Boys in Blue bounce back with Hudson River Derby win and double over Red Bulls
By Noah Zimmerman
noah@queensledger.com
The World’s Borough showed out for Lionel Messi’s first ever match in Queens last week. A crowd of over 40,000 filled Citi Field as New York City FC hosted Inter Miami. It was a pivotal match for Eastern Conference seeding, as NYC mounted an impressive hike up the table, even bypassing Miami (despite them having two games in hand).
NYC entered the match in the East’s 3rd seed with Miami right behind in 4th but still within reach of the Supporters Shield and 1st overall seed due to their extra games left to play.
It’s been a budding rivalry in the conference, with the sides already engaging in some heated contests and fans pitted against each other. It’s no surprise that Messi has caught the attention of fans across the country, especially in an international soccer capital like New York City. It wasn’t surprising to see so many pink #10 shirts mixed into the sea of sky blue NYC gear.
On the field, it was a series of blown chances that cost New York a foothold against the Floridian side. In the first half there were two golden opportunities to score, but a point-blank Thiago Martins header was saved by Miami’s Oscar Ustari and a shot by Nico Fernandez glanced off the wrong side of the post.
Miami made the hosts pay before the break. Despite being the better side in the first half, NYC went into the half trailing by one after an immaculate assist by Messi to set up Baltasar Rodriguez.
The visitors piled on in the second half, with Messi finding the net himself in the 74th minute. The Queens crowd erupted as fans watched the greatest of all time beat the back line and softly chip the ball over Matt Freese.
Dejected, NYC limped towards the finish line, but Messi and Miami weren’t done. Luis Suarez netted a penalty in the 83rd minute before Messi completed his brace with a beautiful back-post shot just a few minutes later. The four goals scored were the most allowed by NYC all year, dampening what was a brilliant defensive record. It was also the first defeat suffered at Citi Field this year.
Just a few days later, NYC marched across the Hudson River to take on the New York Red Bulls. This time they got out on the front foot early, with Fernandez scoring just 90 seconds in.
Despite the early goal NYC again had trouble converting key chances, allowing their rivals back into the match. Youngster Julian Hall struck back to equalize in the 23rd minute and despite a brilliant header by Andres Perea to reestablish the lead, blown chances kept NYC from decisively pulling away.
Once again New York were punished, as Red Bulls star Emil Forsberg scored in the first minutes of the second half to keep his club’s playoff hopes alive.
Almost 20 minutes later and for the third time in the match, New York City seized the lead. This time it was captain Thiago Martins punching home a loose ball on the goal line after an initial stop on a Perea attempt.
With NYC unable to extend their lead, they looked to see out a tense finish. After 10 minutes of stoppage time, the final whistle finally blew, giving the visitors the win and a league double over their rivals. New York City players lifted the Hudson River Derby trophy in front of a sizable crowd of travelling fans.
The loss marked the likely end for the Red Bulls’ 15-year playoff streak, a Major League Soccer record. They currently sit in 10th, 5 points behind Chicago for the final postseason spot with matches coming up against 2nd place Cincinnati and 8th place Columbus.
For New York City, the season will come to an end at Citi Field against the Seattle Sounders after a road match against the rival Philadelphia Union. Just a few more points will secure a top-4 seed, giving the Boys in Blue a guaranteed home match in the playoffs.
The New York City Football Club’s long-awaited soccer stadium in Willets Point in Queens – the first soccer-specific stadium in the five boroughs – is set to open in 2027, marking a major milestone for both the club and the city. Construction began in December 2024 and is progressing steadily, with steel framework installation underway since June.
“It’s been 10 years in the making, and it’ll be 12 years when the stadium opens from the time the New York City Football Club launched, and so there’s a lot of excitement around it,” said New York City Football Club (NYCFC) Chief Operating Officer Jennifer O’Sullivan.
Councilmember Francisco Moya was one of a few speakers at last year’s groundbreaking event. He was joined by Mayor Eric Adams, Borough President Donovan Richards, and MLS Commissioner Don Garber.
