First Games Announced!

The full 2015 MLS schedule has yet to be announced, but today NYCFC revealed details of the first two games:

The details:

NYCFC kicks off Inaugural Season vs. Orlando City and New England

December 19, 2014
11:03 AM EST

New York City FC will officially hit the pitch for their first MLS season on Sunday, March 8th at Orlando against their fellow expansion franchise. The historic home opener at Yankee Stadium in front of hometown fans will be Sunday, March 15th vs. the Eastern Conference Champion New England Revolution.

Both games have been selected to be shown nationally on ESPN2.

“We could not be more excited at the prospect of kicking off our first season” said Claudio Reyna, New York City’s Sporting Director.

“Our first competitive game will be the culmination of nearly two years’ hard work to get this Club ready for kick off. Now it is time to focus on what lies ahead and our first game will mark the true beginning for New York City FC.”

Head Coach Jason Kreis commented, “There is a huge buzz around the camp as we prepare to get pre-season underway. We’re looking forward to starting on the road and building up even more excitement as we head home for our first game in Yankee Stadium. We have been overwhelmed by the level of support we have had across New York and we can’t wait to play in front of all of our fans for the first time. We know that they will create an unbelievable atmosphere in Yankee Stadium on March 15th.”

The full schedule will be announced in January.

For information on how to purchase tickets for New York City FC’s inaugural season, please visit: http://www.nycfc.com/tickets.

And don't forget, if you haven't yet purchased your tickets there is still some available in Section 237, our second exclusive area for Third Rail members. Check your email for details on how to purchase.

Come Watch the MLS Cup at the Third Rail Holiday Party!

We are proud to announce our Holiday Party, next Saturday, December 7th!

This year, we are combining our party with an MLS Cup viewing party. Come watch the LA Galaxy host the New England Revolution to see who will be crowned MLS Champions.

This party, like our last several meetings, will be held at Nevada Smiths, our official home for away matches!

Your Third Rail membership card, as always, gets you 10% off your tab at Nevada Smiths.



Before the game begins, we will hold our monthly membership meeting. Here are some of the topics we will be discussing:

• Membership Packages
• The Carolina Challenge Cup
• Update on season ticket sales in our section
• Our Under-21 Division

After the game, another round of our popular FIFA15 tournament!

We'll see you there!

Membership Meeting Next Saturday!

Our next membership meeting will be held on Saturday November 15th from 2-4:00pm at Nevada Smiths, our official home for away matches!



Here are some of the topics we will be discussing:

• Membership Packages
• Travel to the Carolina Challenge Cup
• Season Tickets to NYCFC
• Our Under-21 Division

For those who wanted to pick up their membership packages, we'll be available from 12:30 until the meeting starts, and then from 4:00 to 5:00.

You can find more information at our Facebook event page. We'll see you there!

South Bronx United Benefit Next Tuesday

Our friends at South Bronx United are holding their 4th Annual Benefit next Tuesday at the Midtown Loft in Manhattan.

From the organization's website:

Tickets and donations for the evening help raise crucial funds for the organization's youth programs and features a buffet, dessert, and an open bar sponsored by Dos Toros Taqueria, the Bronx Brewery, and Artuso Pastry Shop. Guests can also support through live and silent auctions.

Midtown Loft is located at:
     267 Fifth Avenue, 11th Floor
     New York, NY 10016

South Bronx United is one of New York City FC's eight Youth Affiliates. They "use soccer as a tool to enrich the lives of South Bronx and immigrant youth," in the words of Executive Director Andrew So.

For more information, visit sbusupporters.org/benefit. You can purchase advance tickets for the benefit here; tickets at the door will be subject to an extra charge.

South Bronx United does so much in the community; let's get out and support them on Tuesday!

Anyone Feel Like Charleston in February?

The club unveiled some surprising news this morning:

NYCFC to compete in 2015 Carolina Challenge Cup
November 5, 201411:26 AM EST

New York City Football Club is delighted to announce that the team will participate in the in the 12th annual Carolina Challenge Cup in February 2015.

Just a few weeks before NYCFC play their first-ever MLS fixture, Jason Kreis’s side will be joined by Orlando City S.C, Houston Dynamo and Charleston Battery in the round robin tournament hosted at the Blackbaud Stadium in South Carolina.

