
### _[26 IN 26 STOP 19](/26in26list)_

*\*This trip occurred on June 10, 2026. For more on USL2, [here's an overview](usl2_overview).*

Cedar Stars is yet another youth academy with a USL2 team, but from what I can tell, it was once part of a larger soccer program in general known as "Rush": there are at least two other teams in USL2 that are also members - both in the same division as [Vermont Green](2025-08-21_vgfc). Information on the team is a bit limited, but indications are that the USL2 side started up in 2019, and that they have not won a national championship nor have they ever participated in the U.S. Open Cup. 

Indications from various internet sources, however, seem to indicate that they're no longer part of the "Rush Soccer" system, as New Jersey is not listed on the Rush website, there are no mentions of Rush anywhere on the Cedar Stars Academy website, and the USL2 team is known as simply "Cedar Stars" this season (as opposed to "Cedar Stars Rush" in prior years). However, if this is true, it hasn't gotten to Google and/or Wikipedia yet, as they still indicate the club being part of Rush (mind you Wikipedia's information on most USL2 clubs is spotty at best).

That said, what is VERY certain (otherwise this post wouldn't exist) is that they play at Fairleigh Dickinson University’s Metropolitan Campus in Teaneck, NJ (which has a D-I athletics program)[^1]. I feel like there’s not much to say about FDU (though the first entry under "notable alumni"on Wikipedia is kinda wild), but the school’s basketball team is best known for pulling off a 16-1 upset over Purdue in the NCAA basketball tournament a few years ago (one of only three to have ever happened - men or women).

Cedar Stars play, rather appropriately, at the soccer field of Fairleigh Dickinson University’s Teaneck campus (which is apparently simply called "University Stadium" according to the school's website). As you might expect, there's not much to talk about here: it's pretty similar to Drew's [Ranger Stadium](2026-05-17_fcmotown_npsl) in that there's one set of bleachers along one of the sides of the field and not much else, but at least getting to the stand is kinda neat as part of it involves walking along the Hackensack River (though you can't actually see the river due to a treeline).

![A photo of soccer players on a field at Fairleigh Dickinson's University Stadium](/images/2026/0610-cedarstars.jpeg)

Much like how there isn't much to say about the stadium...there isn't really that much to say about this game. Similar to [Ironbound SC](2026-05-31_ironboundsc), there was no "entry fee", but also no concessions or merchandise. However, there were also no PA announcements or music either (though I missed the walkouts due to traffic) - it was PURELY the game, and it was...pretty meh: a lot of missed opportunities, not that , and a few breaks leading to a 2-0 Cedar Stars win over the now 0-5-0 (W-L-D) Westchester Flames.

One other thing I feel like I should mention: The stadium's field house/parking lot is separated from the field itself by a ramp to/from Route 4. There's a designated "walking path" from the parking lot to the field, but I didn't know about it when I arrived - which led to me having a CRAZY time trying to walk along sidewalkless roads to get to the field...

---

### ON DECK

We go off the rails a little bit.

---

[^1]: It's unclear if Teaneck is FDU's "main" campus , but Wikipedia indicates it's the oldest, and the fact that FDU's other campus (in Florham Park, NJ) is D-III also points to Teaneck being the main campus.

USL2 soccer at a small school known for a BIG moment

Cedar Stars (USL League Two) @ University Stadium (Teaneck, NJ)


*\*This trip occurred on June 7, 2026.*

With teams in the “Big Four” leagues, I feel like I don’t REALLY need to talk about their histories. They’re a lot more well known than the minor league and weird indie teams I tend to cover on this site, and their histories are better documented on places like their websites and Wikipedia.

