Giants Stadium memories run deep
Red Bulls, legends reminisce on past thrilling moments at closing stadium
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While there is excitement about the long-awaited opening of Red Bull Arena, a 25,000-seat soccer-specific stadium in Harrison, N.J., there is some sadness about saying goodbye to Giants Stadium.
"It's very sad," said Los Angeles Galaxy forward Alecko Eskandarian, who grew up in nearby Montvale, N.J. "To be honest, it's been a big part of life and childhood. Any time I think pro soccer, it's the first place I think of."
Eskandarian, who said he's been to countless football games and concerts at the stadium, was a baby when his father, Andranik, was a player on the New York Cosmos. He made the most of his final game at the stadium, scoring a brilliant goal in the opening moments of the Galaxy's 3-1 win against the Red Bulls in July.
"I knew coming into that game it would be the last time I'd be playing in Giants Stadium," Eskandarian said. "I scored probably the best goal in my career there so I left it on a good note."
Eskandarian's greatest memory, though, was being a wide-eyed 12-year-old during the 1994 World Cup.
"It was such a treat for me as a kid," Eskandarian said. "I remember it like it was yesterday."
Before he ever coached or played professionally at Giants Stadium, Red Bulls interim coach Richie Williams and his teammates on the New Monmouth youth soccer team took the field before a Cosmos game.
"Growing up my first experiences in Giants Stadium was going to the Cosmos game and actually playing before a game with my town team and how special that was for me to be able to run around and play in such a great stadium," he said. "To later on be able to watch the World Cup there in 1994, being able to play games in MLS, participate in an All-Star Game and coaching there, I have a lot of memories."
Shep Messing also has fond recollections of soccer at Giants Stadium, from his days as a Cosmos goalkeeper to his current role as television commentator.
"The memories of soccer at Giants Stadium for the tri-state area will be difficult to replicate, but hopefully something that will be built upon at Red Bull Arena," Messing said. "I was fortunate to be a part of some of those, first as a player and now as a broadcaster. For those of us that played there, 'The Swamp' was home."
Messing said four games stand out for him in the three decades of soccer at Giants Stadium. The first was a Cosmos-Tampa Bay Rowdies game on June 19, 1977. He said he was driving with Werner Roth and Beckenbauer through the Lincoln Tunnel and traffic was snarled.
"It took us an hour longer than usual and we were panicked that we would be late for the team meeting," Messing said. "We finally realized that there was no traffic accident, but that all the cars were going to our game. Unbelievable -- 32,000 the week before and now over 62,000 here to see us play."
Messing also remembers 77,000 fans packing Giants Stadium, setting a U.S. record at the time, to watch England international Gordon Banks and the Fort Lauderdale Strikers face the Cosmos. And then there was Pele's farewell game against Santos on Oct. 1, 1977 with Mick Jagger, Henry Kissinger and Muhammad Ali on the field for pregame ceremonies.
Thirty years later, Messing said, the magic was back as David Beckham and the Los Angeles Galaxy took on the New York Red Bulls in front of 66,237 in one of the most thrilling Major League Soccer games in history.
That is also Juan Pablo Angel's greatest memory of playing at Giants Stadium.
"That's obviously a highlight and it's a highlight for the league in years to come," said Angel, who scored the winning goal in a 5-4 victory. "I don't know much about the history of the league, but I'm sure there weren't many games like this -- a full house at Giants Stadium and having a 5-4 score and winning in the last minute the way we did, I think it was an incredible game."
For veteran defender Mike Petke, who grew up on Long Island, Giants Stadium is where he broke into the league as a rookie on the MetroStars in 1998.
"I'm not going to miss the turf, but I had some great memories there, some great wins, great goals, the 9-11 charity match," Petke said. "Clint Mathis scoring the goal of the decade against Dallas on the field, me scoring some important goals there and walking out of the tunnel every day and having the supporters' club right above you screaming at you. It's going to be a nice last game and we're going to say our goodbyes and look forward to the new stadium next year."
The last major international soccer game at Giants Stadium took place on July 26, when the largest crowd for soccer in Giants Stadium history, 79,156, most of which were green-clad fans of El Tri, saw Mexico crush the United States 5-0 in the Gold Cup final. And Saturday night's MLS regular-season finale will be the final game played there.
A new Giants Stadium is being constructed next door and is expected to open for the 2011 NFL season. That stadium, which will seat 82,500, is one of the venues for the United States' World Cup bids, while the Red Bulls move to Red Bull Arena, expected to be one of the best soccer-specific stadiums in the country.
"That being my home for my first five years in the league and now this year, it's going to be bittersweet not to be there anymore," Petke said. "But I'm definitely looking forward to Red Bull Arena."
Dylan Butler is a contributor to MLSnet.com.