The 23-acre Willets Point project – led by the Queens Development Group in partnership with the city’s Economic Development Corporation – is transforming what was once a long-neglected area with acres of empty space into a new neighborhood. While New York City FC is solely responsible for the stadium, the broader development will include 2,500 units of affordable housing, a 650-seat public school, and 115,000 square feet of public space.
When completed, the overall Willets Point development project is expected to generate $6.1 billion in economic impact over the next 30 years, creating more than 1,500 permanent jobs and thousands of construction jobs, O’Sullivan reports.
A render of Etihad Park, constructed just beyond Citi Field (Courtesy New York City FC)
New York City FC is on track for the stadium to open in 2027, and plans to host “soft openings” and test events ahead of the first major event in Spring 2027. “Construction will probably take us through 2026 and early 2027,” O’Sullivan said. “The hope is that [the stadium] will be open for our season, which generally starts in the Spring.”
The stadium will be more than a home field for soccer. The club plans to host a range of other sporting events – including lacrosse, American football, and rugby – as well as concerts and other large-scale events. “When you have a venue like this, the goal is to try to attract as many large-scale events as you can,” O’Sullivan explained. The club also hopes to one day field a women’s team at the venue and to bring in international teams.
The new stadium is set to open in 2027 ahead of the MLS season (Courtesy New York City FC)
The stadium will integrate New York City FC’s business headquarters and its nonprofit foundation, City in the Community, which delivers free soccer programming for kids. Sustainability is also a central focus: the facility will be the first all-electric stadium in New York, the first all-electric building in Major League Soccer, and only the third all-electric stadium in North America, with solar panels installed on the roof of the stadium.
The project has faced challenges in the past, such as finding the right site and navigating flood zone construction limitations. “We’re in the flood zone. A lot of stadiums will build into the ground, and we weren’t able to do that. So we’ve had to build up, and we’ve had a slight challenge there,” O’Sullivan noted. However, she reported that at the moment, progress on the NYCFC stadium project is smooth. “Everything has gone really well for us on the construction side,” O’Sullivan said. “We’ve been really pleased with how well things have gone so far for us.”
I think it’s fair to say for a month plus, the narrative around NY Baseball and panic has been front and center around the New York Yankees. Totally fair, totally justified might I add…
However, over the past month. The New York Mets have basically said to their crosstown rivals, “Hold my beer.”
The Mets were a team that at one point in the season was 20 plus games over .500 and basically found themselves in a dead heat with the Philadelphia Phillies for first place in the NL East.
The past month around the Mets has changed that narrative quite significantly. The Mets have fallen on some very hard times as a team. They have lost 7 consecutive games entering Tuesday’s game against the Atlanta Braves.
After the sweep at the hands of the Brewers, the Mets have stunningly lost 11 of their last 12 games and now cling to the 3rd Wild Card spot in the NL Playoff Picture and find themselves 6 games back of Philadelphia for first place in the NL East.
The pressing question is how in the world has this happened? A couple of different reasons.
The Mets cannot get any length out of their starting pitchers. For the past two months, their starters have averaged less than 5 innings a start. I don’t care if it’s the modern day game in 2025, that is 100 percent unacceptable.
The Mets inability to get length out of their rotation has compromised their bullpen dramatically.
The Mets also have seen their stars struggle mightily. Francisco Lindor was the conquering hero of the 2024 team. He has been dreadful for the past two months, where you have to wonder if indeed he is 100 percent right?
Juan Soto falls under that microscope too. Yes, his numbers on the surface look solid, but much of the damage Soto has done was during a red hot month of June.
In the biggest of spots so far in 2025, Juan Soto has come up too small. Soto was the king of the moment a year ago for the Yankees. The Mets need him to meet the moment over the final two months of the season.
The Mets schedule is very tricky after the next two weeks. It is imperative for the Mets to beat up on the Atlanta Braves, and yes I realize how weird it was typing that exact sentence.
Yes, the Braves have been a thorn in the Mets side for years. However, the Braves are a hot mess in 2025.
They are well under .500 and it’s been a lost season. Time to punish a team that wants to be put out of their misery.
The Mets have time to get their season back on track, but if the stars don’t play like stars and the rotation doesn’t find a way to give them some length, the problems and the misery will continue.
