
_\*This trip occurred on May 24, 2026._

That’s right - **I WENT BACK**.

As I said during the [preliminary round](2026-05-19_iflcup), I originally had other plans for this day, so I wasn't thinking of going back to see more of the IFL Cup. However, rain and general wetness ended up affecting said plans (as well as my schedule for the whole weekend)[^1], so I decided to come back to check out MORE indoor football (as it _sorta_ fit around the [Staten Island Monarchs](2026-05-25_simonarchs) game I went to).

One thing I forgot to mention in two prior posts about the sport[^2]: indoor football games have a tendency to be MUCH higher scoring than outdoor football (or at least they did in the old AFL days). Case in point: I didn't mention this in the original post for...some reason, but Arizona and Vegas scored 61 and 73 points respectively in their wins on Monday. Only five times has an NFL team scored 61 points (with the last time being in 1989), and 73 points is the **ALL TIME NFL RECORD** for points scored in a single game (set in the league's 1940 championship game and yet to be matched)[^3].

Anyway, since I've already gone over the league, event, and teams before, I won't bore you trying to re-explain things (though one thing that did change: IFL Cup game balls were now available for purchase). Instead, let's just get to the games:

### Consolation Game: New Mexico Chupacabras vs. Orlando Pirates

I also realized that I didn't talk too much about how the IFL Cup teams are doing THIS season in the last post, but let's just say...things aren't going great in Albuquerque. The team has only one win on the year (over another team that only has one win on the year), and have scored the fewest touchdowns in the league (not to mention the multiple endzone interceptions they had on Monday).

The Pirates, meanwhile, are apparently one of the weaker defenses in the league - allowing the most points per game, which when combined with a middle of the pack offense, leads to the team being somewhat "middling" at 4-3 (also, as mentioned on Monday, they apparently have depth issues). They're beaten a bunch of the teams behind them in the standings, but came up short against the one of actually good teams and got blown out by two others (one of those blowouts being the game against Vegas on Monday).

All of this points to this game likely being a bit less interesting, which in a way, it was: the Pirates ended up winning by 30 points (but scored far fewer than either the Rattlers or Knight Hawks did on Monday). However, I only saw THE FINAL MINUTE of this game, as I found out that despite American Dream being, well, American Dream, there is an advantage in being the only shopping mall fully open on Sundays in Bergen County...though it causes MASSIVE traffic jams (plus I was busy in the morning, and the game got moved up from 1 PM to noon). The Pirates did score in the time I was there, however, so I didn't miss ALL of the action (just MOST of it). 

### Championship Game: Arizona Rattlers vs. Vegas Knight Hawks

Both teams are among the better teams in the league this season: Vegas came into this game with only one loss, while Arizona had two - but one of those losses was to the Knight Hawks a few weeks before the IFL Cup.

I actually didn't see the first half of this game, as I was coming from Staten Island as mentioned earlier. However, since that game ended about half an hour after this game started, I figured I'd try and catch the end of this game (i.e. see who wins the whole thing). Traffic in and around the mall was MUCH lighter than it was during the consolation game, and I was able to find a spot MUCH closer to the arena than my prior visits (as I arrived after 8:30 and everything had already closed save for a Wetzel's Pretzels which essentially served as the concession stand).

Arizona led by at the half, but Vegas was (once again) able to make the comeback and ended up claiming the victory (partially aided by Arizona not kicking a field goal at the end of the first half in what ended up being a four-point game). However, the most interesting part of the night was seeing Jerome Bettis (yes, THAT Jerome Bettis) involved in the presentation of the trophy...and being able to see it all unfold ON THE FIELD (do NOT ask how I got there).

![An image of the Vegas Knight Hawks lifting the IFL Cup trophy after winning it](/images/2026/0524-celebration.jpeg)

<figcaption>I took a BUNCH of photos, but this was the only one where you could see the trophy itself</figcaption>

The IFL currently has not announced whether there will be a "sequel" to the IFL Cup soon or a permanent team in the area, but did leave the door open for expansion to NJ/NY as early as next year. Either way, I'm interested in checking it out again (hopefully soon).

![A photo of the IFL Cup field](/images/2026/iflcupfield.jpeg)

---

As a final side note, I ended up walking around the Nickelodeon themed indoor amusement park while trying to kill time between the end of the consolation game and me heading to Staten Island. I must say that I'm impressed with how they managed to fit an entire amusement park with "full sized rides" in a space WAY smaller than your average amusement park. Also, the nostalgia bait of things such as Hey Arnold and freakin' LEGENDS OF THE HIDDEN TEMPLE is definitely...interesting.

