2022 FIFA WORLD CUP CONTEST

Yes you read that right! This season The Third Rail, along with Etihad Airways, is offering one lucky member a trip for two to Qatar for the 2022 World Cup!

The trip includes two roundtrip flights from JFK to Abu Dhabi, a two night stay in Abu Dhabi, roundtrip transportation between Abu Dhabi and Doha, a five night stay in Doha, and 2 tickets for two 2022 World Cup group stage matches. We are looking at add more activities on the ground in both cities once the World Cup match schedule is finalized.

While there will only be one grand prize winner, we will be handing out several other prizes including a free season ticket for 2023, 2 roundtrip flights to anywhere JetBlue flies, access to Legends for a gourmet meal before a NYCFC match at Yankee Stadium, and more to come! Additional prizes will be added over the coming weeks but we wanted to get the details of the contest out now so you can start earning entries with the match tonight.

The contest will run from today, February 15th, until August 28th where the winner will be chosen during the watch party for the Orlando City match. To enter, members can earn varying amounts of entries for engaging with The Third Rail throughout the season. You can earn entries by attending official Third Rail watch parties, volunteering for our committees & events, attending away matches, painting tifo, participating in our community service projects, and by referring new people to join The Third Rail. The full contest rules and fine print are listed below.

Ways to Enter

Attending an Official Third Rail Watch Party

For each official Third Rail watch party that you attend you will get ONE entry into this competition. These entries will be tracked by the TR board for the Manhattan watch party at Carragher’s and by the respective TR Chapter presidents for their watch parties via a sign in sheet. You must be there in person and sign in to earn your entry. A watch party is only official if it is run by an official chapter of the Third Rail and advertised on our social media channels.

Volunteering for Our Committees & Events
For each time you volunteer your time to help out on one of our committees or assist with an event/tailgate you will gain FIVE entries to the contest. The Third Rail has a number of different committees that members can volunteer for – Merchandise, Membership, Communications, Game Day, and Community Service. We also throw a number of events throughout the season, most notably our local away match tailgates. Each committee has a board member who runs it and they will determine the earning opportunities throughout the season and if you qualify for the entries. Some examples of possible ways to earn include running the merchandise or membership tables on game day, assisting with handing out membership items on opening day, manning a station at a tailgate, or helping to organize a community service event. Click here to sign up to help out.

Attending Away Matches
If you attend any NYCFC away match and you bought your ticket via The Third Rail you are eligible to earn SEVEN entries for the contest. No one travels to away matches better than NYCFC supporters and we want to get even more of you out there as we go on our victory tour this season. To help with this, we are now able to sell all tickets for $10 with no full priced tickets for guests. For nearly every match except for Red Bull, there is no cap on the number of guest tickets you can buy. Please check the respective ticket form for details.

Painting Tifo
For each tifo session you attend you will earn TEN entries into the contest. We can always use more volunteers painting tifo so if you have ever thought about helping out now is the time. Click here to sign up to help out.

Community Service Events
For each community service event that The Third Rail either organizes or promotes you will earn FIFTEEN entries into the contest. Click here to sign up to help out.

Referring New Members
For each new member that you refer to The Third Rail you will earn TWENTY entries into the contest. They have to be a new member as of 2/15 or can be a previous member of The Third Rail that you bring back into the fold, as long as they weren’t a member in 2021. Any former members who rejoin will be able to keep their original Third Rail number.

The Fine Print

As with any contest, there are a number of rules and guidelines to follow.

1. You must be a member in good standing of The Third Rail to receive any entries. No retroactive entries will be allowed. Once you have paid your 2022 dues you can earn that same day.

2. You must attend the 8/28 watch party IN PERSON to claim your eligible entries and drop the tickets into the pool. You cannot collect tickets on someone else’s behalf.

3. All prizes are non-transferable and must be used by the winner.

4. For the Grand Prize trip to the 2022 World Cup, you must be able to travel on Etihad flight EY100S on 11/20/22 JFK-AUH and on flight EY101S AUH-JFK on 11/28/22. THESE DATES ARE NON-CHANGEABLE. Guest name must be provided within 24 hours of winning and cannot be changed.