You can listen to my podcast New York, New York on The Ringer Podcast Network on Spotify/Apple Podcasts every Tuesday & Friday. You can watch me on Honda Sports Nite following Mets postgame on SNY.
There’s finally company atop the New York Mets all-time HR leaderboard. On Sunday, Pete Alonso launched home run #252 in orange and blue to draw level with the great Darryl Strawberry.
Straw’s swatted 335 homers over his career, with the first 252 as a Met. He was named Rookie of the Year in 1983 and made the All-Star Game in each of his next 7 seasons in Queens.
“The Polar Bear” had a similar start to his career, winning the 2019 NL ROY with a MLB record 53 homers as a first-year player. Alonso cleared the 40-HR mark in three different seasons, something Strawberry never did in his 17-year career (Strawberry hit 39 in 1988 and finished 2nd in MVP voting). Alonso was also recently named an All-Star for the 5th time in his career, coming up with a clutch 3-run homer in Atlanta last month.
Since Alonso first made the big league roster in 2019, he has led MLB with 679 RBI. Only Aaron Judge and Kyle Schwarber have hit more homers in that span, with 269 and 254 respectively.
As a consistent power and RBI threat, Alonso has cemented himself as a vital piece of the Mets lineup and will have rightfully earned the title of club HR leader the next time he clears the outfield wall.
Unfortunately the current season has taken a turn and Alonso’s next contract is still looming. Pete and the Mets agreed to a 2-year/$54M contract after lengthy negotiations last offseason, but it’s expected that Alonso will utilize his player option to test Free Agency once more.
Under his current contract, only Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is earning more at first base. Bryce Harper, Kris Bryant, and Freddie Freeman are all earning between $25M and $27M a year on long-term deals, painting a picture for Alonso’s contract hopes for his age 31 season and beyond.
Whether or not Alonso will be a Met for life is yet to be seen, but regardless he’s etched his name into New York baseball lore.
Perhaps someday Alonso’s #20 will hang near #18 above the left field stands at Citi Field. For now, Alonso will look to help turn the current Mets season around as they hunt another playoff run.
Editor’s Note: This article was published on Tuesday afternoon before the Mets vs Braves game. Pete Alonso would go on to hit HR #253 and #254 to become the standalone franchise leader.
NYC avenge their 2024 playoff loss to RBNY at Citi Field
By Noah Zimmerman
Noah@queensledger.com
Justin Haak makes a sliding stop against the Red Bulls. NYC’s defense is among the best so far this season (Photos by Noah Zimmerman, @N.Z.Media)
New York is Blue to start the 2025 season. In their third match at Citi Field, New York City FC picked up a 2-0 Hudson River Derby win over the New York Red Bulls. It’s the first of two matchups this year, with NYC now winners of three straight regular season contests.
Despite last year’s results, the Red Bulls won the first ever postseason matchup between the two clubs, ending NYC’s 2024 campaign at Citi Field with an identical scoreline. They would go on to the MLS Cup Final, narrowly falling to the LA Galaxy but claiming a second conference championship.
30,000 plus fans came out on a beautiful Saturday afternoon, including a strong traveling contingent of Red Bull fans. Home supporters unveiled a tifo celebrating their 2021 MLS Cup triumph and mocking the visitors’ recent defeat in the final. Both groups were in full voice for all 90 minutes.
New York City fans displayed a tifo poking fun at the Red Bulls MLS Cup Final loss, while bragging about their 2021 title
In the first 13th minutes, the Blues drew first blood. After dispossessing the Red Bulls, a quick series of passes set up Alonso Martinez for a long distance shot. He curled it over goalkeeper Carlos Coronel from beyond the box for his 7th goal of the campaign. Five minutes later, the Red Bulls shot-stopper got the better of the Costa Rican striker, making a stellar save on a breakaway.
NYC went on to double their advantage off of a brutal miscue by Coronel. The goalkeeper mishit the ball, giving it right to Martinez on the edge of the box. This time he laid it off to Maxi Moralez, who dribbled past the keeper and defenders for his first goal of the year.
Red Bull defenders console Carlos Coronel after the GK’s mistake gifted NYC a second goal
Martinez had one last taste of the goal in stoppage time, but his second long-range strike bounced off the crossbar. Still, NYC’s two goals were their most in a game since a 4-3 defeat to Atlanta in late March.