(And with this post, I'm now up to over 3,700 words on the IFL Cup as a whole)

---

[^1]: My original idea was to see the [Wilmington Blue Rocks](2026-05-03_wilbluerocks), but I moved that trip UP due to the jersey giveaway. My next thought was to the [New Jersey Jackals](2026-05-20_njjackals2), but I was thinking about seeing the [Staten Island FerryHawks](2025-08-14_siferryhawks) again (as the Monarchs trip was pretty much locked in), so I moved the Jackals trip up. However, wet weather made me decide to skip the FerryHawks - a decision which ended up being somewhat prudent, as the FerryHawks ended up getting blown out without scoring TWICE IN ONE DAY...

[^2]: The other post was the time I saw [the Jersey Bearcats of the American Arena League](2026-04-19_jerseybearcats) - though I did mention them scoring 40 points in the first half. Also, I looked at other teams in their league, and all I can say is that they're probably not ready to be a TRUE pro team...and apparently the IFL has interest in expanding to the NYC area.

[^3]: The four IFL Cup games all ended with scores that have never happened in the NFL BTW...

The IFL awards its first in-season Champeenship

IFL Cup Finals @ The Arena at American Dream (East Rutherford, NJ)


### _[26 IN 26 STOP 16](/26in26list)_

_\*This trip occurred on May 24, 2026. For more on USL2, [here's an overview](usl2_overview)_

I've already discussed [Staten Island as a place](2025-08-14_siferryhawks), so I'll skip talking about it today[^1]. However, this team doesn't have a Wikipedia page, so information on them is somewhat hard to find - though their website is actually fairly decent IMO.

The big thing you need to know about Staten Island Athletic Sporting Club is that they're a RELOCATION - the team moved here in 2024 after being founded in 2022 and spending two seasons in Springfield, IL. Why they moved I don't know, but their logo features a butterfly, which leads to their nickname: the Monarchs (heck, it seems that they're more commonly known as the "Staten Island Monarchs", but sources seem to indicate that they're officially "Staten Island Athletic Sporting Club").

Their home is on the campus of Wagner College - a school in the "heart" of Staten Island (as opposed to the FerryHawks, who are right across from Manhattan). It's a somewhat small school known for its theater department, but when I looked into their sports teams, I found out that their first basketball coach was P.J. Carlesimo, who is probably best known for bringing Seton Hall to the Final Four.

Their stadium is...actually pretty much the same as [The Stadium at Memorial Field](2026-03-09_westchestersc): a multipurpose field with a running track around it and a grandstand on one side (Wikipedia notes it as having a very similar seating capacity as well). However, whereas Memorial Field has big box businesses around it providing parking, Wagner College Stadium has Wagner College and what appear to be residences surrounding it (but there are also large parking lots nearby as well as a field hockey stadium). The seats are mostly metal benches, but there are chairback seats in the upper middle sections of the seating bowl (a fair warning however: they're not very clean).

![An image of kickoff at Hameline Field](/images/2026/0524-hamelinefield.jpeg)

Also, as the stadium is on a hill, there's actually a really neat view of the rest of Staten Island/the Verrazzano Bridge/I'm not sure what else is visible. However...it was cloudy/foggy/misty on this day, so the view was largely obscured by the clouds/fog - though 

This game was kinda even for most of it, as it seemed like a number of chances were missed and it was essentially 1-1 after the first ten minutes. Unfortunately, said first ten minutes featured visiting [FC Motown STA](2026-05-22_fcmotownsta) score two goals, which propelled them to victory.

### MERCH

The team's website has pages for merchandise, but when I went to check it a few days before this match, nothing was available - and nothing was available at this game either.

---

Also, I decided that with this game being at 6 PM and the weather being not so great, [I'd check something else out today as well...](2026-05-26_iflcup2)

---

[^1]: I WILL mention that I thought about seeing the FerryHawks before this game, but didn't think it was really worth the extra ticket and parking costs (plus the team isn't exactly doing well this year...case in point: they lost both games of a doubleheader by a combined score of **25-0**).