5. Exact World Cup matches are TBD and winner will most likely not be able to pick which ones they attend.

6. If you do not physically sign in for a watch party you will not receive an entry for attending.

7. Committee chairs have the final say on earned entries for volunteering or helping with events. Felix Palao is the Merchandise Chair. Keven Tam is the Communication Chair. Neil Govoni is the Membership Chair. Stephanie Plaut is the Community Service Chair. Danny Chediak is the Game Day Chair.

8. Away match tickets must be purchased directly from The Third Rail to be eligible for entries from attending an away match.

9. The leader of that day's tifo session will determine who gets awarded credit for painting tifo.

10. New members are any members of The Third Rail who have never been members or who were not a member in 2021. 2022 memberships cannot have been paid prior to 2/15/22.

11. Any questions on the contest rules or guidelines please send an email to andrew@thirdrail.nyc.

While we don’t anticipate this happening, the prizes listed above and rules are subject to change without notice. Contest guidelines and earning opportunities may be added and/or deleted throughout the season without notice as well. The Third Rail Board reserves the right to invalidate any entries or disqualify any participant at any time.

VOLUNTEER WITH THE THIRD RAIL

We're excited to roll out Third Rail committees for 2022. We've set up several committees that handle our core activities and are looking to bring in more volunteers to help with the organization. Each committee is responsible for planning, managing, and executing projects and initiatives in the following seven spaces. There is a board member assigned as a chair for each committee, with the first listed as the main point of contact.

• MERCHANDISE & DESIGN - Felix Palao (felix@thirdrail.nyc)

  • Merchandise design

  • Vendor research and sourcing

  • Selling merchandise

  • Other organization design

• COMMUNICATIONS - Keven Tam (keven@thirdrail.nyc)

  • Social media content

  • Photographers

  • Content Creator (NYCFC Stats and Facts)

  • Graphics

  • Videographers

  • TR website

  • Media inquiries

• COMMUNITY SERVICE - Stephanie Plaut (stephanie@thirdrail.nyc) and Andrew Tucker (andrew@thirdrail.nyc)

  • Community service events

  • Finding and working with local charities

  • Outreach to other, less represented groups

• Supporter Squad - Danny Chediak (danny@thirdrail.nyc) and Neil Govoni (neil@thirdrail.nyc)

  • Helping to organize in the supporter section

  • Playing the drums

  • Organizing the flags

  • Capoing/leading chants

  • Inter SG Relations

• TIFO - Alexander Schaefer (alex@thirdrail.nyc)

  • Tifo designs

  • Painting sessions

  • Tifo displays and in-stadium logistics

• Membership - Neil Govoni (neil@thirdrail.nyc)

  • Membership Item distribution

  • Supporter outreach

  • Yankee Stadium Member table/outreach

  • Event volunteering- Watch parties, Meet and Greets, Special Events

  • End of Season Party

Please use the button below to view more detailed responsibilities and to sign up for a committee. You can join more than one committee and time commitments vary but are usually a few hours a month. Expect to work closely with the TR board and other members, meet new people, and help make a difference in the organization.

If you have any specific questions about the roles and responsibilities of each committee, feel free to reach out to the committee chairs directly.

2021 Third Rail Memberships - Now Available

2021 Third Rail Membership Scarf

The Third Rail is excited to unveil our 2021 Third Rail Membership information, for both returning and new members.

Starting today you can purchase or renew your 2021 Third Rail membership through our portal on MemberPlanet, for the same price of $30. MemberPlanet, our online membership portal, sent to every 2020 member an email on 12/24/19 with a link and instructions to update your information and renew (email title "Membership Renewal Notice" from "membership@thirdrail.nyc").

New Members can join by visiting our MemberPlanet portal

For $30, your membership in The Third Rail supports all of our efforts throughout 2021 to support NYCFC, organize NYCFC supporters, donate to local charities, and host amazing events! As a member, you will be joining a community of other passionate fans as we grow the game and experience of soccer in New York City. We do this through songs and chants at home and away games, creating tifo, playing the game, supporting charitable initiatives, and showing our pride in our team everywhere we go.

If your renew or join by January 31st 2021, we will ship your membership items to you for free during the month of February (domestic mail only). The only requirements to receive this free shipping is that you update your address in MemberPlanet when you renew your membership (you will also receive a reminder email from MemberPlanet with clear instructions on how to make this update).

