La Liga Azteca finished up their 16th season Thursday morning in sunny, frigid temperatures on the picturesque Field 1 at Flushing Meadows Park. Emotions were overflowing from Coach Telmo Avila as his team won two penalty shootouts in a row to advance to the Finals and then win it all. “It is the latest we’ve ever finished our season, but not the coldest,” said league founder Marilu Mendez. “Last year it was barely 10 degrees out.”
Ernesto Martinez, an experienced Venezuelan announcer and journalist, braved the cold to broadcast the game on his page Solo Fútbol NYC via Facebook Live. “People watch in Mexico, in Guatemala, all over,” says Martinez. “It’s not just for the league, it’s for the community.” Combining tech and ingenuity, his page enables the family and friends of the players, especially those who still live in Latin America, to watch and support from afar.
Also this past week was NYC Footy’s Holiday Party! It was a great time to see so many players off the field and having fun. If you’re looking for ways to play, join here!. They have leagues in Queens, Brooklyn and Manhattan, and are always finding new ways to give more people the chance to play.
Meanwhile in Pro Soccer
- Some Champions League surprises: Ajax are out! Valencia pulled an upset, and Chelsea cruised through in second place in their group. Inter are out as a B-side Barcelona beat them at home with Ansu Fati scoring the winner to become the youngest ever player to score in the Champions League. And if you haven’t seen Mo Salah’s winner for Liverpool, you have to check it out.
Coming up:
- In need of some last minute Sunday plans? Come to Upper90 from 1:30-5pm to meet some local players and donate to a good cause: Sign up for FC Give’s End of 2019 Party at Upper 90 Queens! FC Give donates all proceeds to soccer-related community empowerment, and if you haven’t been to Upper90 before, it’s an incredible multipurpose location to play, get new soccer gear, and stay after to hang and watch matches at their cafe-bar too.
- Champions League draw on Monday! Find out how it works and who gets paired with who in the Knockout Stages. Because they finished second in their groups, watch out for tough matches for Chelsea and Real Madrid.
- El Clásico! Finally, the postponed Barça vs Real Madrid game at Camp Nou is happening. And for the first time in a while it will determine who is the league leader. Ditch work early and tune in Wednesday at 2pm to watch.
Weekly Face of Fútbol
Name: Sergio Mendez
Age: 25
Reside in: Ridgewood
Family is From: Argentina & Ecuador
On Fitting Soccer Into A Busy New York Schedule
I work Midnight–8 am for the MTA, so sometimes if I want to play I’ll take a nap after work then get to the field around 11am. It’s worth it though, I catch up on sleep after the game.
What Soccer Here Is Missing Most
We need more connections to help people go pro. In Europe they have great academies, like at Barcelona and Dortmund. But here, unless you go to a good college there’s no clear way for people to go pro, and there’s a lot of talent out there.
Stay warm everyone and let me know of any holiday events in Queens! Love participating in the community, even if soccer isn’t the headline reason.
Keep sharing with anyone who loves the beautiful game, new people sign up here to get the next Soccer Snapshot!
See you on the pitch,
Jon D