However, there are two things I think you should know about the Phillies:

1. Despite being founded in 1883 - 20 years before the first World Series was held in 1903 - they did not win their first World Series title until 1980 (the last of Major League Baseball’s “original franchises” to win their first title)
2. They hold the dubious distinction of having lost the most games of all 30 MLB teams, and were the first team to LOSE 10,000 games (and then subsequently became the first team to lose 11,000 games)

That said, their current home - Citizens Bank Park - was opened in 2004 as a replacement for the literal carcinogen that was Veterans Stadium (look it up - it's FRIGHTENING). It's located only a few hundred yards from where its predecessor stood, and is part of a broader complex which includes ~~Lincoln Financial Field (where the Eagles play)~~ Philadelphia Stadium and the soon-to-be-demolished [~~Wells Fargo Center~~](2025-08-27_phiwings) [Xfinity Mobile Arena](2026-04-12_phiwings2). There are A LOT of things here to do and see outside of the baseball game on the field if you are so inclined, so I'll go over some of that.

First, a lot of the ballpark's "non-game action" lies in the outfield. Here, an area named "Ashburn Alley" (named after a former player and broadcaster) features a bunch of concession stands and picnic areas, but what's most interesting here is that the roof above these concession stands is accessible - there's only a small set of bleachers and drink rails here, but the view is honestly quite amazing.

![A view of Citizens Bank Park from the roof of the concession stands in the outfield](/images/2026/0607/ashburnalley.jpeg)

Underneath the massive left field scoreboard (known as "Phanvision") is a deck the Phillies recently renamed for a sponsor, but was formerly known as "Harry the K's" (more on "Harry the K" later). In right field, there's a rock climbing wall which was something completely different back in 2005 along with a mini field for things such as [Wiffle Ball](2025-08-16_mlwwiffleball) (MLW hosted a series here once); kids were having a "home run derby" at one point during the game. 

Outside of that, the "infield" features three decks and concourses (which, coincidentally, is the same number [Citi Field](2026-05-01_nymets) and [Yankee Stadium](2026-06-04_nyyankees) have). These concourses feature a lot of "standard" concessions, but also some local stuff including - most importantly - Chickie's and Pete's (this IS Philadelphia, after all). This game happened on a day that was rather windy, but the wind was seemingly amplified on the upper decks - I had trouble keeping even a relatively full water bottle still on the third deck.

CBP was actually mentioned on this blog [once before](bananaball_bospt5), but I think you should also know that this is the second time I’ve ever been here for a game - the first time was WAY BACK in the summer of 2005 as the first MLB game I saw after REALLY starting to get into baseball[^1]. That same summer also saw our family make a trip to Chicago (as we have relatives in the area), during which I visited the stadium of this game's visiting team: the Chicago White Sox[^2].

The big reason I selected the White Sox (despite them being a bit pricier than other teams)[^3]: Munetaka Murakami. Murakami is a Japanese player the White Sox signed from Japan this past offseason, and buzz around him and his exploits in America have made the White Sox one of MLB's more interesting teams (though it also helps that they're not on pace to lose anywhere close to 121 games again).

Unfortunately...Murakami missed this series due to injury (similar to how Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton were injured for that Yankees game I went to earlier in the week), but the White Sox recently called up another Japanese player I was interested in seeing: Rikuu Nishida - who I actually first heard about from the [Cape League](ccbl_overview). Nishida (a former Hyannis Harbor Hawk) ended up being one of FIVE Cape League alumni I recognized - each for a different team (which means that HALF of the Cape League's teams were represented today). Those other four players (and the Cape League teams they represented) were Chicago's Chase Meidroth (Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox) and Sam Antonacci ([Chatham Anglers](2025-08-17_chaanglers)), and Philly's Kyle Schwarber ([Wareham Gatemen](2025-08-20_wargatemen)) and Orion Kerkering (Orleans Firebirds).

One other note: the Phillies had a VERY slow start this season, but turned things around after firing their manager, and are now pretty much back in the thick of things. Speaking of slow, this game started around 1:30 but ended right before 5:00 - almost three and a half ours later (wasn't the pitch clock supposed to prevent stuff like this?). I was VERY close to leaving the game early, but I ended up sticking the whole thing out - and I'm glad I did, because the Phillies' victory song is one of the most special in MLB:

High Hopes as performed by Harry Kalas (aka "Harry the K").