A stellar City defense made sure to keep the Red Bulls from answering. NYC keeper Matt Freese didn’t face a single shot on target through the first half, comfortably saving the only one he’d face in the second. He finished with his 6th clean sheet of the year.
Birk Risa on the ball for NYC. The defensive line only allowed one shot on goal, an easy save for Matt Freese
With the win NYC finally found themselves back in the top half of the Eastern Conference, just three points from 4th in the East and 6th overall. They’re tied for the 4th best defensive record in the league. The scoring hasn’t come easily, but if New York City start putting the ball in the net more frequently, they’ll become a force to be reckoned with this season.
Up next for the Boys in Blue are clashes with Chicago on Sunday afternoon (5/25) and Houston on Wednesday night (5/28), both at Yankee Stadium. New York City FC will make their return to Citi Field in August when they host the Columbus Crew.
Justin Haak shields the ball from a Cincinnati attacker
Thiago Martins made his 100th appearance for New York City FC. Photos by Noah Zimmerman
New York City FC returned to Citi Field over the weekend for their second home match in Queens. The Boys in Blue were winners of two of their previous three matches, a 1-0 win at Citi Field over Philadelphia and a 1-0 road win in Toronto. Hunting consecutive wins for the first time since early March, New York hosted Eastern Conference contenders FC Cincinnati.
It didn’t take 10 minutes for NYC to find the net, keeping their foot on the gas from the opening whistle. A deflected centering ball fell kindly at the top of the box for Julian Fernandez, who expertly tucked it into the bottom left corner of the goal.
Wearing the captain’s armband and celebrating his 100th appearance with the club, Thiago Martins was effective on both ends of the pitch early in the first half. He was able to fend off Cincinnati’s attackers while delivering piercing through balls to spring the NYC offense. Just a few minutes after the opening goal, Martins threaded a ball into New York’s attacking third.
Alonso Martinez was brought down inside the box and it seemed like things were going from bad to worse for Cincinnati until his penalty shot bounced off the post and away from the goal. Still, NYC were able to dominate the offensive chances in the opening 45 minutes, forcing goalkeeper Roman Celentano into a number of saves. New York nearly conceded in first half stoppage time, but a headed goal was called offside.
Rather than just sit back and defend, New York kept the tempo up in the second half. Both sides found themselves in good positions to score, but both defenses and goalkeepers were up to the task. The 1-0 score would last the remainder of the 90 minutes as NYC picked up a big win in Queens.
With the win, NYC were able to propel themselves into the top half of the East. Despite a slow start, New York are keeping matches close, with three of their four losses coming in 1-goal games. Through 11 matches, NYC are level on points with Nashville and Orlando and sit in 7th place, a point above New England and two above the New York Red Bulls.
Next week NYC will host CF Montreal at Yankee Stadium and visit DC United before returning to Citi Field for the Hudson River Derby on Saturday, May 17. They will kick off against the rival NY Red Bulls in Queens at 4:30pm.
After the derby NYC will play two more home matches at Citi Field; August 9 vs Columbus and September 24 against Miami. The venue for their final home match on October 18 is TBD.
Top NYC food brands deliver a fun experience to baseball fans at CitiField
by John Sanchez & Yasin Akdag
Left to right: Blaise Ffrench, Enigee (Glazed Dounuts), John Sanchez (Empanada Mama). Photo taken by Eli Kolins for BQE Media.
New York Mets Baseball Opening Day was Thursday, March 28, and baseball wasn’t the only thing that fans were excited about experiencing at Citi Field.
Did you know that Citi Field in Queens, New York, was recognized by USA Today as having the best food in any MLB stadium – twice.
Fans look forward to experiencing an all-star lineup of NYC food brands, including: Empanada Mama, Glaze Donuts, Shake Shack, Pat LaFrieda, Chiddy Cheesesteak, Prince Street Pizza, Pop Up Bagels, and many more at Citi Field during each and every Mets home game.
Citi Field’s newest celebrity chef partners include Anne Burrell, Adam Richman and Judy Joo; and all three have cooked up something new and exciting this season.