USL2 soccer in the heart of Staten Island

Staten Island ASC (USL League 2) @ Hameline Field at Wagner College Stadium (Staten Island, NY)


### _[26 IN 26 STOP 15](/26in26list)_

_\*This trip occurred on May 23, 2026._

I talked a little bit about the NPSL when I visited [FC Motown](2026-05-17_fcmotown_npsl), but one thing I didn't mention is the fact that I thought they'd be the only team in their division I'd get to visit. The division in question - the Keystone Division - consists of teams based in New Jersey and eastern Pennsylvania, and most of those teams are fairly far (most being north of an hour) and only have night games. However, when the schedule (finally) released, I found out about this club: New Jersey United Athletic Club.

They don't have a Wikipedia page (prepare to hear that phrase several more times in the coming weeks), and information on their history is kinda hard to find on the internet, but their logo indicates that they were founded in 2024[^1]. Last season, they finished first in their division (which was known as "Keystone East" at the time), but I don't know how they did in the playoffs (which does mean that they didn't exactly win a national championship).

Last season, the side played their matches in New Brunswick, NJ at the high school's stadium. This year, however, they have moved to Saint Joseph High School in Metuchen, NJ - a school you may know for producing basketball stars such as Andrew Bynum and Karl-Anthony Towns, but I know because I have several friends who went there (one of whom took driver's ed with Andrew Bynum, but doesn't drive himself).

![An image of Brenner Family Field](/images/2026/0523-njunited.jpeg)

There's not much to say about the stadium itself - it's a high school field that doesn't exactly stray too far from what you'd expect for a Northeastern high school football/soccer/lacrosse/track stadium. If you live in a part of the United States where they don't really do that (or in another country entirely), it's a field with American football goalposts sticking out of the ground pretty much year round, but also features lines for multiple sports (in multiple colors) and a running track around the field. [The Stadium at Memorial Field](2026-03-08_westchestersc) is basically like this as well, but I couldn't figure out if the local high school played any other sports besides football there.

Unlike Mount Vernon, there's two sets of bleachers along the sides of the field/track, and not much else to say; one thing I do find interesting is the fact that the main stand (i.e. the one with the press box typically intended for home fans) is OPPOSITE the parking lot, which seems a bit awkward. However, the BIG thing stadium lacks compared to most high school stadiums (which is partially why this game was at 3 PM): lights. My guess is that it's due to the nearby residential areas making it difficult for the school to do "Friday Night Lights".

As I alluded to earlier, NJ United was initially not on my radar for this year. Originally, I thought the only NPSL team I'd be able to visit was FC Motown, but when I looked at the schedule, I found out about NJ United and the fact that they played at St. Joe's, and so it ended up on my calendar (I originally thought they played much further away than they actually do). I was originally hoping to see the team's home opener, but various factors prevented me from doing so - the big one being the fact that the game got postponed due to weather. Heck, I was almost certain THIS game would have been postponed as it rained fairly hard, but they ended up playing anyway![^2]

NJ United found themselves down 2-1 but up a player for the better part of the second half; sadly, they were unable to find the equalizer and lost. Due to the rain, I ended up watching most of the second half from my car in the parking lot - something I don't hope to do very often...

Also, Jon Bon Jovi went to St. Joe's for two years before transferring to another high school. Since St. Joe's was SUPPOSED to mark the halfway point of my _26 in 26_ challenge before getting postponed, I figured I'd end with <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDK9QqIzhwk" target="blank">this</a>.

### MERCH

I found a Google form on the team's website for ordering merchandise, which is definitely an interesting thing to do (as opposed to setting something up with Square or Shopify). At the match itself, there's a small area next to the "main stand" where merchandise is typically sold...emphasis on "typically". This time, the bad weather caused them to decide not to sell merch (as the weather also affected the crowd[^3]), and it ended up being useful as I saw most of the first half from under the canopy where the team keeps its merchandise.

One thing about this lack of merch today is that I'm now interested in a return trip (as the online form does not include jerseys). However, the team only has four home games this year (which includes the now-rescheduled home opener), and this marks the second of those four games, so given that I'm unavailable for the third game, I REALLY hope it doesn't rain again at the end of June...

---

[^1]: I couldn't find any data that indicated that they played a 2024 season in any league.

[^2]: Part of the reason I was able to come to THIS game, oddly enough, is the fact that I saw the [Wilmington Blue Rocks](2026-05-03_wilbluerocks) at the start of this month (had I not, I would likely have seen them the day this is being posted - which would have made the coming days and weeks DIFFICULT to schedule).