Kalas was a legendary Phillies broadcaster who sadly died while preparing for a game early in the 2009 season. Since his death, the Phillies have been playing his version of High Hopes (which he originally sang back in the early 90s) after wins, as well as his famous home run call when the Phillies hit a home run (though it was oddly hard to hear the two times it happened this game)[^4].

![An image of Citizens Bank Park](/images/2026/0607/homeplateview.jpeg)

(P.S.: This was originally going to be the day I saw the [Sussex County Miners](2026-05-09_scminers), but due to this being my only opportunity to see the White Sox live in 2026, I decided to move that game up).

### MERCH

Before we continue, I should mention that I'm almost certain to go off on a LONG tangent here (you'll understand when I get to it), so let's start with the park's merchandise "situation".

I mentioned it when I came here last year, but the Phillies main team store felt a bit small for an MLB team store. Maybe that's just because I'm so used to the bigger stores teams like the Mets and Red Sox have, but one thing to note, however, is that the main store here is two levels. The layout was fairly different between my last visit and this game: most notably, jerseys were all on the upper level, and for whatever reason, NO "retail authentic" jerseys (i.e. authentic style jerseys made for selling to fans)  were available.

Outside of the main store, there were surprisingly few merch areas around the ballpark. A lot of them were tents which were not climate controlled, but protip: if you NEED a relatively quite spot to cool down, the third deck's got a store which was fully indoors (i.e. it has AC) and pretty empty. There is also a booth on the main concourse that sels authentic Phillies memorabilia (game balls, player equipment, and even bases), and I do need to mention that at least one of the TEAM ISSUED jerseys they had (i.e. a jersey the team had made and tailored specifically for a certain player) cost LESS than the blank REPLICA jerseys they had at the team store! This store also featured something I feel like I'd heard about, but finally decided to get: a "MLB Parks Passport" where you can collect stamps from various MLB stadiums! Yes, the **MLB Ballpark** app basically does this now, but it's still kinda cool to have that "physical" representation of your travels.

And now for something fairly different: jersey talk! This is relevant to the Phillies, however, so I figure this may be educational for some out there:

I mentioned during my trip to Yankee Stadium that the former/current MLB jersey template has a rather unfortunate feature wherein jerseys with pinstripes have large areas without the pinstripes, which makes the whole thing look strange to me. However, I realize that's hard to understand without some form of visual aid, so I took this picture (the easiest place to spot the issue is under the 42 on the right jersey):

![An image of two Phillies Jerseys in MLB's FlexBase template. The jersey on the right features a blue number 42 and a blank white area at the bottom](/images/2026/0607/flexbase.jpeg)

<figcaption>It's a bit hard to see in this photo, but the left jersey has a seam below  the button that's underneath the script. This is because some MLB players have their jerseys sewn shut (i.e. they don't open and close).</figcaption>

In addition, the Phillies are one of two teams that feature a very unique and specific style to their jersey script (something known as "chain stitching") - except the 2024 template (i.e. the one that was SO BAD it was gone after just two seasons) doesn't have it[^5]. Therefore, if you're looking for an Authentic Phillies home jersey and don't want to traverse the world of vintage stores/eBay (where fakes abound - including some WITH the chain stitching), you're going to have to make one of two concessions: awkward design or a lack of the most iconic feature (though I also have a SUPER OLD home jersey replica I got back in 2005 - again, RIP Modell's).

Again, I realize it's hard to understand EXACTLY what this means/entails, so here's a photo of two Phillies jerseys next to one another to illustrate. The one on the left features the chain stitch, while the one on the right doesn't - it's probably most noticeable with how the letters have a much more "holey" look on the chain stitched jerseys (plus the stars): 

![An image of two Phillies jerseys - one with a chain stitched script, the other without](/images/2026/0607/scripts.jpeg)

Having said all of this[^6], the Phillies do have other jerseys. One of them is an off-white color with NO pinstripes, and I was contemplating looking for one at the team store until Memorial Day - when I found one at a thrift store for 50% off (even if it is a bit smaller than what I typically go for)[^7].

