Last Sunday I visited Queens West Sports Field, an oasis of turf nestled among the waterfront skyscrapers of Long Island City. LIC Soccer Club trains there regularly. Lajos Geenan, the head coach of LICSC, polished his trade back in the Netherlands under the ethos of Dutch Total Soccer, which prioritizes a player’s ball control and adaptability across all positions.  Soccer academies are what fuel the growth of the next generation of footballers in the US. LICSC is one of many talented, diverse, local soccer academies Queens has to offer. If we want the USMNT to get better, it all starts with the next generation of players. Check out photos from the visit below:

Coach Lajos restarts play on the Queens West Sports Field, littered with fallen Fall foliage
Kicking it in the shadow of skyscrapers
Split second Decisions on a small pitch

I also had the chance to meet up with local coach and player Ulices (featured as a recent Face of Futbol). We checked out the big weekend game: Liverpool vs. Tottenham, splitting halves between Upper 90 Astoria and El Basurero, a Colombian spot on Steinway Ave. with the most elaborate decorations, I’ve ever seen in a restaurant. Next time the Colombian national team plays, this is the place to go!

Check out this El Basurero crowd from a Colombia World Cup game!

Meanwhile in Pro soccer:

In England:

  • Leiscester beat Southampton 9-0, registering the biggest away win ever in the Premier League, and serving Southampton their biggest home defeat in their 133-year-history.  To make things right with their fans, Southampton players and coaching staff have pledged to donate their wages to charity. 
  • Cristiano Rashford? Man U haven’t had much to cheer about lately, but Marcus Rashford’s stunning winning goal from a freekick is drawing lots of comparison to Cristiano Ronaldo’s freekick technique. Watch the side-by-side here
  • “Soccer doesn’t have enough goals,” they say. Oh yea? Check out the highlights from this 10-goal-thriller between Liverpool and Arsenal this past week.

Coming up:

  • La Liga fans, say goodbye to your Saturday: starting at 11AM Barcelona play, then Atletico Madrid, then Real Madrid rounding it out at 4pm. Olé, olé olé oléééé!…
  • The NYC Marathon is this Sunday! The route goes through all 5 boroughs, dipping into Queens in Long Island City before going back over the Queensboro Bridge. With soccer being the most endurance-based major sport of them all, a good running habit is never a bad idea. Wondering who to cheer for? How about the running teams of these soccer based charities: America Scores, Soccer without Borders, and Grassroots Soccer!
  • After the marathon, check out the Cosmopolitan Soccer League’s match at Randall’s Island Sunday at 8pm! KidSuper Samba AC is vying with NY Greek Americans for the 4th place spot in the league, all on a beautiful field underneath the RFK bridge. 
  • Set your calendars: the MLS Cup is on a week from Sunday! Upsets were abound as LAFC, NYCFC, and Atlanta United all got knocked out to give us a Seattle vs. Toronto Final. The match will be played in Seattle and the atmosphere should be electric, with over 50,000 tickets already sold.

Weekly Face of Fútbol: 

Name: David Balk

Age: 29

From: Manhattan

Resides in:  Clinton Hill

Started playing at:  17, a bit later than most

Soccer for me is…:  a way to relieve stress. Living in NYC can be super stressful and soccer is a great way to clear your mind

The best part about soccer is…: the community. Hanging out before and after the games is as much a part of it as playing

David, New Yorker, Footballer

Send me any upcoming events you know about and I’ll share them next time around! I’m always looking for new fields, new leagues, and new anything fútbol.

And feel free to forward this, it’s just the start.

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See you on the pitch,

Jon D