David vs. Goliath matchup could spark new Westchester vs. NYC rivalry
· Yahoo Sports
Westchester County and New York City are about to battle it out.
The date is set: Tuesday night, April 14.
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Pizza, a home's square footage, taxes, suburb vs. city, trains vs. cars? No, this battle is not about any of those.
It’s about a pro soccer game. In a sport that does David vs. Goliath like no other, Westchester SC, in only its second season in the USL League One division, will host big-time Major League Soccer’s New York City FC at the 3,900-capacity Stadium at Memorial Field in Mount Vernon.
Westchester SC, which has started its second season, will square off at 7:30 p.m. against New York City FC, which during its league season plays against the likes of World Cup-winning Argentine megastar Lionel Messi and his Inter Miami.
NYC FC has been playing home matches at Yankee Stadium and at Citi Field, but next year is slated to move into the new Etihad Park, a gleaming, 25,000-seat stadium under construction in Queens. New York City FC's wealthy owners include in their portfolio other pro soccer teams, particularly European powerhouse Manchester City, which is locked in a late-season duel for the English Premier League title.
But don't expect some exhibition match (or friendly, in soccer parlance) when things get going Tuesday. Westchester vs. New York City is the real thing, in a competition formally called the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. It dates to 1914, and teams from various divisions of U.S.-based professional soccer are in the mix in the tournament's early rounds.
The winner will go on to the next round of the competition.
Ari Kwitkin-Close, Westchester SC chief revenue officer, said that during Westchester SC's first season, it did draw crowds of 3,000. But Tuesday's match is set to be the team's first sellout. A sellout would be considered 3,500.
"Including our standing-room sections," he said, "we are expecting some 4,000 people."
The U.S. Open Cup is akin to England’s Football Association Cup ( FA Cup) and Spain’s Copa del Rey, where, respectively, a Liverpool might play a lower-division team and an FC Barcelona might do the same.
The idea is that maybe a team or teams that aren't in the top division pull off a surprise or two. Maybe even go all the way.
The odds say New York City FC goes through. But sports is replete with moments that upset the applecart, even in the Big Apple (or just north of it).
Could Westchester SC defeat New York City FC?
If Westchester SC defeats New York City FC, it will have home advantage against its next opponent. And it's conceivable the next opponent would be none other than New York City's other Major League Soccer team, the Red Bulls.
First, a bit of how this nascent Westchester vs. New York City rivalry arrived.
Westchester SC journeyed to Vermont. There, it played the Vermont Green FC, a team that's gotten its share of ink for its own set of loyal fans. With 2,000 watching in a packed stadium, the Open Cup match between them progressed to penalty kicks to decide it (penalty kicks being in the echelon of most nerve-racking things to watch in sports). Westchester pulled off the win.
Meanwhile, Westchester SC has started well in its second league season, currently fifth of 17 squads in the USL League One standings.
New York City FC is fourth in Major League Soccer's Eastern Division.
The modern-day U.S. Open Cup has tended to lead in one direction: Major League Soccer teams have won the cup every year since the turn of the century.
Kwitkin-Close said a goal is for all of the fans, from the die-hards to the new ones who may be formed Tuesday night, to "have an unbelievable experience." Parking is free at the garage that's just feet from the stadium. Tickets are available at westchestersc.com/single-game-tickets
Still, sports history is replete with surprises, so there is room to believe.
"Anything is possible — that's the beauty of sports," Kwitkin-Close said.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Westchester, New York City will battle it out, David vs. Goliath style