Also, there's an oddly SMALL amount of "love" for the early 2000s era team: I saw VERY FEW jerseys of players for that era (including only ONE Jimmy Rollins which was almost certainly fake), and somehow, I spotted ZERO other jerseys of the player I had: Cole Hamels.

---

[^1]: The first MLB game I ever saw was at Fenway Park sometime in the late 90s - I want to say it was <a href=”https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/BOS/BOS199906260.shtml” target=”blank”>this Sox-Sox game</a>, but I’m not 100% certain on that (I’m also not certain if I went to their then-AAA team before this).

[^2]: The Sox ended up losing to Minnesota that night, but eventually went on to win the World Series that year - ending an almost 90 year drought (boy does that sound familiar...).

[^3]: I did consider going to a game against the Cleveland Guardians, but since I was leaning toward seeing them take on the Yankees, I decided the White Sox were more "worth it" (that and one other reason I'll explain soon).

[^4]: How famous is Harry's home run call? It's mentioned in a scorecard I got during the 2005 game - I've lost the card so I don't know what exactly it said, but this part sticks out in my memory. Speaking of scorecards, I find it interesting that the Phillies sell smaller scorecards with articles rather than the large magazines other teams have for programs.

[^5]: The other team is the St. Louis Cardinals - I have a few Cardinals jerseys with the chain stitched script (one of which also has a 2006 World Series patch), and it is AMAZING. They (and the Phillies) were asked to drop it with the 2024 template, but the Cardinals stuck to their guns and kept it.

[^6]: I didn't even get to mention that the Phillies' regular home jersey has a flaw that has nothing to do with jersey templates: red pinstripes. Due to the nature of washing red and white together, the pinstripes eventually turn “pink” as the jersey is washed more and more.

[^7]: While I'm not 100% certain it's real, it passes the "checks" that most fake jerseys don't (i.e. correct manufacturer tag, no paper inside the script and/or numbers, and an MLB batterman patch that isn't sewn INTO the jersey - plus the chain stitching). 

I revisit a ballpark I haven't seen in over 20 years

Philadelphia Phillies (Major League Baseball) @ Citizens Bank Park (Philadelphia, PA)


### _[26 IN 26 STOP 18](/26in26list)_

_\*This trip occurred on June 3, 2026. For more on USL2, [here's an overview](usl2_overview)._

Morris Elite Soccer Club was founded in 2016 by a former player after his "pro career" ended, and has become one of the fastest growing youth soccer programs in the United States (according to the club). In 2021, the club started up a USL League Two team; however, said team has yet to make the USL playoffs. Also, despite being named "Morris" Elite and the organization being headquartered in Madison, NJ (where FC Motown happens to play), the USL2 team’s home stadium is not in Morris County - it’s at my (true) alma mater: Rutgers Newark!

I can’t really tell you much about the school (though trust me: it's not that exciting)[^1] or the field itself, as information is kinda sparse (at least for the field; after all, Rutgers Newark is a D-III school[^2]), but I can tell you that I used to see it ALL THE TIME: during my time as a student, the computer lab I frequented in my later college years (thanks to it being WAY LESS BUSY than the main computer labs) was in a building adjacent to the field, so I’d often walk past it before/between/after classes. Apparently they replaced the turf in 2019 (which was after I graduated), but I have no idea what the new field offers that the old one didn’t (outside of it apparently being cooler). Also, the field was officially named after Frederick Douglass in 2018 (and has a plaque commemorating Douglass and a few historical sites near where the field is now), but I could have sworn that it held that name when I was in college (maybe I’m Mandela-ing this).

There are NO PERMANENT SEATS here: the field serves both soccer and softball, and in order for both sports to be able to coexist in the small space it has, portable bleachers are utilized (which have covers over the seats - something rather uncommon at this level). Outside of that...there really isn’t much to say: this is a D-III multipurpose field after all - but given that the bleachers are set up ON the field itself...