[^3]: This isn't the first time I've seen this happen, and I do intend on telling that story later this year - because it's a DOOZY...

Soccer at a school known for its basketball-playing alumni

New Jersey United Athletic Club (National Premier Soccer League) @ Brenner Family Field (Metuchen, NJ)


_\*This trip occurred on May 21, 2026._

Before we get to today's "main event", I'd like to mention one thing:

I'm planning on visiting a BUNCH of soccer teams that are rather local to me in the next few weeks. Most of the teams are no more than 30-45 minutes away, and I have never seen ANY of these teams before (for the most part)[^1].

Most of these upcoming teams are all members of the same league/division: the Metropolitan Division of USL League Two. However, I realize that I didn't get too deep into what USL2 is the last time I talked about the division (or the USL's other divisions for that matter), so I figured that before we enter the flurry of posts coming up, I should contextualize the United Soccer League(s) a bit - which I've done [here](usl2_overview).

With that out of the way, I am willing to bet that some of you who read this blog are getting deja vu, because you probably think you've heard the name "FC Motown" before.

Well...[you’re not wrong](2026-05-17_fcmotown_npsl)! However, this is actually a (fairly) distinct team from the side I talked about last weekend, so let's dive into them.

In 2021, USL League 2 added FC Motown to its Metropolitan Division, then a year later, the club partnered with a local youth soccer organization called STA (which I believe stands for Sports Training Academy), which leads to the team's "official" name: FC Motown STA (which helps distinguish it from the NPSL side)[^2]. There's not much to say about their short history, but in 2025, the team won 11 of their 12 regular season games - with the twelfth game being a draw. This made them the top team in the country heading into the 2025 USL2 Playoffs - where the idea for this trip was born.

I had no idea that FC Motown (as a whole) existed until the 2025 USL League 2 Playoffs, when the USL2 team traveled up to Burlington, VT and lost a battle of undefeated sides to [Vermont Green FC](2025-08-21_vgfc). Their regular season success, however, gave the USL2 side a berth in the US Open Cup; they were drawn at home back in March, but I was busy with something and couldn’t make it (plus the game was at night in Newark)[^3].

![An image of soccer being played at Drew University's Ranger Stadium](/images/2026/0521-motownsta.jpeg)

<figcaption>I'm not sure how that effect with the lights happened in this image...</figcaption>

This game seemingly featured more spectators than the NPSL game - and a bit more atmosphere as well. Tonight's opponent - the Westchester Flames - seemed WAY better than Hershey SC (they were even credited with a shot on goal); unfortunately, much like Hershey, they got beat down pretty hard - after scoring a pair of first half goals, Motown added four in the second half to win 6-0. I ended up spending most of the second half sitting next to what I can only assume was a Westchester supporter, because they were clearly not having a good time...

Also, for the third game in a row, I ended up touching a game ball - however, since I'm pretty sure soccer balls are supposed to be returned to the club, I ended up kicking it back to one of the ball boys.

Alas, I am unsure if I'll be able to get back to Motown this season, as I've got a LOT of other things in the works. However, having a "local soccer team" to watch is definitely something I like, as it lets me watch a team without having to pay for too much (i.e. free parking and inexpensive tickets) and not have to worry about getting home after 10 PM.

### MERCH

In doing some research for this post, I found out that the NPSL and USL2 sides have different jerseys altogether! As I mentioned when I saw the NPSL team, they have a manufacturer that "sells direct" to fans, but the USL2 team wears Nike (which I assume is related to the STA part). There is one major difference between the two teams' jerseys: the NPSL jerseys have sublimated graphics, while the USL2 ones have ironed-on graphics[^4]. Also...

At this match, the only "official" merchandise available wasn't even FC Motown related - it was a stadium blanket featuring STA's logo. There was also a partner vendor at the game, but the things they were selling were largely geared toward girls.

---

[^1]: I was on the fence about including these games as _26 in 26_ venues, as it's mostly small college stadiums with a few high schools thrown in. However, I felt that if I had already included places such as [a freakin' SHOPPING MALL](2026-05-19_iflcup) in the list, these stadiums should be there as well. Yes, this does mean that I will likely "finish" the _26 in 26_ quite early, but that's not necessarily a bad thing (especially as I've received several bits of news that will make getting to new places trickier in the VERY near future).