We can't thank you enough for joining this community and in addition to helping us fulfill our mission statement, we've put together an impressive list of membership benefits for 2021: 

• 2021 Third Rail Membership Scarf

• 2021 Third Rail Membership Card

• Free Membership Item Shipping (for those that sign up by 1/31/20 and update their address)

• 15% off NYCFC merchandise in-person at Pele Soccer (details to come)

• 15% off Hudson Whiskey through their website (code to come)

• Access to the next Third Rail x Hudson Whiskey single barrel party

• Complete access to all of our events, including away game watch parties, tailgates, and social events throughout the year, including our end of season party

• Full voting rights in Third Rail Elections

• Supporting and participating in large scale tifo and banner production sessions

• Third Rail local chapters for meeting and organizing

• Supporting volunteer work and charitable giving to local NYC-based nonprofits

• Membership in a group that advocates for independent soccer supporters' rights in NYC and also throughout North America through the Independent Supporters Council

• Membership in the first and largest NYCFC supporters group

• Other initiatives that we're still planning!

2020 Board Election Results

Thank you to everyone that took the time to read about the candidates and vote. Thank you to all of our candidates for stepping up and offering to give back to this organization.

2020 Election Winners:
Vice President - Danny Chediak
Secretary - Stephanie Plaut
Board Member - Ray Kingsbury
Board Member - Allison Michelle Whitney
Board Member - Justin SE Bulova (1-year term)

Congratulations to all of our winners and new Board members.

A few people reached out to us about wanting to get more involved in The Third Rail and potentially running for the our Board. Next year we want to get as many people as we can involved in the org, taking on responsibility, and working with others to keep the org running and growing. Board position or not, we want this to be an org run by a broad base of volunteers, not just Board members. We started a push on committees in 2019 and will be looking to expand and grow them next year. If you have the energy and ideas to give back then we'll find a place for you. Thanks everyone

2020 Election Committee:
Andrew Tucker, Boris Gul, Andy Drelick

2020 Third Rail Board of Directors:

• President - Andy Drelick

• Vice President - Danny Chediak

• Secretary - Stephanie Plaut

• Treasurer - Boris Gul

• Board Member - Ray Kingsbury

• Board Member - Andrew Tucker

• Board Member - Allison Michelle Whitney

• Board Member - Justin SE Bulova
  

TR is Proud to Partner with Heritage of Pride

The Third Rail is proud to partner with Heritage of Pride as an official Pride Partner of NYC PRIDE for WORLDPRIDE | STONEWALL 50. The New York City FC match on June 6th vs FC Cincinnati will now be designated an Official Pride Event due to this partnership and The Third Rail will be celebrating with a special tifo display to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising.

The Third Rail is the first and largest, independent, volunteer-run, nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting New York City FC. The Third Rail is an inclusive organization, accepting all people regardless of race, age, gender, creed, or sexual orientation.

Heritage of Pride, Inc. is the volunteer-directed nonprofit organization that plans and produces New York City's official LGBTQIA+ Pride events each year to commemorate the Stonewall Riots of 1969 - the beginning of the modern day Gay Rights movement. Heritage of Pride’s mission is to work toward a future without discrimination where all people have equal rights under the law. They do this by producing LGBTQIA+ Pride events that inspire, educate, commemorate and celebrate our diverse community.

Game Preview: NYCFC v Orlando City

Saturday, April 27th

Nick Fiorino (@stretch_fio)

NYCFC will look for their third win in seven days on Saturday when Nani and Orlando City visit Yankee Stadium for an early afternoon battle. The former Manchester United winger will look to stay hot, as he’s scored in three consecutive matches. Saturday will be City’s last home match until June 6th, and after a strong defensive showing Wednesday night, NYCFC may finally be turning the corner.

Projected Lineup

Domè seems to have found his ideal formation both home and away. The 5-3-2 that City have lined up in as of late has become a 5-2-1-2 with the injury of Ismael Tajouri-Shradi.  James Sands has been a rock in defense between Alexander Callens and Maxime Chanot, allowing both outside fullbacks freedom to get forward along the touchlines. With Ronald Matarrita injured again and likely to miss Saturday’s contest, Ben Sweat will step into the left-fullback role as he did on Wednesday. City supporters have been clamoring for the inclusion of loanee Keaton Parks since the start of the season, and although he would absolutely thrive in this system, Domè will almost certainly stick with Ebenezer Ofori alongside Alex Ring in the midfield. Alexandru Mitriță trained on Friday, but will still carry a Questionable tag into Saturday’s contest. If Mitriță is fit to start, the front three will be incredibly dangerous, and with Jonathan Lewis and Ismael Tajouri-Shradi ready as subs off the bench, it is easy to see why City fans are finally getting excited.

