2011 - Greece v Ecuador

2011.06.07 Greece v Ecuador, Citi Field, Flushing, NY

Inaugural soccer game

When my neighbor told me he was going to do some work with the Greek National Team, during their stay in New York, I wished him well, it sounded like a lot of fun...When I received a call from him at 11:30 on Tuesday morning, telling me he was able to get 2 tickets for the game that night, asking if I would like to go? did he really need to ask...of course I was going....

When we stepped off the train station in front of Citi Field we were greeted by a sea of yellow jerseys...Ecuador was well represented...Greece was also well represented with chants of Hellas, Hellas, Hellas throughout the game...
I heard a NY radio DJ that morning say since the local inhabitants of Citi Field, were playing with their heads down, kicking the dirt it was only a matter of time before someone put a soccer ball at their feet...This is not the first time soccer has been played in a NYC baseball field. Considering the diversity of the New York population soccer has always drawn a big crowd. The NY Generals of the NASL played in Yankee Stadium in 1968, The Cosmos (NASL) played in Yankee Stadium in 1971 and again in 1976. Columbia and Czechoslovakia played a friendly match in Shea Stadium in 2003, a 1996 friendly between Columbia and Honduras, as well as a International Soccer League tournament in 1965 and serving as the home field for the New York United (ASL) in 1980...

Ecuador - - Greece

64th ranked Ecuador featured ManU winger Antonio Valencia and Toronto FC forward Joao Plata along with a mostly Ecuadorian league based squad. Greece featured Schalke 04 defender Kyriakos Papdopoula and a mostly Greek league based squad.

39,656 fans were on hand for the 1-1 tie between Greece and Ecuador (by comparison the first game of the Gold Cup between US and Canada, held in Ford Field, Detroit only attracted 28, 209)...A tradition of the NY Mets, is when a home run is hit, a big apple located in the outfield rises up. Mike thought this would be cool if the apple came out after a goal was scored. My response was not likely. I was wrong, when Alexandros Tziolos (Racing Santander) of Greece scored in the first half, the apple rose in a traditional Mets celebration...I did not take notice, but I am sure the apple again rose when Frickson Erazo (El Nacional) tied in the game in the second half...