[^2]: It must also be noted that having this dual "NPSL/USL2" arrangement is rather unusual amongst soccer clubs at this level - in fact, it seems that many clubs have moved from NPSL to USL2 in recent years for various reasons.

[^3]: Motown ended up losing 2-0 to Hartford Athletic of the USL Championship.

[^4]: I also found out that the NPSL side is wearing blue jerseys this year due to America's Semiquincentennial (blue is not one of the team's typical colors, and I should note that this blue jersey is the one I got last time).

Another visit to the local soccer club

FC Motown STA (USL League 2) @ Ranger Stadium (Madison, NJ)


*\*This trip occurred on May 20, 2026.*

2025 was not a great year for the New Jersey Jackals. Sure, they did win [the one time I saw them](2025-08-12_njjackals), but that win was one of only 28 for the year - a good TEN wins behind the next worst team. Throw in the continued attendance woes (which seemingly go back to the end of their time in Montclair), and it really feels like things aren't looking good for a once proud independent baseball team.

However, the team was sold to the guy behind for the Hinchliffe Stadium renovation in the offseason, and under new ownership, it's hoped that SOMETHING can turn around for the franchise. With that in mind, however, I was curious to see if there were any changes to the gameday experience with the new ownership (partially based on how things were for the [Cosmos](2026-03-15_nycosmos), since they're also owned by the same person).

My original hope was to go to a game on May 10 (yes, it’s Mother’s Day, but my mom was on vacation). However, I could not figure out if the game was at 2 or 6:30 (which makes a HUGE difference because Paterson), and between that and other factors, I ended up not being able to go. Many of the team's weekday games in the early part of this season, however, are at 10:30 in the morning (which is kinda weird)[^1], so I figured one of those would be worth a shot, and the stars aligned for this to be the day (the morning start is also part of why this post is going up the same day as the game itself).

One thing I very much wanted to see this time: the museum. I found out that for Jackals games, it's apparently only open between the time the gates open and first pitch (i.e. one hour), so I figured that I should try and focus on that before the game (as opposed to visiting the team store and/or concession stands). It's not that big mind you, but it does delve into the history of the stadium and the Negro Leagues quite a bit - along with Paterson's most famous son: Larry Doby. It also features its own little merchandise shop with t-shirts, books, and pins, so if you're interested in learning a little bit more about Hinchliffe/the Negro Leagues, it may be worth checking out pregame.

Unlike my trips to see the [Boulders](2026-05-08_rocboulders) and [Miners](2026-05-09_scminers) (who just so happened to be the visiting team today[^2]), I didn't try and buy a front row seat...because every seat is now sold as general admission.

![An image of game action at Hinchliffe Stadium from the front row](/images/2026/0520-hinchliffe-frontrow.jpeg)

A front row seat here (which has a surprisingly nice view as you can see from the photo above) costs the same as a seat in the outfield, which is definitely interesting; of course, when it's 90 degrees and sunny, being so exposed in the front row isn't exactly the most fun thing to do. I also forgot to mention this last time, but there was a "field side" premium ticket available last year; it appears that this section is gone this year as I didn't see anyone in that area (though it may have just been due to the whole 10:30 AM thing).

The last notable change: merch is now inside the stadium (i.e. no more carnival trailer - though the Miners may have it now). It's in the same area the Cosmos had their store, which leads me to believe that the old owners got kicked out of it (as it seems merch was there the first year the Jackals played at Hinchliffe). While I didn't exactly see anything interesting in the store (outside of one sweater that they didn't have in my size)[^3], I did go home with a foul ball - and some arm soreness...

![An image of a baseball](/images/2026/0520-baseball.jpeg)

<figcaption>I took like a dozen pictures similar to this from various viewpoints around the stadium - I may upload them all somewhere soon...</figcaption>

---

[^1]: While morning games aren't exactly uncommon in baseball, the Jackals have THREE whole series of morning games!

[^2]: Somehow, I was unable to figure out how to fit the ACTUAL GAME into the flow of this post, but the Jackals won 6-4. Unlike my two prior Frontier League games this year, this one ended within three hours...

[^3]: The sweater was from the same brand as the [IFL Cup game ball](2026-05-19_iflcup) - which, I should note, is NOT strictly a sporting goods company...

