Green Mountain High School graduate Jeb Brov- sky will enjoy a homecoming Saturday when New York City FC visits Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in the Rapids’ home opener, but for sheer excitement it will be hard to top what he experienced the past two weeks with his Major League Soccer expansion team.
In Week 1, NYCFC went to Florida to engage this season’s other expansion team, Orlando City, and 62,510 spectators filled the Citrus Bowl for a 1-1 draw. This past Sunday NYCFC drew 43,507 for its home opener at Yankee Stadium.
“It’s just a testament to the growing nature of the game in this country that two new teams coming into the league can really set the tone for fan bases in this 2015 campaign,” said Brovsky, a Notre Dame graduate who plays left back for NYCFC. “Orlando, credit to them, they filled up the Citrus Bowl and that was a fantastic atmosphere. But the New York fans were even louder. The 42,000, they rocked the house.”
Spanish national team star David Villa was the first player signed by NYCFC last June, and . Villa scored the first goal Sunday in the 2-0 victory over New England.
“When that first goal went in, running into the corner with David and the guys (to celebrate), we couldn’t even hear each other speak — it was crazy,” Brovsky said. “I don’t think any of us really expected the crazy turnout that happened, but we were more than pleased.
“Every guy walked into the locker room saying, ‘That was one of the best experiences of my life.’ “
NYCFC, owned by the same company that owns Manchester City of the English Premier League, is expected to get a permanent home of its own at some point, but this season it will share the field with the Yankees.
“Any athlete of any sport can look at Yankee Stadium and hope, whether you play football or baseball or soccer, that you get to play in that venue at some time in your career,” Brovsky said. “I remember Notre Dame, when they had a bowl game there, the Pinstripe Bowl (in 2013), I was very jealous of those guys to get to play in that venue.”
Brovsky, 26, previously played for Vancouver and Montreal in MLS. His wife, the former Caitlin Phelan, is a Mullen graduate. The couple are expecting their first child in July.
They’re hoping to make New York their home “for many years to come,” but Brovsky loves playing the Rapids in Colorado.
“Coming home to Colorado is one of the most special feelings, every single time,” Brovsky said. “Family and friends are so excited. We always get as many tickets as we possibly can. My parents will be there, my wife’s father has bought a lot of tickets. … I’ve never won coming home. Hopefully we can go into Colorado and get a result.”
John Meyer: jmeyer@denverpost.com or twitter.com/johnmeyer