Six matches will take place between Saturday 21 February and Saturday 28 February and NYCFC Sporting Director Claudio Reyna believes that the competition will provide the perfect test at an ideal time.

“The opportunity to play in the Carolina Challenge Cup was one that we didn’t want to pass up. It’s a fantastic tournament and Charleston is a great city for us to spend time in during pre-season.” Reyna declared.

“Playing against an established MLS side in Houston Dynamo will get us a real sense of where we’re at in our preparations to join the league in March and the same can be said of the game against our fellow new expansion team, Orlando City.

“Charleston Battery are also a talented outfit and I’m sure that they will do an excellent job in hosting next year’s Carolina Challenge Cup. This competition will form a very important part of our pre-season.”

Head Coach Jason Kreis, who won the competition with Real Salt Lake in 2009, echoed Claudio’s sentiments, revealing his excitement at this first announcement of pre-season matches.

“It will be an exciting challenge for us to take part in the Cup which is MLS-sanctioned for the first time this year,” Kreis told nycfc.com.

“It’s a competition I have experience of competing in, so I know how well organised and how competitive it is.

“We’ve been working really hard behind the scenes to ensure that our pre-season program gets us in the best shape to be competitive from the first minute of our opening regular season match.

“I believe that it will prove to be an important week in our preparations for our first season.”

The Carolina Challenge Cup was started in 2004 by USL Pro side, Charleston Battery.

DC United have won the tournament on the most occasions, lifting the Cup four times, including the last one in 2014.

Kreis’s Real Salt Lake fended off competition from Toronto FC, DC United and Charleston Battery to lift the trophy in 2009 – a feat which preceded their MLS Cup win at the end of the year.

Ticket news and date of fixtures to be released soon. More pre-season exhibition announcements will be announced in due course.

This is an interesting development; a chance to see our club compete before the MLS season starts. It's also good news that they want to hit the ground running.

The Charleston Battery, the USL Pro club hosting the event, tweeted out this message shortly after the announcement was made:

Fans of @OrlandoCitySC travel very well & we hope for great interest from supporters of @NYCFC. Working on special travel packages for them.

— Charleston Battery (@Chas_Battery) November 5, 2014

Sounds like fun. Charleston is a pretty hefty drive, but a very reasonable flight.



Orlando is about half that distance, so expect to see lots of purple in the stands. It would be great to bring the blue!

Stay tuned, Third Rail members. We'll have more on this as the situation develops for those who would like to make our first away trip.

Another Third Rail Exclusive - "All Will Be Revealed"!

Just minutes ago, New York City FC released this promo image:

Seems pretty clear we're getting a jersey release in two weeks!

They also sent an email to all season ticket holders with an opportunity to RSVP for a "Special Event" with David Villa.

Those RSVP spots filled up within a half-hour, but we have additional spots reserved just for Third Rail members! Check your email; you should already have received a link to sign up for this amazing event.

It's another benefit of membership in the only recognized, independent NYCFC supporters' group; if you're not yet a member, you know what to do!

Reminder - Halloween Party this Saturday!

All Hallows' Eve is approaching, and the Third Rail is ready to celebrate!

Our first annual Halloween party will be held on Saturday November 1st starting at 7:00 pm at Nevada Smiths, our home for away matches!



We will have:

• prizes for the best costume;
• a guest DJ playing music till the wee hours;
• drink specials;
• exclusive Third Rail merchandise available for purchase;
• a FIFA 15 tournament;
• and much more!

This party is 21+, ID is required!

The FIFA 15 tournament will begin at 7:00 pm. The tournament costs $10 to enter, check our Facebook page for pre-registration information. First place wins a prize pack!

You can find more information at our Facebook event page. We'll see you there!

Come Watch El Clasico With Us!

While we wait for the 2015 MLS season to start, there's still a lot of world football to watch. Members of the Third Rail will be at Nevada Smiths at 12:00 pm on Saturday to watch El Clásico, as Barça travel to the Bernabéu to face Real Madrid.

Even if you don't support either clubs, the atmosphere promises to be electric. You can RSVP here or just turn up on Saturday.

Also coming up - Nevada Smiths will host our First Annual Halloween Party on November 1st, with drink specials, costume prizes, a DJ, FIFA15 tournament and more!

And starting next spring, when NYCFC takes the pitch, Nevada Smiths will be our home to watch away matches. Come hang out with us this weekend and check out the new digs as we wait for those days to come.

