On Saturday, March 18th, the New York Red Bulls held their second home match of the 2023 season. Ending on a positive note with a 2-1 win over Columbus Crew, the club put the spotlight on women and girls in the tri-state area for their Women’s Empowerment theme night.
Ten days prior to the match, the club announced a special combo pack with NJ/NY Gotham FC of the National Women’s Soccer League. The announcement came with a $40 ticket package allowing fans to purchase tickets to the upcoming Red Bulls match and Gotham’s regular season home opener on April 1st. Fans also received an exclusive co-branded headband available for pickup before Saturday’s match.
While the night featured the usual pregame festivities like outdoor games, giveaways, and music, there were several opportunities for women in attendance to network and lead in and outside RBA. The night’s unique offerings included a networking event for women in the area and a special corteo between supporters’ groups Empire Supporters Club, Viking Army, and Torcida 96, led by Savannah Nobre (ESC) and Gladys of Viking Army. On-air personality and NY sports emcee DJ Ria joined stadium host Ally Melendez to welcome in fans and bring the in-game entertainment throughout the night.
Jonquel Jones, Stefanie Dolson, and Jocelyn Willoughby were in attendance for the New York Liberty alongside various players from the Metropolitan Riveters of The Premier Hockey Federation.
The honor of delivering the match ball prior to kickoff was given to former U.S. Women’s National Team player Gotham FC General Manager Yael Averbuch West. The New Jersey native was accompanied by the New Jersey Youth Soccer Goal of the Year winner, Hadley.
“Women’s Empowerment Night provided another important opportunity to unite and increase the visibility of professional women’s sports in and around the New Jersey/New York Area,” Averbuch West told The Local W. “It was a tremendous honor for me to present the game ball for the New York Red Bulls match, and we thank the organization for being an incredible supporter and partner with us at Gotham FC.”
The National Anthem was also led by women, with female cadets from Rutgers University’s Army ROTC presenting the nation’s colors alongside local musician Demi Staluppi who sang The Star-Spangled Banner.
During halftime, a group of Red Bulls Girls RDS Showcase teams took the field first to play mini games. The evening also featured local girls and women’s sports teams who were honored on-field during halftime. Youth representatives include The Players Development Academy (PDA), NJ Crush FC, and high school girls’ soccer teams from New Jersey and New York.
The night, which ended in a win for the Red Bulls, was a resounding success and demonstrated the incredible local community of women’s sports ranging from the youth to professional level. For Averbuch West, she hopes the collaboration between Gotham and the Red Bulls is the first of many more to come.
“The partnership between our two clubs demonstrates a shared and important mission to continue the rise of the women’s game within our community,” Averbuch West said. “Saturday’s event was an example of that mutual support, and we look forward to future opportunities that continue to show our collaborations between the two clubs.”