Anne Burrell’s Italian Eats features her new Loaded Pepperoni Chips – similar to loaded nachos, but with fried pepperoni cups. You can find these at Anne Burrell’s Italian Treats on the Field Level section 101.
Adam Richman’s Burger Hall of Fame features his French Onion Soup Burger, and can be found at Section 103.
Joo’s Seoul Bird features Korean Fried Chicken, and can be found at the Hudson Whiskey NY Club on the Promenade Level.
“Highlighting the best NYC food brands is an important part of the food program at Citi Field,” said Jason Eksterowicz, Senior Executive Chef at Citi Field.
“We are a melting pot. At Citi Field, you’re not going to find things that are cool in D.C., or any vendors from Philly. Everything is going to be local to New York,” said Eksterowicz.
The main media event at Citi Field, introducing “What’s New in 24,” took place on March 28th, and the Queens Ledger News Team got a sneak peek at the exclusive brands that are gracing the ballpark this 2024-25 season.
Empanada Mama’s Cheesesteak and Banana Nutella Empanadas, Prince Street Pizza’s Pepperoni Square, Gyro Jimmy’s Greek Grill’s Loukoumades, Taqueria Nixtamal’s Birria Taco and Esquites, and Wok n’ Roll’s Rainbow Cookie Eggroll were a few of the many brands that we enjoyed.
“Empanada Mama is excited to be back at Citi Field this Mets season, and we’ve brought our popular Banana Nutella dessert empanada this time,” said John Sanchez, CMO of Empanada Mama. Empanada Mama was one of the new star food brands last season, and fans raved about their Cheesesteak Empanada. “The food at Citi Field is so enjoyable that even if the Mets aren’t winning, fans still enjoy themselves,” said Sanchez. “It’s a testament to Citi Field’s Hospitality team,” he added.
“We have a very passionate fan base, and they deserve the very best experience at Citi Field” said Taryn Donovan, VP of Hospitality at the NY Mets. “Going to a Mets game at Citi Field is a special experience, and being able to enjoy popular NYC food brands while watching the game with loved ones is a home-run,” said Donovan.
We also got a behind the scenes look at the new Delta SKY360º Club, upgraded team store, buzz-worthy LED lighting, and the dynamic Queens Crew dance team.
Empanada Mama serves up empanadas the size of baseballs. Popular for being a snack that is easy to devour, you can’t go wrong with their Cheesesteak, Buffalo Chicken, Greek Spinach Pie, or Banana Nutella dessert flavors. Find them on the Field Level in Section 103 and embark on a trip to experience the food of America del Sur.
Enigee, a partner of Glaze Donuts, invites you to try their award-winning dounuts. Dig into their glazed doughnuts filled with orange Boston cream that’s ready to hit your tastebuds. Their custom Mets donut is calling fans to cheer for their team, while satisfying your sweet tooth. Go Mets!
Try their delicious lamb gyro dripping with tzatziki sauce and loaded with lettuce, tomato, onions, fries, and packed inside a pita. Have a sweet tooth? Their traditional Greek loukoumades – fried and glazed honey balls topped with cinnamon powder will leave you craving more! Meet the chef behind the menu, Jimmy Stathakis, who previously worked as a waiter and then started the restaurant business 20 years ago, and during COVID-19 opened the joint together with his partner Billy Vasos wondering where the pandemic would lead them. (that’s what real passion is about right?) Eat like the Greek gods and summon your power like a baseball player on the field! Hoorah! (Knock yourself out and run to the Excelsior Level at the Caesars Sportsbook Metropolitan Market).
Enjoy your favorite sports game by dipping their birria beef tacos with melted cheese cilantro and onions into a cup of broth. To top it off, taste the sweetness of their Esquites (street corn for Spanish). This delicious dessert flavored with mayonnaise, cotija, and cheese certainly steals the show ¡Viva la Mexico!
The owners Rosabla Ruiz & Fernando Luis opened the restaurant 13 years ago, and their Taqueria is known to be making its way to stadiums and festivals. (Now you can grab it at Citifield’s the Field Level at Taste of the City.