The Third Rail Halloween Party!

All Hallows' Eve is approaching, and the Third Rail is ready to celebrate!

Our first annual Halloween party will be held on Saturday November 1st starting at 7:00 pm at Nevada Smiths, our home for away matches!



We will have:

• prizes for the best costume;
• a guest DJ playing music till the wee hours;
• drink specials;
• exclusive Third Rail merchandise available for purchase;
• a FIFA 15 tournament;
• and much more!

This party is 21+, ID is required!

The FIFA 15 tournament will begin at 7:00 pm. The tournament costs $10 to enter, and pre-registration information will be open shortly. First place wins a prize pack!

You can find more information at our Facebook event page. We'll see you there!

"Kicking Ebola Out" in the Bronx

Last weekend, the Third Rail joined the Organization of New York Mandingo (ONYMA) in the Bronx for their "Kicking out EBOLA Thru Soccer" tournament. Ebola is obviously much in the news today, with the first cases in the United States, bringing added focus to ONYMA's work raising both awareness and money to fight the disease in West Africa.

Here, Third Rail board member Andres Loaiza poses with members of the tournament champions, New York Syli National De Guinée:

We are proud to have been a sponsor of the "Kicking out EBOLA thru Soccer" tournament, and to donate the trophy for this year's event.

Community service is central to the Third Rail's mission of nurturing and growing the soccer community here in New York City, and salute ONYMA for all their work.

We echo ONYMA's motto "Uniting Our Community Through Sports" and look forward to continuing to work with charitable soccer organizations all over our great city.

(photo credit: ONYMA)

See the USMNT (and Donovan's Farewell)

The US Men's National Team will be taking on Ecuador in a friendly on October 10th, and the Third Rail will be there!

The match in Hartford, Connecticut will not only be a chance to see the World Cup squad in action, but is also Landon Donovan's farewell to international football and therefore one of the most important soccer events in our area this year!

We have a limited number of seats available; tickets are $32 for members/$37 for non-members. We have also chartered buses from Manhattan; those tickets are $30/$35.

Members, check your emails for details. Non-members, hit us up on Facebook or Twitter if you'd like to join us.

The Third Rail at the MLS Expansion Priority Draft

Third Rail member Tiffany Slagle was chosen to represent us (and NYCFC) at the Expansion Priority Draft event in Midtown Manhattan today.


Tiffany got to prepare the envelopes and assist with the draw. Love the Third Rail tshirt!

Here she poses with her opposite number, Orlando City fan Ha'Ani Hogan:

Even though we didn't win the draw, Tiffany did a fantastic job.

We've had members present for all the major club announcements, and we will continue to offer as many of these opportunities as we can. If you're yet not a member, you know what to do.

And Orlando... we'll see you on the pitch next year!

And so it begins... @ThirdRailSC @HaONeee @OrlandoCitySC @NYCFC pic.twitter.com/XBgVtSQ083

— Tiffany Slagle (@tiffanyslagle) September 24, 2014

2014 Supporters Club Cup Results

We had a very good showing at the 2014 Supporters Club Cup. Playing in shirts of sky blue supplied by Upper 90, the Third Rail FC stormed through our group before falling to eventual champion Millonarios in the semifinals.

Match-by-match results are here. We have also uploaded video highlights of our team in action:



And NYCFC's video recap of the entire tournament:



Congrats to all who came out to play, and thanks to those who came to watch and cheer. Good job all, and we'll be back in 2015!

Today - the Supporters Club Cup!

Come down to Pier 40 on the Hudson River to watch the Third Rail FC take on other supporters groups in the Supporters Club Cup!  The action starts promptly at 8am. 

We're in a group with fans of Club America, Real Madrid, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United.  Here are the groups:

The full schedule is here: 

http://www.nycsupportersclubcup.com/schedule.html

Hope to see you there!

Next Meeting is August 9th at Nevada Smiths!

Mark your calendars - the next public meeting of the Third Rail will be held Saturday August 9th at 2:00 pm.

We are holding the meeting in the private room at Nevada Smiths, our new home for away matches.



Hope to see you there!

EA SPORTS FIFA Fans First Event - Our Contest Winners!

We are proud to announce the winners of tickets to the EA SPORTS FIFA Fans First at the Hard Rock Cafe in Times Square.