![A photo of Frederick Douglass Field from field level](/images/2026/0603-runewark.jpeg)

There is one other thing worth mentioning: the field itself is at the bottom of a hill, and there's a parking lot for Rutgers staff at the top of the hill overlooking the field (next to the building I mentioned earlier). A small set of bleachers overlooking the field is present near this lot, and while there is a gate (seemingly to limit access when not intended for use), it was open for this game (plus the field is quite visible from the parking lot and the adjacent street).

In all honesty, this trip was a bit of a crapshoot because...Newark[^3]. While the neighborhood (University Heights) is PROBABLY one of the better parts of the city (at least compared to the parts I saw while driving in), I did get asked for money IN BROAD DAYLIGHT once back when I was in college (plus this game had a 7:30 start time and the field is kinda far from the highways). Also, parking is a bit odd: I'm not fully sure what the "public status" of the Rutgers lots are (i.e. if they're supposed to be free and open to the public), but I was able to find some street parking across the street (which was free). However, I felt that I wanted to do this, and since THIS date fell neatly into my calendar, I ended up choosing to come here[^4].

I'm not sure if this game qualifies as the "Morris County Derby", as it saw Morris Elite take on USL2's other team based in Morris County, NJ: [FC Motown STA](2026-05-22_fcmotownsta). Yes, this just so happenes to be the THIRD time I've seen FC Motown STA this year, and they continued their dominance over the Metropolitan Division - cruising to a 4-0 victory (which means that not only have they won all three games I've seen, they've outscored their opponents 13-1 in those three games)[^5]. I also must note that they have one of the most vocal coaches in USL2 that I've noticed - though that may be because it's super easy to pick out his accent...

Also, like [Ironbound SC](2026-05-31_ironboundsc) (which just so happens to be another "youth academy with a USL2 team"), there are no concessions or merchandise to be found here. However, if you are hungry, RU Hungry (a New Brunswick staple with a Newark location that opened - you guessed it - AFTER I graduated) is about a block away with its famous fat sandwiches.

---

[^1]: Rutgers Newark used to tout its identity as "the most culturally diverse campus in America" back in the day, but I don't know if they still do that - nor do I know how that is viewed by modern America...

[^2]: Our men's volleyball team (yes, that's a thing in the NCAA) was D-I when I went there, and I actually knew one of the guys on the team, but it went down to D-III around the time I graduated.

[^3]: I had some thoughts about seeing a few soccer games at NJIT across the street, but concerns about Newark ended up scuttling BOTH trips (though one was also due to a prior commitment).

[^4]: For a while, this game was going to be earlier in the year as well as the first "youth academy with a USL2 team" on this blog, but then it got delayed and I ended up seeing Ironbound first.

[^5]: The record improves to 4-0 with a 18-1 goal differential if you include the [NPSL squad](2026-05-17_fcmotown_npsl).

Summer soccer at my alma mater

Morris Elite SC (USL League Two) @ Frederick Douglass Field (Newark, NJ)


_\*This trip occurred on June 2, 2026._

If you know anything about baseball, then you probably don’t need me to explain the history of the New York Yankees. Heck, as someone who viscerally _dislikes_ them, I feel like the less I say here, the better.

So how the hell did I end up going to a Yankees game?

The story of this trip begins with the Somerset ~~Patriots~~ Semiquincentennials. Back when I saw them [in April](2026-04-17_sompatriots), I bought a Semiquincentennials jersey, and it came with a voucher for two free tickets to a Yankees game. Originally, I was going to give the voucher to one of my friends, but then I realized:

_**This blog is kinda my job right now, and I should not stick my nose up at an opportunity for CONTENT.**_

With that in mind...I decided to go for it - but one BIG thing to keep in mind for this voucher: the jersey cost \$148. Therefore, in order to “maximize” the value of the voucher, I had to make sure that the cost of the two tickets met or exceeded that price - if they would have been less, then I didn’t feel it was enough value to justify using the voucher (i.e. “why spend \$148 to not have to pay $20 for tickets?”). You might think that this would be impossible to do as the Yankees would not be so willing to give “discounts”, but you’d be surprised what seats were available from the voucher. Sure, the “best” seats were still second deck or outfield seats, but the prices I saw for some of them were surprisingly high (case in point: the tickets I got would have cost around \$170 “firsthand”).

