Sports fans descended on Chinatown’s Sara D. Roosevelt park for a free charity soccer game featuring big-name athletes from the N.B.A. and the soccer world on Wednesday night. About 800 people scrambled for the chance to get within shouting distance of sports stars who normally play packed stadiums, not tiny soccer fields.
Organized by the Phoenix Suns’ Steve Nash and the New York Red Bulls’ Claudio Reyna, and sponsored by Italian denim company Replay, the friendly match (dubbed “Showdown in Chinatown”) and after-party raised money for each athlete’s personal foundation. Players, clad in Replay shorts and T-shirts, included Barcelona’s Thierry Henry (a World Cup winner), former Liverpool star Robbie Fowler, and N.B.A. players Jason Kidd of the New Jersey Nets and Nash’s fellow Suns Leandro Barbosa and Raja Bell.Up until kickoff at 5:30 p.m., the entrance and press check-in were mobbed, with crowds of people swarming the chain-link fence surrounding the park’s skinny soccer field. Only a few hundred people actually made it onto the grass, while others pressed against the chain-link, or climbed trees and squeezed under gaps in the fence to catch a glimpse of the game. The two-hour game had more laughs than amazing plays, although many of the basketball players held their own against the soccer players’ fancy footwork and head butts.
The after-party at Replay’s SoHo store started an hour after the game. Organized by Venanzio Ciampa, owner of the Promotion Factory and his team, the event continued the soccer theme with window displays of Nash and Reyna and oversize soccer balls dotting the clothing displays. Servers in soccer uniforms passed concession-stand-inspired hors d’oeuvres including mini hot dogs and knishes from Tealicious. Bartenders used varieties of VitaminWater, a sponsor, as colorful mixers for vodka and rum cocktails called “the Steve” and “the Claudio”. Guests bid on signed jerseys and the chance to play hoops with Nash and soccer with Reyna in a live auction run by Sotheby’s auctioneer Hugh Hildesley that raised $20,000.
Organized by the Phoenix Suns’ Steve Nash and the New York Red Bulls’ Claudio Reyna, and sponsored by Italian denim company Replay, the friendly match (dubbed “Showdown in Chinatown”) and after-party raised money for each athlete’s personal foundation. Players, clad in Replay shorts and T-shirts, included Barcelona’s Thierry Henry (a World Cup winner), former Liverpool star Robbie Fowler, and N.B.A. players Jason Kidd of the New Jersey Nets and Nash’s fellow Suns Leandro Barbosa and Raja Bell.Up until kickoff at 5:30 p.m., the entrance and press check-in were mobbed, with crowds of people swarming the chain-link fence surrounding the park’s skinny soccer field. Only a few hundred people actually made it onto the grass, while others pressed against the chain-link, or climbed trees and squeezed under gaps in the fence to catch a glimpse of the game. The two-hour game had more laughs than amazing plays, although many of the basketball players held their own against the soccer players’ fancy footwork and head butts.
The after-party at Replay’s SoHo store started an hour after the game. Organized by Venanzio Ciampa, owner of the Promotion Factory and his team, the event continued the soccer theme with window displays of Nash and Reyna and oversize soccer balls dotting the clothing displays. Servers in soccer uniforms passed concession-stand-inspired hors d’oeuvres including mini hot dogs and knishes from Tealicious. Bartenders used varieties of VitaminWater, a sponsor, as colorful mixers for vodka and rum cocktails called “the Steve” and “the Claudio”. Guests bid on signed jerseys and the chance to play hoops with Nash and soccer with Reyna in a live auction run by Sotheby’s auctioneer Hugh Hildesley that raised $20,000.
Crowds of sports fans at Sara D. Roosevelt Park
Photo: BizBash
Two time M.V.P. and Phoenix Suns point guard Steve Nash (in yellow) recruited the players with the Red Bulls' Claudio Reyna.
Photo: BizBash
Fans climbed the chain-link fence and trees to get a better view.
Photo: BizBash
Servers in soccer uniforms passed out VitaminWater cocktails.
Photo: BizBash
Guests bid on signed jerseys and one-on-one experiences with the players.
Photo: BizBash
Tealicious provided concession-stand-inspired snacks like mini hot dogs.
Photo: BizBash
Oversize soccer balls added a sporty touch to clothing displays.
Photo: BizBash
Displays of Steve Nash and Claudio Reyna filled Replay's windows.
Photo: BizBash