Dig into these unique eggrolls layered with fun and festive rainbow colors filled with raspberry jam and chocolate syrup. The joint has only been open for three years and offers a new alternative to your regular bowl takeaway with a modern Chinese takeout that comes in specialty boxes. The owner Christopher wants to keep his customers entertained: “I prioritize my customers’ food experience by bringing them something unique like our eggrolls next to doing collaborations with local artists from Long Island where we’re based.” (Try it on the Field Level at the Metropolitan Fry Factory in Taste of the City).
This is their second year at Citi field, and this time around, Chiddy introduces a hotdog-cheesesteak mashup. Two legends in one bite! This is a combo that’ll leave you wanting more! The idea behind the Chiddy Dog, combining cheesesteaks with hotdogs, logically came from the lack of space in the food truck. Mike owns Chiddy’s Cheesesteaks, and the nickname “Chiddy” is adopted from his last name Chidester. He’s been running the business together with his partners Evan and Daron: “Our cheesesteaks were pretty popular alongside our regular beef hotdogs, we thought why not put them together in one, and that’s how the Chiddy dog was born”, Mike says. They’ve been doing cheesesteaks for 10 years, and the peeps love it! (Available on the Field Level in Section 132)
On the entertainment front, The Amazin’ Mets Foundation introduces a range of exciting initiatives at Citi Field this season. Fans can enjoy The Queens Crew show and explore the expanded Mets Team store alongside a new raffle program benefiting community programs. Additionally, the luxurious DeltaSky 360° Club debuts, offering upscale amenities and gourmet snacks. Each home game presents opportunities for fans to win prizes, which Mets owner Alex Cohen emphasizes on within the community. Anticipation builds for the upcoming season with these enhancements.
Kudos to CitiField’s Hospitality team for ensuring that even if the Mets season record is lousy, fans will be too busy eating to be upset, said John Jastremski, Host of New York New York Podcast for The Ringer on Spotify, SNY TV Sports Host, and BQE Media Sports Columnist.
The Mets season record is 14-13 so far. You can buy tickets here. Go Mets!
More than 140 local businesses were represented at the Queens Chamber of Commerce annual Queens Business Expo last Wednesday at Citi Field. Some of the businesses in attendance included the New York Daily News, BQE Media, Maspeth Federal Savings Bank, Apple Bank, Queens Community House, W&M Fire Protection, Solace House, Skyline Cruises, Solucore Elevator Solutions, Flushing Bank, Aetna, She Media NY, World Journal, and many more.
The event began with a keynote address by First Deputy Mayor Lorraine Grillo, followed by a panel discussion on the tech industry in Queens featuring Small Business Services Commissioner Kevin Kim, Tech NYC Executive Director Jason Clark, President and CEO of the New York City Economic Development Committee Andrew Kimball, and PropTech Pioneer CSO Bill Staniford.
During the discussion, Queens Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Thomas Grech asked “where do you see the development of the tech industry going over the next three to five years?”
Kimball said he has a “glass half full” view that the economy is roaring back after the COVID-19 pandemic. He added that he expects to see progress in some industries including PropTech, BioTech, and Green Tech/Clean Tech.
According to the NYCEDC President/CEO, the green tech industry could help provide over 13,000 new jobs over the next ten years thanks to efforts to get off fossil fuels and purchase agreements for offshore wind power supplies.
During the Expo, attendees were given the opportunity to meet St. John’s University alum and NY Mets star John Franco, who was on the show floor all afternoon, as well as attend educational seminars, take home raffle prizes, and even take a picture with Mr. Met.
There was also a section of the Expo specifically dedicated to the local food industry, where different business owners provided attendees with a taste of their unique cuisine.
See photos below:
Queens Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Thomas Grech
Keynote speakers at the 2022 Expo included (L-R) NYC Small Business Services Commissioner Kevin Kim, Tech NYC Executive Director Jason Clark, President and CEO of the New York City Economic Development Committee Andrew Kimball, and PropTech Pioneer CSO Bill Staniford.
Hotlier and President of Century Development Group George Xu, center, with members of his family and staff.
Former NY Mets relief pitcher John Franco
Representatives with Apple Bank
Local chefs showcase their delicious cuisine.
W&M Fire Protection at the Expo
Maspeth Federal Savings at the Queens Business Expo 2022
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