NYC FC yesterday "enjoyed an unqualified success" during the MLS club's home debut, beating the Revolution 2-0 at Yankee Stadium, according to Alex Raskin of the WALL STREET JOURNAL. The "bigger victory happened in the stands, where most of the 43,507 fans punctuated the first win in franchise history with a standing ovation, like a concert audience calling for an encore." Not only did the fans "enjoy themselves for all 90 minutes of action, but when it was all over, they still wanted more." NYC FC Sporting Dir Claudio Reyna said, “The passion was incredible." Raskin noted Yankee Stadium "became a more exuberant and raucous place than baseball fans may be accustomed to," as the crowd was "never timid or inauthentic, instead reacting to the game the way any fan base would." But there were "constant reminders" that NYC FC plays in a baseball venue. The "awkward setting" yesterday also "could damp the promising feeling that was created" (WSJ.com, 3/15). In N.Y., Andrew Keh writes the day "had a familiar and fresh-out-of-the-box feel." The stands beyond the right-field wall "now served as some of the building’s most enviable seats," and the cushioned seats behind home plate "offered an awkward vantage point and were not even made available for sale." The retail spaces around the concourses were turned into NYC FC "pop-up shops hastily stocked with soccer merchandise, and fans endured long lines to get to them" (N.Y. TIMES, 3/16). In Boston, Frank Dell'Apa notes original plans were to "downsize the stadium to about 28,000 seats for this match, but those changed as ticket demand increased last week" (BOSTON GLOBE, 3/16).
STARTING OFF ON THE RIGHT FOOT: ESPN FC's Graham Parker wrote MLS sometimes "gets the occasion it wants," and NYC FC's debut "was just such an occasion." The fans "took a while to find their voice," and with the ballpark "awkwardly configured for soccer, the atmosphere was slow to emerge as fans adjusted to their new roles." But the ending "turned out to be the type of showpiece occasion ... that they would have had on their wish list for their home opener" (ESPNFC.com, 3/15). In N.Y., Filip Bondy writes the game was, by "every measure available, a great success in the Bronx, where the grounds crew staged a small miracle." Everything "worked out just fine, though the question must be asked: How many of these fans will return in two weeks?" Bondy: "Probably quite a few. This was a lot of fun." F David Villa is "worth the price of admission, the weather will only get warmer and the team already has sold 15,000 season tickets." But Yankee Stadium "isn’t a perfect home." The stands are "too far from the action and the place will look empty with even 25,000 fans." The MetroStars -- now the Red Bulls -- "drew 46,826 fans in their home opener at Giants Stadium" in '96. But yesterday, everything "looked better, more natural" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 3/16). In N.Y., Stefan Bondy notes the field, which was the "source of anxiety and special care for the groundskeepers, withstood the 90-plus minutes of soccer" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 3/16). Bondy notes the consensus was that the field "was good under the circumstances but there’s room for improvement" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 3/16).
MEN OF THE MATCH: SI.com's Brian Straus wrote NYC FC's journey until now "hasn't been entirely smooth," but there has been "significant work going on behind the scenes designed to generate some traction and forge an identity." Billboards and public events in Times Square have "generated buzz and a bit of press," and the club also has "tried to reach the grass roots." Yesterday's home debut was "the sort of performance that brings people back." It marked the "first real step toward building a bridge between locals who love the game and a top-tier club they eventually may call their own" (SI.com, 3/15).