High Hopes and History at Hinchliffe Stadium

New Jersey Jackals 2026


### _[26 IN 26 STOP 14](/26in26list)_

_\*This trip occurred on May 18, 2026. Technically, I've been to American Dream before, but since this is the first time I'm visiting it SPECIFICALLY to watch a sporting event, I'm marking this as a "First Visit"._

I know I talked about indoor football [about a month ago](2026-04-19_jerseybearcats), but I must stress one point: it’s hard to encapsulate just how FREAKISHLY INSANE the sport/its history is. If you needed further proof of that, however, look no further than today’s trip.

Before we get into the trip, however, I realized that I forgot to mention what exactly indoor football is last time. In essence, indoor football is largely just like the NFL, but on a much smaller field - 50 yards endzone to endzone, with said endzones usually being eight yards deep, and there are pretty much no sidelines (there are walls which are usually padded hockey boards, and if a player is tackled into or over the wall, they're out of bounds). In addition, punts are not allowed (due to the shorter field and high potential for the ball to hit the arena ceiling), and there's different timing rules; while I don't know all of them, the big one is that the clock does NOT stop as often as it does for "regular" American football (for example, it runs while a team is preparing to kick an extra point after a touchdown).

Each team has eight players on the field at any given time (as opposed to eleven in the NFL), and the game was previously known for having guys play both offense and defense in a single game; while this element has been lessened in recent years, I hear some players still play as "ironmen". Also, wide receivers (the players who try to catch passes) can run towards the line of scrimmage (the line where the ball is placed before a play starts) BEFORE the ball is snapped (aka the play ACTUALLY starting). However, if they run *past* the line before the snap, it's a penalty.

There are also a few scoring differences from the NFL. As kicks have less field to travel, it is entirely possible for a kickoff (which is taken from the kicking team's own goal line) to reach and go through the other team's uprights (as it's only ~58 yards, which NFL kickers have been hitting with ease recently). In some arena leagues, this scores the kicking team two points, and the receiving team gets the ball as a result. Some leagues also have what's known as a "rouge"; I don't exactly know how to score a rouge, but it's worth one point, and it's one of the most famous things in Canadian football (for now).

Now, let’s talk about this event: founded in 2008, the Indoor Football League is currently the longest continuously operating indoor football league in the United States (given the AFL’s demise in 2019 plus the gong show that was their attempt at a comeback). Yes, it has had its fair share of franchise foldings and relocations, but the fact that it hasn’t completely imploded in on itself (yet) should be commended (and it also features some of the former AFL’s more "stable" teams).

On January 29, 2026, the league announced an event known as the IFL Cup. A four team tournament meant to be a showcase of the league and improve its visibility, the league’s announcement touted the opportunity for fans to experience indoor football at “the nation’s premier indoor entertainment destination”. However, a number of people (like me - who’s actually INTERESTED in the event) would challenge the idea of this event being at a “premier destination”, because that venue is...

## American Dream.

I know this is supposed to be a SPORTS blog, but as someone who lives in New Jersey, it is IMPOSSIBLE not to get long winded about just how ridiculous the history of this place is - though I’ll try to be quick:

It all started back in the 1990s when a real estate developer planned to build a mall in the Meadowlands area of New Jersey. Unfortunately, the site they wanted was unsuitable due to being wetlands, so the developer chose another site: the Meadowlands Sports Complex.

The plan was to build the mall there so that there would be something to do on weekdays (or something like that, as the Devils and Nets were both planning on leaving), and construction started in 2004 with the expectation that the mall (then known as "Xanadu") would be complete two years later. In the intervening years, however, the project changed hands a few times, lost funding due to the Lehman Brothers bankruptcy, had construction get stopped multiple times, changed names at least once or twice, been roundly criticized for its bright exterior, and - perhaps most importantly - NEVER OPENED. As a side note, there was supposed to be a baseball stadium for an independent league team, but one of the ownership changes killed that.

While progress on the mall inched along for over a decade, we all wondered if the thing would ever ACTUALLY open (and just how long drivers on the New Jersey Turnpike would be subjected to <a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/30/Xanadu_Hackensack_River.JPG" target="blank">THIS</a>). Eventually...somehow, someway, the mall partially opened on October 25, 2019 (with a much more muted look and its current name), and then more parts of the mall opened over the next couple of years.

