe which was dealing with heightened anti-Semitism. The fact that those that stayed behind broke their Austrian contracts resulted in an Austrian protest to FIFA.

Some of the former Hakoah players who stayed in America formed a team known as New York Hakoah. They initially played in the Eastern Soccer League and won the US Open Cup in 1929.

In 1930 they merged with Brooklyn Hakoah of the American Soccer League to become the Hakoah All-Stars.

The second New York Hakoah was reborn for the 1956–57 season when a revived Brooklyn Hakoah merged with the New York Americans to become the New York Hakoah-Americans. They then shortened that to New York Hakoah for the 1962–63 season. They were American Soccer League champions three times in a row between 1957 and 1959.

A third version of New York Hakoah was established in nearby Bergen County, New Jersey in 2009. Originally known as Club Hakoah Bergen County the club was soon rebranded to continue the legacy of the original New York Hakoah.

The club was founded by Ron Glickman who was inspired by a visit to the Diaspora Museum in Israel when he was 17 and by the fact that his great-grandfather had seen the original Hakoah play in the Polo Grounds.

The rebuilt Hakoah club competes in the North Jersey Soccer League. Most of the players are Jewish but it also has a multinational flavor. According to Glickman languages spoken by members of the team include Russian, Arabic, Norwegian, Spanish, French, Swedish, and, of course, Hebrew and English.

The New York area's history in the US Open Cup

 The Lamar Hunt US Open Cup is the oldest cup competition in United States soccer and is among the oldest in the world.  The US Open Cup dates back to 1914 when it was known as the National Challenge Cup. The first cup was won by the Brooklyn Field Club 2-1 over Brooklyn Celtic.

Back then it was a competition open to amateur clubs as well as professional teams. It was modeled after the English Football League’s FA Cup which began in 1872.

In 1999 the official name for the tournament was changed to the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. Hunt had spent his life promoting soccer. He was one of the founders of the American Football League, Major League Soccer, and the North American Soccer League.

Brooklyn Hispano with the 1944 US Open Cup Trophy

Over the years the New York area has produced 26 US Open Cup Champions including:

• Greek American AA (4)

• New York Pancyprian-Freedoms (3)

• Brooklyn Hispano (2)

• Brooklyn Italians (2)

• New York Americans (2)

• Brookhattan

• Brooklyn Field Club

• Brooklyn St. Mary's Celtic

• Eintracht

• New York German–Hungarian

• Krete

• New York Hota

• New York Hakoah

• New York Hungaria

• New York Nationals

• New York Ukrainians

• Robins Dry Dock

• Rochester Rhinos

• While there have been a number of back-to-back winners, the only New York area club to win three straight years is still the New York Greek Americans who were champions from 1967-1969.

MLS teams have dominated the tournament since they began participating in 1996.

The 107th edition of the tournament scheduled for 2020 was expected to include 100 clubs. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic caused its cancellation. It was the first time in 106 years that the US Open Cup was not contested.

In total, the New York region has hosted 27 US Open Cup finals at various venues, that no longer exist, including Starlight Park, Triborough Stadium, Dexter Park, the Metropolitan Oval, the Polo Grounds, and Ebbets Field. Despite this, a New York City-based club has not won the Open Cup since 1991, when the Brooklyn Italians defeated the Richardson Rockets. The last time a local club reached the final was 2003 when the MetroStars (now known as the New York Red Bulls) lost to the Chicago Fire.

Why do Americans call it Soccer and not Football?

It was my friends from England and Ireland that first got me into soccer. I used to meet up with them to watch matches from the English Premier League. It was through this experience that I became a fan. I’ve now been following the sport for quite a while and I’ve become accustomed to calling it football. I will admit that part of the reason for calling it football rather than soccer is so I don’t have to endure the bias towards Americans for trying to “Americanize” the English game.

I decided to do a bit of research as to why we began calling the sport Soccer rather than Football. Here’s what I found out:

Believe it or not, the term soccer actually comes from the other side of the Atlantic, not ours.

In 2014 University of Michigan professor Stefan Szymanski published a paper that explained that explains the origins of the term. As it turns out, the word was developed by the British. In fact, it was used widely in the UK until about 30-40 years ago when it was viewed as too American.

The story is that back in the mid-1800s a number of British universities played football and decided to standardize the rules for all. One version of the game was played using your hands and became known as “rugby football”. Another version was called "association football".

From there the British gave each version of the sport a nickname. "Rugby football" was shortened to "rugger" while "Association football" came to be called “soccer."‘

Eventually, both forms of the sport crossed the Atlantic. What was formally known as Association Football in the UK was simply called Soccer in the United States. The game known as “gridiron” in the UK was adopted and adapted to become what we now call football. In the UK it is known as “American football”.

According to Szymanski’s findings, the term soccer was still used regularly by the Brtish up until the early 1980s.

Since then, the word soccer in the UK is pretty much only used when referring to the US version of the game. Apparently many felt less British if they continued using the word soccer. Yes, it seems silly, but that’s the story.

In the end, Americans are not the only ones that do not call the sport football. In Canada, Australia, and New Zealand it’s soccer. In Italy it’s Calcio. In Japan, it’s sakkā which is derived from "soccer" and a number of other countries refer to the sport as something other than football or soccer.

Redditor reddripper put together the following excellent map of what "the beautiful game" is called around the world.

Soccer Memorabilia - What Kind Do You Have?

