Triplets In The Stands
Erica, Gabrielle & Melissa, USA
New York City FC and Goal Click have teamed up to share the traditions, emotions, and community that define the NYCFC experience, while highlighting the role of MetroPlusHealth in making every matchday even more memorable.
Erica, Gabrielle, and Melissa are lifelong friends united by their love of soccer. As season ticket holders, they proudly support NYCFC and the community that surrounds the club.
We are Erica Eisenberg, Gabrielle Albanese, and Melissa Albanese from Oyster Bay, NY. We are 30 years old and all teach special education on Long Island. Gabrielle and Melissa work with preschoolers with autism and speech delays, while Erica teaches young adults with disabilities.
Gabrielle and Melissa are twins, and Erica has been our “honorary triplet” since we met at age 10 trying out for the Oyster Bay U10 travel soccer team. We all made the team and played together until graduating high school.
From carpools to post-game pizza at Mario’s in Oyster Bay (one of our staples since we were young), we grew inseparable. After high school, we went to different colleges and played club soccer, but missed having a team that felt like ours. That changed in 2015 with the launch of New York City FC, which gave us a local club to rally behind.
Soccer has always been special to us. Gabrielle and Melissa's dad, Sal, who immigrated from Italy, passed his love of the game to us. We spent weekends watching Juventus and AC Milan with him, and always gathered for US National Team matches and World Cups. He even came with us to our first NYCFC game to see Sebastian Giovinco and David Villa.
Sal unexpectedly passed away in March 2025, and losing him has been very difficult. Soccer reminds us so much of him and his enthusiasm fueled ours. Every time we watch, we know he is still cheering right there with us.
Wherever We Go
Our first game was against Toronto FC at Yankee Stadium in 2015. We went mainly to see our favourite players, but we left as NYCFC fans. The energy of the players, the passion of the supporters, and the win that night instantly hooked us.
From there, we attended as many matches as possible, and our love for the team grew so much that we eventually became season ticket holders. Now we never miss a home game, and when the team is away, we watch together at home, at local bars, or at official watch parties. We also try to travel to one or two away matches every season, supporting NYCFC across the country.
Some of our favorite memories include every Hudson River Derby (because New York will always be blue!) and celebrating NYCFC’s 2021 MLS Cup win against Portland. Once penalties were over, the celebrations began and everybody was ecstatic.
One thing that makes following NYCFC so special is how connected the club is to the city. For example, when a team we love partners with a brand, it makes us way more likely to check it out, just like we did with MetroPlusHealth.
We first learned about them through the team and realized they were doing something really important by helping New Yorkers get affordable, quality healthcare. They do not just show up on game day, they also share resources for staying healthy.
Incredible Energy
Our gameday routine has become tradition. We start at the twins’ house, grab sandwiches and drinks for the train, and head into the city. Before kickoff, we meet other fans at Stans to join the supporters’ march, chanting as blue and orange smoke fills the street.
Stans is one of the many sports bars around Yankee Stadium, but it has a chill vibe. It is the kind of spot where fans grab a drink, catch up with friends, and talk about the game before heading out for the supporters’ march. The playlist is always a mix - anything from old-school rock and 90s throwbacks to today’s hits - which sets the perfect pregame mood. On a nice sunny day, they have seats outside for people to mingle and enjoy the fresh air.
At the stadium, we cheer nonstop, catch up with friends in our section, and take in the atmosphere.
After the game, we usually head to either the Dugout Bar or Twin Bar to celebrate a win or shake off a loss. That is where the real party starts as we meet up with supporters and dance the night away.
When traveling for away games, we link up with supporters’ groups, keeping that same feeling of community wherever we go.
Supporter groups not only bring incredible energy on matchdays, but they also come together off the field to give back to the community. The “clean sheet, clean park” tradition is the perfect example. Whenever NYCFC finishes a game with a shutout (no goals scored on us), one of the supporter groups organizes a park cleanup somewhere in the city. It is a simple but meaningful way to celebrate on the field while also taking care of our community.
One of the best parts of NYCFC is the camaraderie among fans. We all come from different backgrounds and neighborhoods, but in the stands, we come together and go hard at the game.