**HOWEVER...**

As of 2025, I think I heard somewhere that the mall is VERY MUCH not profitable, the town of Paramus sued it because it doesn’t follow Bergen County’s blue law (which requires most businesses to be closed on Sundays), and questions about its future STILL hound it (not to mention the downturn of shopping malls in general).

With ALL OF THAT out of the way[^1], I should mention that in addition to being a mall, there's an amusement park, water park, and ski slope (all indoors), the New Jersey Hall of Fame, and a whole lot of other activities, but I won't go much further than that as I think it's more or less irrelevant to the IFL Cup. Instead, let’s get into how this place hosts sporting events:

### The Arena at American Dream

![An image of the Arena at American Dream. Three tiers of viewing areas can be seen along with a glass roof and a large yellow "IFL Cup" banner.](/images/2026/0518-americandream.jpeg)

<figcaption>Y'see that yellow banner back there? That acts as the "goal" for kicks for this event - hitting it means the kick is good.</figcaption>

One of the more interesting features of American Dream is an NHL-sized skating rink which actually hosted a professional women’s hockey team in the past (the predecessor of the [New York Sirens](2025-08-28_nysirens)). The "arena" has three levels (since the mall has three levels), and each of the upper levels feature "balcony areas" from which you can see the field. This event also is NOT the first time the place has hosted indoor football: the AFL’s ill fated 2024 revival hosted its championship game here!

The wildest thing about the "arena", however, is that there are storefronts near it, so it's very open to the public (save for the second level, where there's construction currently going on). In theory, this isn't exactly a surprise (since I assume it offers various public activities when not being used), but you have to think about this: tickets were sold for this event for ALL THREE LEVELS. The lowest level had sections roped off with bleachers, and the second level was hard to access as there was only one access point and staff were present seemingly checking for tickets, but I'm not going to say any more than that - just that the food court is basically on the third level of the arena and has several tables in its "balcony area" surrounding the field, plus one business on the first level has some high-top tables set up right behind one of the benches[^2] (and also that I opted NOT to try and buy tickets prior to the event because Ticketmaster fees).

There's not much else to say about this arena (outside of the fact that there's a basement which I can only assume has locker rooms and hopefully showers), but there is one WEIRD feature: the roof is basically a massive sunroof as it's a large glass structure. While this is interesting because it makes the rink naturally lit...how do they maintain ice when it's getting DIRECT sunlight all day (even if days are shorter during skating season)?

That aside, I mentioned earlier that this event was a four team tournament. The semifinals for were both held on May 18th (i.e. the day before this was posted), and the championship game plus a consolation game are going to be played the Sunday after this goes up, but I had other plans for that day (spoiler alert: [other sports](2026-05-25_simonarchs)) which means ~~I wasn't going to be able to see them live~~ ([jk lol](2026-05-26_iflcup2)). My original plan was to see only one of the games as I had to pick my mom up from the airport about halfway through the second game. However, once I realized that it would be easier for me to go from the Meadowlands to Newark Airport rather than going home and then heading back out, I figured I'd try to squeeze both games in (or at least half of the second game). In fact, large parts of this post were actually written AT the mall because there was an approximately FOUR HOUR GAP between the two games (which included me watching the players for the second game warm up while writing this).

![An image of a laptop high above an indoor football field](/images/2026/0518-office.jpeg)

With that in mind, I'm going to go over the games separately, as well as briefly introduce the teams, starting with:

### Arizona Rattlers vs. New Mexico Chupacabras

![The New Mexico Chupacabras prepare to start a play against the Arizona Rattlers](/images/2026/0518-game1.jpeg)

The Arizona Rattlers are indoor football's oldest team (at least among the current crop of indoor teams). Founded in 1991 in the original Arena Football League, they jumped to the IFL in 2017 amidst AFL 1.0 imploding in on itself. They've been quite successful in their 35 years of existence, having won seven championships between the AFL and IFL (including, IIRC, a year where they made a "championship or fans' money back" guarantee).

The Chupacabras, on the other hand, are new for 2026...but also not. They're actually the continuation of a team known as the Duke City Gladiators, who were founded in 2015 as members of a league called Champions Indoor Football. They won back to back CIF titles in 2018 and 19, then moved to the Indoor Football League in 2020 (but had to wait for 2021 to make their IFL debut). They subsequently went dormant in 2025, but were sold and rebranded for this season[^3].