I’ve already talked about Yankee Stadium before, as I visited it both [last year](2025-08-13_nycfc) AND [this year](2026-04-27_bananaball_ny2), but for those who need some context: the stadium opened in 2009 as a replacement for the “original” Yankee Stadium built in ~~1923~~ 1977. As the home of the New York Yankees, the team wants you to KNOW who they are and what they represent - testaments to the team and its championship pedigree are (annoyingly) found around the stadium. This includes Monument Park, a team museum, a large image of George Steinbrenner in the outfield, and the years the team won the World Series plastered all over the walls. This trip, however, saw me check out the museum a bit closer (as I wasn't able to get down to Monument Park before it closed), and I saw that the museum had a collection of signed baseballs - some by legends, some by rather obscure players, and one signed by one of my favorite Yankees of all time: Carl Pavano[^1].

This is also somehow NOT my first Yankees game: I saw the "old" Yankee Stadium back in (what I'm FAIRLY sure was) 2007, where they lost one of the final games in Tampa Bay Devil Rays history (as they dropped the "Devil" and became the Tampa Bay Rays in 2008). This time, they were taking on the Cleveland ~~[REDACTED]~~ Guardians - a team I had thoughts about seeing because of Jose Ramirez, but ended up selecting after they called up 2023 [Cape Cod Baseball League](ccbl_overview) MVP and 2024 #1 overall draft pick Travis Bazzana. While I was mainly interested in the aforementioned Guardians players (plus two other former Cape Leaguers in Cleveland's Chase DeLauter and Yankees starting pitcher Cam Schlittler), it must be noted that sadly, this game did NOT feature Aaron Judge (who, it should be noted, is ALSO a Cape Leaguer[^2]) or Giancarlo Stanton, who were both injured.

![A](/images/2026/0602-why.jpeg)

<figcaption>Former Harwich Mariner Cam Schlittler throws the first pitch of the game to former Falmouth Commodore Travis Bazzana</figcaption>

This game was a rather close affair as the Yankees and Guardians spent a few innings trading the lead, but around the time I had to leave (so as to not get home well after midnight), Cleveland(town) took a lead they'd never lose - going on to win 9-4, which means that <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yfkvxibi-o" target="blank">I have an excuse to post a link to this</a>[^3].

Also, I've heard that Yankee fans don't like how many random noises there are in games nowadays, and while it's not Savannah Bananas level "music blaring the whole time" bad, those "YOU HAVE TWO STRIKES...WHAT WILL HAPPEN NEXT?" sounds are very much NOT necessary. In addition, I'm almost certain I saw the "home run bandit" Zack Hample (partially as he was wearing an MLB Umpire hat which is almost impossible to find)[^4] as well as Jomboy Media's Joez Mcfly during the game.

### MERCH

I won't go over too much regarding Yankees merchandise (as I've gone over the stadium's merchandise areas before), but my goodness were there a TON of stands. I didn't go through all of them, as most of them had the same items which I'm REALLY not that interested in (replica jerseys, random other shirts, and various small collectibles which I'm trying to cut down on due to space limitations). I will mention that there was a special deal: buy a fitted hat, and you'd get a free mini bat. I will NOT say whether or not I ended up taking the deal however (though I've recently been getting fitteds again due to my old ones being too small for me now...).

