The Supporter First Experience 4/17/14

        This past Sunday morning was an experience like no other.  My local NASL soccer team the New York Cosmos had their opening game of the season and I was joining a group of supporters and going to the game.  Although this sounds like a regular day of spectating, trust me the feeling was completely different than any game I had ever been to before.  The game started at 5 pm at Shuart Stadium on the Hofstra University Campus,  but my journey begins a few hours prior to the opening whistle.
       I left my house excited and unsure how the day would go.  Of course I love soccer and going to the games,  but I wasn't participating with your average fans.  The ladies and gentlemen of the Cross Island Crew,  Borough Boys, and La Banda Del Cosmos are die hard fans that chant, cheer, and sing the full 90 minutes.  This is a tall order for a new guy to become part of a club so electrifying.  I arrived in the parking lot and saw a sea of green shirts.  Fans all over the area were making their way towards the stadium and front gates.  However the supporter group better known as the 5 points readied themselves down the block with great food, drinks, and the beginning of the chants we'd come to hear in the stadium.  Most of the crew hadn't met me yet as it was my first game,  but a lot of the members came up to me introduced themselves and made me feel like part of the family.
      A few minutes after I arrived cheers began as a school bus with banners hanging from the sides pulled into the lot.  The doors open and the first sound you hear is the drums of La Banda Del Cosmos.  The true feel of the event had begun and this was the point where I knew the experience was going to be different.  As game time got very close,  all the members started to make their way down the street and towards the gates to the stadium.  The Five Points had arrived and everyone knew it.  The jubilant chants echoed underneath the bleachers as we made our way to our section which had been covered with banners and signs.
     As the players took the field the TIFO banners were extended across the support group while confetti was thrown,  smoke was engulfing the stands and our loud group of supporters began the great Cosmos' chants.  It wasn't just our job to watch the game.  We are the men and women pumping up our team.  They work the full 90 minutes on the pitch, therefore we work the 90 minutes in the stands jumping, screaming, and waving the flags.  Watching a few of the people holding onto those banners with the wind howling was amazing.  Even with those winds the Five Points didn't skip a beat.
    Of course the Cosmos winning made the journey even better.  I left that stadium after the game proud to be a part of the Cross Island Crew.  My scarf,  Cosmos shirt, and Crew family is all I

needed during that game.  If you love soccer and want to be a part of something great,  join a Supporter Group.  If your in New York join the Five Points.  The Borough Boys,  La Banda Del Cosmos, and of course Cross Island Crew are my new friends and we want you to experience the magic.  Let's Go Cosmos!!!!