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Where to watch the Champions League final in New York

by | May 28, 2016 | #NYCSports

Tomorrow, Saturday May 28th at 2:45 pm is the Champions League final, European Soccer’s biggest prize.  This year’s final is an all-Madrid derby between Atletico Madrid and 10-time champion Real Madrid, a rematch of the 2014 final won by Real.  Around this time, New York’s football (the real kind) fans and visiting tourists wonder, ‘Where can I watch the match?”  The answer, thankfully, is pretty much everywhere.  You won’t have difficulty finding a bar with game on.  The match will be on live on free-to-air tv on Fox (channel 5.1 over an antenna) or on ESPN Deportes in Spanish.  It can also be streamed on a phone over foxsoccer2go.com

A few weeks ago I published a post recommending where to watch England’s Leicester City clinch the Premier League.  Most of the bars listed there will be very good, if crowded, places to watch the match.  But given the particularly Castilian flavor of this final, I think it’s worth recommending a few specific places in New York to get an experience unique to this match.

Real Madrid superstar Cristiano Ronaldo Real Madrid superstar Cristiano Ronaldo

1. Barleycorn: Craft Beer and Grill

Tne Real Madrid NYC Supporters Club will be meeting a Barleycorn at 23 Park Pl in Tribeca.  It’s a solid soccer venue downtown otherwise. It’s not their regular spot–they move around.  In the past they had met regularly at Quinns Bar and Grill in Hell’s Kitchen but it closed last February.
Crest of Atletico Madrid, Real's local rival. Crest of Atletico Madrid, Real’s local rival.

2,  Suite 36, 14 W 36th Street, Midtown

Suite 36 is the regular gathering spot of NYC supporters of Atletico Madrid.  Expect a mostly Spanish-speaking crowd.

3.   Donostia, 155 Avenue B, East Village

This Basque-themed Spanish venue in the East Village will offer an Iberian flavor with a neutral (?) atmosphere.  Unfortunatlery, the previous go-to Spanish spot for Spanish football, La Nacional, has closed (temporarily we are told).

4. Fornos of Spain Restaurant, 47 Ferry St, Newark

OK, it’s not New York City, but definitely within the NY Metro area and accessible from Manhattan by the PATH rail system.  Newark’s Ironbound neighborhood has historically been home to Spanish and Portuguese communities and has several restaurants to boast (given that many of the players on both teams are Portuguese, those restaurants may also be worth a try).

My prediction: the winner will be football.

Where to watch Manchester United vs Leicester City in NYC–or–where to watch Leicester win the league?

by | Apr 30, 2016 | #NYCSports

History is upon us, if you’re a football (soccer) fan.  The small, unfancied club Leicester City are one victory away from winning the English Premier League title, ahead of famous powerhouses such as Chelsea, Manchester United, Arsenal, etc.  Defying 5000 to 1 odds, Leicester are almost certain complete one of the most shocking achievements in sports history.

On Sunday morning at 9:00 am Eastern Time, this historic match begins at Old Trafford stadium in England, where Leicester City can clinch the title. The game will be watched by Premier League fans around the world.  Football fans in New York, be they English expats, soccer-mad Yanks, or people just wondering what all the fuss is about, will be watching the match on Sunday morning with their breakfast.  In the US the match will be on NBCSN and on Telemundo in Spanish.  For cord-cutters or those wanting to watch it at a pub, there will be plenty of options.  Most sports bars will show it if you ask, as long as they’re open.

Here’s a short list of places I recommend:

Legends, 6 W 33rd St
This soccer-specific bar near the Empire State Building is one of the best destinations for football.  I watched Russia play the US here many years ago.  And it’s home to the New York Foxes, and local supporters club for Leicester fans.  So come here a revel in history with those who best appreciate it.

Smithfield Hall, 38 W 25th St
A meeting place for Manchester United fans (since the previous spot the Manchester Pub burned down) club that stands in Leicester’s way to history.  A definite spot if you’re Man United fan, or if you want to play spoiler.

The Red Lion, 151 Bleecker St
This English pub in Greenwich Village is known for live music at night but has established itself as a premier spot for English sporting interests such as Football, Rugby, Cricket, etc.  A good spot when the English national team plays for its fans, it shows most of the Premier League matches as will definitely be rocking with this historic moment of English football.

Woodwork, 583 Vanderbilt Ave, Prospect Heights, Brooklyn
Brooklyn’s premier football venue, this place shows it all.

Banter, 132 Havemeyer St, Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Another Brooklyn spot, where I watched the 2014 World Cup to a packed crowd.

The Red Lion in the Village The Red Lion in the Village