Also, one thing I forgot to mention when I visited the Mets: MLB’s jersey template has gone through many changes over the years, but a 2016 change has a highly unfortunate flaw where jerseys with pinstripes (those thin vertical strips on some jerseys) look awkward as there are sections that do not have the pinstripes (most notably the "tail"/bottom of the hem). Alas, the three MLB teams closest to me (the Yankees, Mets, and Phillies) all have pinstriped jerseys, which means that they all have this rather unfortunate defect (though the idea of buying a Yankee jersey for more than bargain bin prices is very much something I'd rather NOT do). There was a change made to the template in 2024 that "fixed" this issue, but the other issues it created were so egregious that it didn't last very long, and MLB has gone back to the template with the "incomplete" pinstripes.

Personally, I'd prefer to AVOID these jerseys, as the blank areas make them look incredibly strange (especially if the jersey is untucked, as the intention is that the "blank" area is to be tucked in).

---

[^1]: I did not find a Jaret Wright signed ball (who's also up there on my list - but for those wondering, Randy Johnson is NOT in that echelon).

[^2]: For those wondering, Bazzana, DeLauter, Schlittler, and Judge played for Falmouth, Orleans, Harwich, and Brewster respectively.

[^3]: I linked this video instead of embedding it because it screws with the mobile layout for this post (as YouTube seems to have a "fixed" embed size - see [the Winter Village](2025-12-21_rubasketball2) for an example of this).

[^4]: I say this as someone who bought an MLB Umpire's Jacket from eBay a few years ago (but is currently trying to find it)...

I CANNOT believe this is a thing

New York Yankees (Major League Baseball) @ Yankee Stadium (Bronx, NY)


One of the more interesting things about going to a sporting event: there's TONS you _don't_ get to see. The most "common" example of this would be luxury areas for people/companies who pay hundreds to thousands of dollars to access them, but there are areas of stadiums even _they_ don't see on a typical gameday.

Take, for example, the [Gotham FC Open House I attended back in October 2025](2025-10-18_gothamfc2)[^1]. While it allowed fans to see some of the luxury areas (which, again, cost HUNDREDS of dollars for a game), there was also access to one of the changing rooms and the tunnel the players walk through at the start of each match. However, many stadiums in the United States offer special guided tours which offer access to these areas to fans.

This time, I decided to take a tour of Citi Field. [I've talked about the place before](2026-05-01_nymets), but I did not get to see EVERYTHING that it had to offer on that trip (most of which was NOT part of this tour, but I may get to at some point in the future, as I'm thinking of going back for another game). Of course, much like the Gotham Open House, there's parts of the stadium that are completely inaccessible to fans - such as our starting area: the press conference room.

![An image of the area where the New York Mets hold press conferences](/images/2026/0602-pressarea.jpeg)

<figcaption>[Insert your own inane question for whoever is managing the Mets when you read this here]</figcaption>

The tour was neat in that while yes, decent chunks of it were luxury areas (one of which I had access to during the game I went to), and we did go into the press box for a bit though I felt it was mostly just okay (though the Home Run Apple went off while we were there), a lot of it was actually in the first floor tunnels connecting the two team clubhouses (though we were not allowed IN the clubhouses as rehabbing players were present). This included a visit to the right field premium area, which has probably the best physical seats in the stadium in my opinion.

However, the most interesting stop of the tour was the last stop, as we got to stand on the track around the field behind home plate:

![An image of Citi Field from the field itself](/images/2026/0602-citifield-field.jpeg)

Which included a close up view of the Mets' dugout:

![An image of the New York Mets dugout at Citi Field](/images/2026/0602-metsdugout.jpeg)

I will end this by admitting that part of the reason I made THIS trip was because I made plans for later that day - [something I NEVER thought I would do...](2026-06-04_nyyankees)

---

[^1]: The reason for it was to try and sell season tickets to fans, but the team may have just nuked any market for potential season ticket holders as reports have indicated they're looking into moving to Queens...

