NEW YORK | New York City FC celebrated its first-ever win in Major League Soccer (MLS) Sunday evening, defeating the New England Revolution 2-0 in their first home game at Yankee Stadium. They also made history off the field, as they posted the highest game day merchandise sales in MLS’ 20-year history.
The 43,507 crowd mobbed the Stadium’s 14 retail outlets from the moment the gates opened two hours before the game, until 90 minutes after the action had finished. The most popular item was a soccer fan favorite – the scarf. With eight different designs on sale, by the time the final whistle was blown, every single one of the 4,000 scarves in the stadium had sold out. Other favorites were replica jerseys, tees and beanie hats.
Tom Glick, President of New York City FC, said:
“Our historic home opener was a very special day for our Club. We were overwhelmed by the huge and vocal crowd who made Yankee Stadium their own.
“The demand for New York City FC merchandise at the game, shows the appetite for the Club and how eager our fans are to get behind their team. They weren’t just there to witness an extraordinary spectacle in the history of New York sports; they were buying into their team and showing their support.”
Dan Smith, President, Legends Hospitality, said:
“We have never witnessed demand like this at a soccer game. This is a great start to our partnership with New York City FC -- we are looking forward to serving their fans at Yankee Stadium for the whole MLS season.”