The Irish Rover was the perfect place to finish the year out in fútbol. “The three owners all support different teams,” said the bartender, but they’ve clearly overcome their rivalries to make all fans feel welcome. An Irish pub that’s been in Astoria for over 20 years, the Irish Rover has enough TVs to show Premier League games and American Football at the same time if necessary. With cheap drinks and two dart boards that host a local darts league, it’s a great place to spend the better part of a weekend games day with friends new and old.
Meanwhile in Pro Soccer
- Liverpool finished the year out as the best club team in the world, winning the Club World Cup against brazilian side Flamengo, and staying unbeaten in all competitions
- Arsenal and new coach Arteta started the year right today with their first win! Will he be able to turn the team around by the end of the season?
- Here is a brief history on Boxing Day matches for those wondering why the EPL is the only major league playing over the holidays.
- And lastly, David Villa just put a bow on his professional career, scoring in his last ever professional game and finishing up with a trophy. Astounding. Check out this banner from his Vissel Kobe supporters during his final match.
Coming up:
- The Spanish League restarts this weekend with Atletico Madrid, Real Madrid, and Barca all playing this Saturday!
- Need two New Year’s Resolutions in one? Check adventure and charity off your list in one fell swoop with the 20th Annual Rockaway Plunge! It takes place on February 1st, which gives you plenty of time to raise the minimum participant $75 donation, with all proceeds going to the Annie McMahon Memorial Fund, helping with the costs of fighting Cystic Fibrosis.
- And if you’re looking for more consistent charity or volunteering opportunities in 2020, sign up for NYCares! Since 1987 they’ve been connecting people with ways to make a difference throughout the 5 boroughs. What makes them unique and perfect for the busy NYC resident is their search engine. You can find chances to volunteer based on your specific location and time free throughout the week, making volunteering easy.
Weekly Face of Fútbol
As New Year’s is puts everyone in a reflective mood, here’s a Face of Fútbol of your host, me!
Name: Jon Demske
Age: 32
Family is From: way Upstate, NY. Went to Canada more than New York City while growing up
Got my love of fútbol in: Argentina
Favorite Player Growing Up:
Ronaldinho. He made me appreciate not just the moments when someone scores or wins the game, but the between moments. I remember taking his soccer commercials or highlights and watching them over and over again, then going in the backyard for hours trying to replicate even one move of his moves.
Seeing Firsthand True Passion for the Game
When I lived in Argentina as a teen, I trained with a local 4th Division team. Despite my so-so skills back then, they welcomed this foreigner as one of their own. That meant a lot. The fans at their games rarely broke 1,000 people, but they were of all ages, and all of them were diehard supporters. That—plus experiencing a Súperclasico at the Boca Juniors’ stadium—really cemented in me the power of fútbol, to stoke people’s passion, and to bring people together. This is the type of passion I see a local team like Queensboro FC bringing to our NYC’s soccer community.
Have an incredible start to the New Year everyone!
The Soccer Snapshot is taking a New Years break—we’ll see you in a few weeks!
New people sign up here to get the next Soccer Snapshot!
See you on the pitch,
Jon D
SEO Company
January 29, 2020Awesome post! Keep up the great work! 🙂