Player Stats

New York City FC:

Goals: Alex Ring (2), Ismael Tajouri-Shradi (2), Alexandru Mitriță (2), Taty (2)

Assists: Maxi Moralez (3), Héber (2)

Orlando City:

Goals: Nani (4), Dom Dwyer (3), Chris Mueller (2)

Assists: Nani (4), Three Players (2)

MLS Statistics

Follow Nick Fiorino on Twitter at @stretch_fio and The Third Rail at @ThirdRailSC.

Visit our website at thirdrail.nyc for merchandise, weekly game previews and more. Interested in joining? Click here.

Watch NYCFC v DC United at 1:00 ET on YES and the FoxSportsGo app

Listen on WNYE 91.5 FM and in Spanish on ESPN Deportes 1050 AM

Game Preview: NYCFC @ DC United

Sunday, April 21st

Nick Fiorino (@stretch_fio)

NYCFC will spend Easter Sunday in the nation’s capital, facing DC United for the second time this season. The two teams drew 0-0 at Yankee Stadium in March, and a similar low-scoring contest may be in store, as DC has gone scoreless in two consecutive home matches. Domè is still on the hot seat after City’s fifth draw in six matches, and another week without a win may be the final straw.

Projected Lineup by Formation

Throughout Domè’s tenure as manager, City have usually set up in a 4-2-3-1 formation. However, Torrent has often changed the team’s shape away from Yankee Stadium, as he did in Minnesota last weekend. With Mitriță, Héber, and Maxi all seemingly healthy at the same time, we may finally see Domè’s preferred shape for 2019.

4-2-3-1

The 4-2-3-1 formation allows Domè to play his best eleven. The return of Alexander Callens allows the usual back line to start, with Ronald Matarrita taking back the starting left fullback position from Ben Sweat. James Sands and Alex Ring should slot back into their usual midfield positions, allowing Ring the freedom to get forward. A healthy first-choice front four should get City supporters excited, with Maxi Moralez, Alexandru Mitriță, Ismael Tajouri-Shradi, and Héber all available for selection.

5-2-3

James Sands was a revelation at CB last weekend and has real experience in the back with the USMNT. If City start with a back three as they did last week, I expect Alexander Callens to start in place of Tony Rocha, who was, simply, terrible. Width is provided by the fullbacks, and Maxi is free to roam and spend most of the match on the ball. When Moralez and Tinnerholm fill the space on the right, Héber and Mitriță can push to their preferred left sided spaces in the attack. This formation forces another midfielder into the eleven, sending Ismael Tajouri-Shradi to the bench in place of either Eben Ofori or Keaton Parks

Previous Meeting: 0-0 Draw (March 10th)

City’s Home Opener was a tale of two goalkeepers, with Sean Johnson and Bill Hamid both saving everything they saw. Johnson showcased his reflexes early, saving a Luciano Acosta shot from about nine yards away. By the end of the first half, NYCFC had only registered one shot on target, a first time shot from Alex Ring from far outside the box. Johnson and Hamid continued to hold their clean sheets throughout the second half, with the only clear-cut chances falling to NYCFC in the final five minutes. Hamid saved a diving header from Alex Ring, and Jonathan Lewis missed a golden chance in added time. A boring contest finished with a boring scoreline of 0-0. In a perfect exemplification of City’s early season troubles, the boys in blue were simply not clinical enough in the final third, continuing their home woes under Domè.

Match Recap

Player Stats

New York City FC:

Goals: Alex Ring (2), Ismael Tajouri-Shradi (2), Three Players (1)

Assists: Seven Players (1)

DC United:

Goals: Wayne Rooney (4), Lucho Acosta (2), Lucas Rodriguez (2)

Assists: Wayne Rooney (3), Junior Moreno (3), Lucho Acosta (2)

MLS Statistics

Follow Nick Fiorino on Twitter at @stretch_fio and The Third Rail at @ThirdRailSC.