I was cleaning out my closet during this COVID lockdown and found something I had forgotten about. It was none other than a Freddie Ljungberg Corinthian football figure still in its box. It got me thinking about some of the soccer-related knickknacks that I’ve collected over the years.

Here in the states, it’s easy to find Lebron James, Tom Brady, or Steve Trout merchandise but finding souvenirs or collectibles from soccer leagues throughout the world is more difficult. Prior to the pandemic, I was a regular traveler and whenever I went to new countries, I would often look for soccer-related items to bring back home.

For example, I’ve been to Italy many times and have always had an interest in Calcio (that’s what the Italians call football/soccer). I’ve attended matches in Parma and Florence and found these experiences fantastic. The fans are so passionate. They sing, they cheer and for someone learning Italian, it’s a great way to immerse yourself in the language and culture. In addition to team scarves, I came across an Inter Milan “Mini Tifosotto” which is basically a bear wearing an Inter jersey who shouts GOAL when you press his belly. (Tifoso in Italian means “Fan”.)

I also found key chains of small bears wearing team jerseys that blow whistles and shout goal when a mini soccer ball touches its foot. I have an AC Milan Tifosotto and a Parma Tifosotto.

As an Arsenal supporter who has been to many matches in the UK, I have an abundance of Arsenal items including a soccer ball keychain, a football boot keychain, mugs, coasters, t-shirts, books, calendars and more. I even have an Arsenal leash for my dog.

I have jerseys and scarves from Greece, Italy, Morocco, Ireland, England, Turkey, and Portugal. I even have a vuvuzela, those annoying long plastic horns that can blow out your eardrums if you stand too close.

I’ve also kept the matchday programs from every game I’ve ever attended. The craziest one is from an FA Cup match at London’s Loftus Road between Queens Park Rangers and Huddersfield. The game was actually interrupted by an early January hailstorm.  

In looking at all of this “stuff” that I’ve accumulated over the years from the world of soccer, it got me thinking about what other fans have collected. So, let us know what you have collected. Share it with us. Send us a photo or just tell us about it. We’ll post it for the world to see!

Luckily I’ll spare you the details of my extensive baseball bobblehead collection as this is just about soccer!

The Premier League carries on despite new Coronavirus restrictions

When COVID-19 first became a global pandemic, soccer leagues throughout the world shut down (except of course for Belarus and Burundi, seriously). Many of these leagues returned to action over the summer, including the English Premier League.

The numbers in the UK are currently out of control and the entire UK is currently on lockdown. The headline from Wednesday, January 13th reported that the UK had recorded its highest daily deaths since the pandemic started.

Despite strict rules that have been in place, there have been many COVID outbreaks at a number of Premier League clubs. There have also been way too many reports of players flagrantly breaking the rules about social gathering and travelling.

The most recent outbreak is with Aston Villa where 10 players and four staff members tested positive and were forced in to self isolation.

Last week the league issued strict warnings to the league’s clubs and players about on field celebrations. This included no hugging, high fives or handshakes.

Over the weekend, players at several clubs, Sheffield United, Manchester United and Everton, ignored these warnings during matches and did their usual celebrations.

Today the British government has put out further warnings telling the players they must follow the coronavirus rules.

The announcement was put out by Sports Minister Nigel Huddleston. In a Twitter post, he said 'Everyone in the country has had to change the way they interact with people and ways of working. Footballers are no exception. Covid secure guidelines exist for football. Footballers must follow them and football authorities enforce them - strictly.'

Many managers have expressed concern that it will be difficult to control the on field actions of their players. At the same time, referees will be asked to remind players of their responsibilities.

There have been calls for the league to shut down again, but government officials want to avoid this. English football is one of the only things currently available to people to watch live on television and people are currently prohibited from doing much else. Soccer is the national pass time and provides the people with a form of sport entertainment.

The new restrictions include mask wearing at all times in indoor areas at the training ground, the use of three buses when travelling to ensure social distancing, limited physio treatment at training grounds and restricting indoor meetings.

What are your thoughts on the continuation of the English Premier League while COVID cases have risen in the UK? Should the league be shut down? Should players that break the rules by socializing in large groups be punished?

Let us know what you think.

Girls United Football Association and women's equality in soccer

US based soccer fans know that the best representatives of American soccer on the international stage are the members of the United States Women’s National Team. The women have had far more success on the global stage than their male counterparts. In fact, the USWNT is the most successful in international women's soccer, winning four Women's World Cup titles (including the first Women's World Cup in 1991), four Olympic gold medals (including the first Olympic women's soccer tournament in 1996), and eight CONCACAF Gold Cups.

Despite the women’s accomplishments, they are still fighting for equal pay. In March of 2019 the USWNT filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Soccer Federation. The suit alleges that the USSF engages in "institutionalized gender discrimination" toward the team. The discrimination "has caused, contributed to, and perpetuated gender-based pay disparities" against the players in "nearly every aspect of their employment," the lawsuit reads.

As the women’ national team continues its fight for equality, the fight is continuing at the grassroots level as well. An example is Girls United Football Association. GUFA is a nonprofit organization that provides girls an opportunity to play soccer and learn life skills. Part of the organization’s mission is to promote gender equality in sport and life.

Girls United FA uses sport as a tool for social impact by setting up football academies for girls, workshops and coaching courses, in low-income areas internationally. Its first club began operating in March 2017 in Bacalar, Mexico. They have since opened in London and are preparing to enter the US market soon.

As the organization continues to grow, donors and sponsors are always welcome as well as the opportunity to participate in events and fundraisers that promote women’s sport and inclusion.