This game was quite one sided - the Rattlers scored on the opening kickoff and then got two or three endzone picks (I don't remember exactly how many) en route to a comfortable win. Also, this game was at noon on a Monday - yet when I checked tickets right before heading to the mall, the middle level was unavailable for THIS GAME ONLY (a day pass was sold and it had the middle level). In addition, if a fan ends up with a game ball for any reason, they're allowed to keep it - which is very much NOT allowed in the NFL (due to the microchips placed inside game used NFL footballs) or in soccer (I think) - not sure about other forms of football however. I mention this because I saw a LOT of game balls in the first level stands during this game, and it allowed me to see the ball up close (and I must say: it had a VERY unique design which I kinda liked).

### Vegas Knight Hawks vs. Orlando Pirates[^4]

![An image of two football teams lining up to run a play](/images/2026/0518-game2.jpeg)

The Vegas Knight Hawks were founded in 2022, and if the "Knight" in their name wasn't enough of a clue, they're owned by the same group that owns the Vegas Golden Knights of the NHL. Much like how the Golden Knights were successful right away, the Knight Hawks have found success in their short time in the IFL, as they are currently the league's defending champions.

The Pirates were founded in 2018 in the National Arena League, jumped to the IFL in 2021 and won a title that same year, then moved to Orlando this season. I'd rather not get into the move personally (as I've mentioned WHERE they moved from before on this blog), but partially based on the fact that the team had a coaching change seemingly come from out of the blue early this season (and the supposed reasons behind it), I can only assume that the TWO arenas they played in prior to moving to Florida had their reasons for kicking them out (along with the IFL claiming the move was for "geographic purposes").

This game seemed to have more people in attendance (as it was at 7 PM when more people are out and about) and thus had a louder crowd, but it also seemed to have far fewer balls leave the playing area (as in I only saw ONE fan with a game ball). As mentioned earlier, I had to leave this game right before halftime to go to the airport (it started at 7 PM, and I left at 8:30); Orlando got off to a hot start, but Vegas led by 2 points at the half and then outscored Orlando **45-7** in the second half. I did catch some of the broadcast for this game while stuck in Newark Airport traffic, and the broadcasters seemingly attributed the lopsided second half to a lack of player depth for the Orlando Pirates.

### MERCH

From what I could tell, the only merch available were shirts from a booth sponsored by one of the league's retail partners (as it was unlikely any of the four teams were going to haul boxes of merchandise thousands of miles across the country). As they were "custom pressed" at the game, you could get any of the logos they had (the IFL, the IFL Cup, and the four teams) printed onto any of the shirts they had, which was cool.

However, remember how I mentioned that in the IFL, you can keep a ball that ends up in the stands? Well, late in the first game, a ball sailed out of play right in front of me, so...

![A photo of a game ball for the IFL Cup on a table, with a game going on in the background](/images/2026/0518-iflcupgameball.jpeg)

<figcaption>I think this image is one of my favorite photos I've ever done for this blog. Also, I'm not gonna lie: this thing smells kinda funny.</figcaption>

## \-\-\-

As goofy as the idea of "professional sports in a shopping mall" may be, I actually thought this was kinda fun (though there's another reason I enjoyed this that I can't exactly discuss "freely"). If you can find it, I'm pretty sure I ended up in the footage for these games as I was on the lower level quite a bit at various points (as evidenced by several of the photos in this post); if you want to try and find me, I am wearing a blue LA Xtreme jersey which I will note that, yes, is an original XFL jersey which was 75% off from the thrift store where/when I got it (it got quite a few compliments from folks in the crowd).

Also, to my surprise, this post ended up being over 2,600 words - though a decent part of that can be attributed to me explaining indoor football as a whole.

![A photo of the IFL Cup field](/images/2026/iflcupfield.jpeg)

---

[^1]: I didn't even touch on the controversies surrounding the area and the World Cup...

[^2]: A player ran into this establishment immediately after returning a kickoff the entire length of the field for a touchdown during one of the games.

[^3]: One of the Chupacabras players is a guy named La'james White - I had to look him up after hearing his name over the PA system to make sure he wasn't secretly a former Super Bowl hero...

[^4]: Not to be confused with the South African soccer team of the same name - or the Namibian soccer team of the same name.

Sportventures

Metropolitan Monarchs (5/24/26)

Soccer in the Rain (5/23/26)

FC Motown STA (5/21/26)

A New Era in New Jersey

Mall Ball (5/18/26)