The Third Rail will be represented at this event by our members:

Anthony Larsen

and

Marie-Claire Bousquette

Congratulations to Anthony and Marie-Claire, and have fun playing FIFA 15!

This is one of many special benefits available to our members as we march to 2015. To be eligible for our contests and other fan events, join the Third Rail today!

Sign Up Today to Win Tickets to the EA SPORTS FIFA Fans First Event!

Calling all gamers: EA SPORTS is holding a special FIFA 15 event in New York City next week, and the Third Rail has tickets!

Two lucky Third Rail members will win tickets to EA SPORTS FIFA Fans First at the Hard Rock Cafe in Times Square on Tuesday, July 29th from 3-8pm.

This is your chance to attend the ultimate soccer fan experience and receive an exclusive hands-on with FIFA 15 almost two full months before it is available in stores!

FIFA 15 doesn't go on sale until September 23rd, but our winners will be among the first to play!

All 2014 Third Rail members are eligible for this contest, regardless of the date you signed up.

In order to be eligible for this drawing, you:

• must be a Third Rail member (not a member yet? You can join here and be eligible right away!);
• must be a FIFA gamer;
• must be at least 18 years old;
• must be a U.S. resident;
• cannot have already participated in an EA SPORTS event;
• must be active on social media and open to sharing your usernames with EA SPORTS.

To enter, FILL OUT THIS ENTRY FORM and email the completed form to ThirdRailContests@gmail.com. Please make sure that the name on your entry sheet matches the name on your Third Rail membership.

Entries are due by 12:00 noon on Friday, July 25th. We'll announce the two winners that afternoon, and you can start getting ready to play!

Reminder - World Cup Semi-FInal Viewing Party at Brother Jimmy's!

Don't forget - tomorrow we have our World Cup Semi-Final Viewing Party, co-sponsored with New York City FC itself!

Germany punched its ticket to the final in dramatic fashion this afternoon, now it's time for Argentina and the Netherlands to step up. Which one will win the right to face Die Adler in the Estádio do Maracanã on Sunday?

Our viewing party will be at Brother Jimmy's BBQ on 31st and Lexington in Manhattan. The match starts at 4:00, the party starts at 3:00!

We'll have beer specials provided by our friends at the Bronx Brewery. There will also be half-priced appetizers, prizes and giveaways, and the opportunity to watch the match with NYCFC staff.

There will be an opportunity to sign up for the Third Rail (if you haven't already), and a special raffle for Third Rail members.

See you there!

Join us and NYCFC for a World Cup Semi-Final Viewing Party!

The Third Rail is extremely proud to announce that we are co-sponsoring an event with New York City FC, a World Cup Semi-Final viewing party at Brother Jimmy's BBQ on 31st and Lexington in Manhattan. The match starts at 4:00, the party starts at 3:00!

As the graphic above indicates, we'll have beer specials provided by our friends at the Bronx Brewery. There will also be half-priced appetizers, prizes and giveaways, and the opportunity to watch the match with NYCFC staff.

We'll have more details as the event draws closer - keep watching this space!

For more information, or to RSVP, please visit our event page.

World Cup Viewing Party a Success!

The Third Rail's World Cup pub crawl in the Bronx was a smashing success. We had three dozen fans watching the games at Stan's, Billy's and the Dugout.

Director of Membership Samuel Youn shared these photos on Twitter:

Fantastic day of watching #worldcup games with fellow @ThirdRailSC @nycfc fans in the #bronx #nycfchometurf pic.twitter.com/ErEA8lsYdh

— Samuel Youn (@Samuel_Youn) June 14, 2014

the @ThirdRailSC is at the dugout for leg 1 of #WorldCup viewing parties! join us for free #NYCFC merch raffles pic.twitter.com/IFA6UZJN1F

— Samuel Youn (@Samuel_Youn) June 14, 2014

Our first @ThirdRailSC @NYCFC raffle winners! come join us in the #bronx https://t.co/DNIh7Z4Yaf pic.twitter.com/NJdRcRtaG9

— Samuel Youn (@Samuel_Youn) June 14, 2014

Congrats to our final raffle winners! Great turnout for the @ThirdRailSC @NYCFC #WorldCup party! pic.twitter.com/XIWsKDe2XO

— Samuel Youn (@Samuel_Youn) June 14, 2014

Keep watching this space for our next event!