Visit our website at thirdrail.nyc for merchandise, weekly game previews and more. Interested in joining? Click here.

Watch NYCFC v DC United at 4:00 ET on ESPN and the WatchESPN app

Listen on WNYE 91.5 FM

NYCFC's Early Season Woes: Onto Minnesota

Nick Fiorino (@stretch_fio)

On Saturday, NYCFC travel to Minnesota looking to break their early season slump. Fans knew this season would be different without David Villa, but the front office seemingly did not. City were without a true centre forward for weeks, with Mitriță and Taty sharing time in the middle. While the boys in blue continue their objectively frustrating start to the year, City supporters continue to clamor for changes at the top.

Domè has been a disappointing hire for many. We all know the numbers: 4 wins in their last 21 matches, no goals in their last 200+ minutes, and an overall abysmal effort to penetrate into the final third. Last season under Patrick Vieira, City were undefeated at home, winning six of seven, outscoring opponents 19 to 3. Under Torrent, the fortress that was Yankee Stadium has turned into a sand castle.

Fans will remember the first month of Domè’s tenure. A mystical week of three home victories, three clean sheets, a victory over our cross-state rivals, and quite possibly Jonathan Lewis’ best week of his young career.

A pretty pineapple indeed.

Fans will also remember Domè’s estimation that he would need at least a month, and a transfer window to implement his preferred style. He turned to the club’s youth, something Vieira never did, and was rewarded early. This first group of matches as manager would prove to be the last remnants of the Patrick Vieira era in the Bronx. Torrent soon added Eloi Amagat and Valentin Castellanos to the team, and promised supporters something new on the pitch. City then went four in a row without a win at home. They finished the season losing five of six away from Yankee Stadium, eventually hobbling into the playoffs where they were soon eliminated, marking another year of what could have been.

So, if NYCFC lose this weekend and management does decide to sack Domè, what really would change? We would certainly see more of Keaton Parks in the sky blue; It would be hard to fathom a situation where he could play any less. We would see less of ‘Taty’, a Domè favorite, but that is likely to happen anyway with the arrival of Héber. A new manager would change our style of play? Certainly not drastically: the starting lineup would likely remain the same, and this team is built to play a certain way, whether we like it or not. All of this without asking, who replaces Torrent?

Other notable clubs have started the season poorly too. The Red Bulls and Atlanta United have both faced challenges to start the season in the East, and the Timbers have earned one point from five matches, holding a -10 goal differential in the West.

We are 5 games into a 34 game season. While Domè has been incredibly disappointing, City have a very strong roster, and it’s still very early. Here are the facts: At his best, Alexander Ring is as good a midfielder as there is in MLS, and he looks like a true offensive threat in year three. James Sands has exceeded all expectations. Minus the embarrassment in Toronto, the backline has looked steady. On their good days, Anton Tinnerholm and Ronald Matarrita are incredibly active on both ends of the pitch. Sean Johnson has been a rock, racking up international caps along the way. Maxi, Héber, Mitriță, and ITS will all eventually take the pitch together, and when they do, this will be a very dangerous team with a very potent attack.

Torrent has not lived up to the hype, but disregarding months of planning after a few bad performances, without a solid replacement, and without a backup plan is the wrong decision. For now.

Onto Saturday, City will face a tough road test, another Stadium opener with frigid weather expected. History stands in their way, and the injury bug is striking at the wrong time. According to Torrent on Wednesday, Mitriță has an injury that may limit his effectiveness for months. Héber is still only ready for 40-45 minutes of gametime, and Maxi is only at “70-75 percent” health. City will also be without Alexander Callens.

NYCFC is in turmoil at the moment, but with other big clubs underperforming around them and only five games into a long season, there is time. While Saturday may produce more of the same from the Pigeons, a roster like this will be poised for an eventual turnaround. The only question is when.

Follow Nick Fiorino on Twitter at @stretch_fio and The Third Rail at @ThirdRailSC.

Visit our website at thirdrail.nyc for merchandise, weekly game previews and more. Interested in joining? Click here.

Watch NYCFC v Minnesota United at 5:00 ET on ESPN2 and the WatchESPN app

Listen on WNYE 91.5 FM or in Spanish on 1050 AM ESPN Deportes