An inside look at the home of the New York Mets

A tour of Citi Field


### _[26 IN 26 STOP 17](/26in26list)_

_\*This trip occurred on May 30, 2026. For more on USL2, [here's an overview](usl2_overview)._

So far, I've talked about four pre-professional/high-level amateur teams on this blog: [Vermont Green](2025-08-21_vgfc), [FC Motown](2026-05-17_fcmotown_npsl), [New Jersey United](2026-05-24_njunited), and the [Staten Island Monarchs](2026-05-25_simonarchs). Today marks a bit of a change however, because where these teams are all mainly just small local teams with not much going on "outside" the main team (save for maybe the whole [STA thing](2026-05-22_fcmotownsta)), today's team is quite different: it's an entire youth soccer program designed to teach kids how to play soccer (aka an academy - which none of the other teams mentioned really have).

Ironbound Soccer Club - named after a district of Newark known for its Portuguese culture - has been around for some time. I couldn't find an EXACT date of "founding", but their website indicated that they won a youth title as far back as 2010. They also have some partnership with [Red Bull New York](2026-03-01_rbny), but I'm not fully certain as to what said partnership entails.

Information on Ironbound SC's history in USL2 is rather sparse sadly, but indications are that they joined the league in 2023 (by which I mean Wikipedia and the USL2 website). However, despite being named after a neighborhood in Newark (the Ironbound - which is known for its Portuguese culture), the team doesn’t play IN Newark: when I found out about the team last year, they were playing at a high school stadium in neighboring Elizabeth, NJ[^1] - another major city south of Newark which, unfortunately, has seen MUCH BETTER days in the past. When the USL2 schedule for this season was released, I found out that they had moved to the other side of Newark - playing their games at another local high school in Harrison, NJ (which also happens to be the home of [Sports Illustrated Stadium](2025-09-08_gothamfc)).

One thing that separates Harrison High School's field from others in the area: the field has baseball and softball diamonds in addition to the football/soccer/lacrosse field, but unlike [Hinchliffe Stadium](2025-08-12_njjackals), the "bat and ball" diamonds do NOT overlap with the football field. Therefore, the "field" itself is much larger than your normal high school stadium (it's more "square" than "rectangular"), and while there is still a running track here, it's quite different from your average high school running track as it's way more square than "ovaloid".

Said track is also how spectators get to the main stand from the school's parking lot, as it's on the opposite side of the field from the school. It's a rather large grandstand, and unlike some other high school bleachers (such as [St. Joe's](2026-05-24_njunited)), there's a decent amount of concrete (as well as bathrooms and changing rooms for the two teams). Strangely, it feels like it has a fair amount of areas meant for wheelchairs/accessibility despite being completely ADA inaccessible due to the need to climb stairs to reach the bleachers (i.e. wheelchairs cannot reach the seats).

![An image of Harrison High School and its athletic field with the Newark skyline visible on the left side of the image](/images/2026/0530-ironbound.jpeg)

<figcaption>Gotta love magic hour!</figcaption>

This game was rather even throughout - both teams scored from a corner and had a penalty shot, but only the visiting Long Island Rough Riders scored from theirs. However, Ironbound found an equalizer from "open play", and as two other goals they had were ruled out by the offside flag going up, this game ended as a 2-2 draw - the first honest to God, no-weird-tiebreaker-because-we-need-to-give-one-team-a-fake-win draw/tie I've covered on this blog (see: [MLS NEXT Pro](2025-09-22_rbnyii) and [college](2025-10-25_bentleyhockey) [hockey](2025-11-04_harvardhockey_mens)).

As a final note, it seems that there are VERY FEW people associated with the club who work in USL2 gameday operations - the team doesn't have any of those portable tents/awnings that a lot of other teams have, this game was free to attend (apparently), and neither concessions nor merchandise were sold (the Monarchs had a few snacks and drinks available despite not having merch FWIW). Also, I feel like this is REALLY stretching thin the idea of which venues should get _26 in 26_ consideration, but I felt between counting other similar venues PLUS this game being the first draw I've discussed, I'd count it.

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[^1]: Fun fact: IIRC, Elizabeth High School was once the largest high school in America in terms of students, but a restructuring of the school in the 2009 split it into multiple separate schools.




Sportventures

A Phine Day Out (6/7/26)

Meet the Elite

Heck Friezes Over

A Citi Trip

The Ironbound