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Inside Cosmos Country With Eytan Calderon

This end-of-season edition of "Inside Cosmos Country" takes a look at 5 Points member and father of two Eytan Calderon, a dynamic presence on match days at Shuart Stadium.
Published Nov 20, 2015

If Sunday’s New York Cosmos NASL Championship Final victory taught us anything, it’s that the 5 Points supporters are difference-makers not just in the stands, but also on the pitch. Jimmy Maurer, Danny Szetela, Andrés Flores and more Cosmos players said as much after raising the trophy, and the team went so far as to borrow a popular 5 Points song in its postgame locker room celebration. The season is over, but the forecast for next season is already looking bright.

This edition of Inside Cosmos Country  is dedicated to Eytan Calderon and to all the parents I see on match day with their children. Along with being an excellent father to his two sons, Eytan is one of the many members of the 5 Points who consistently helped raise awareness of the club throughout the season.

By taking pictures throughout his match day experience and posting them online, Eytan reminds of us of those little things that make the entire Cosmos and 5 Points experience amazing: the tailgate, the singing, the camaraderie and more. The time and energy that supporters like Eytan have put forth all season long has reminded us how fortunate we are to be part of the New York Cosmos.

Eytan, pictured with his sons Clay and Stone, attended his first Cosmos match in 2013.

Q: What was your first soccer memory?

A: I lived in Israel when I was young. We had a field that consisted of literally 200 kids running back and forth with one soccer ball from one end to another. My first memory of soccer to any degree was scoring a goal amongst those kids and being lifted.

That feeling, that emotional jubilation… there aren’t a lot of wealthy sports in Israel. With soccer, it’s easy because you can set up a couple of goal posts and a soccer ball, then you’re rolling. It was nice because everyone shared the camaraderie of not having much, but having that.

For some reason, I remember scoring that goal and the adulation as my first soccer memory. To this day, that feeling of being lifted of the ground sticks with me.

Following that experience, did you continue to play soccer?

My family moved from Israel to the United States in 1981. At first, we lived in Queens for a couple of years. Then we relocated to Long Beach, where I lived and went to high school.

For a few years, I was on my school’s junior varsity team. By my senior year I was on varsity. I loved the experience, but I was slow. I played defense; that was it. But I had a great right leg. So my kicks cleared the field in one shot and I had a reputation for my “Iron Leg.”

What led you to become a Cosmos supporter?

The Cosmos have always been in my blood. Living in Long Island when I was younger, I remember former Cosmos goalkeeper, Shep Messing, being part of the New York Arrows. There was always this allure of the Cosmos that attracted me to them.

Truth be told, I didn’t follow the Cosmos when they had announced their return in 2010. Watching the Cosmos documentary, “Once in a Lifetime,” was enough to get me hooked on the club. I’ve probably watched that movie more than 40 times.

Everything about that documentary made me believe that if I could find something close like that, I would want to be part of that.

How did you become involved with the Cosmos?

My first actual experience with this club took place in the 2013 Fall Season home opener against the Fort Lauderdale Strikers. I’m divorced, and I had my sons with me that weekend. I thought about getting tickets but I never got around to it.

Nevertheless, we drove by Shuart Stadium in hopes that I’d be able to purchase some Cosmos merch. I wasn’t able to enter the stadium, but I met Cosmos employee Kyle Feller. He’s a great person and after talking with him, he gave me a couple of tickets for a later date. I did use those tickets and it was the best introduction because I took my girlfriend, Kathleen, to the game and the Cosmos rallied to defeat the Tampa Bay Rowdies.

What an amazing game. We were down 3-1, but what a comeback. The following match was against the Carolina RailHawks, and I brought my boys for that match. From there we joined the 5 Points and have been there ever since.

Eytan and his sons with Cosmos midfielder Danny Szetela and defender Jimmy Ockford in 2014.

On match day you’re all over the place. You’re a father, a photographer, a friend, a soccer ambassador and more. How do you do it?

I love the game day experience so I don’t think of it as doing a lot. I love hanging with the 5 Points at the tailgate and watching their smiling faces while feeling their adrenaline build up. Being able to have access to the field so I can take pictures is a joy. When you enjoy something so much, you don’t see it as additional work. As a result, it’s easy to make for it.

Has bringing your sons to the games created another dimension in your relationship with them?

Being a father to my boys is really special to me. I want to believe that I’m doing my part in mentoring them and our time together is one of quality. After our outing, we’ll go to a diner and talk about everything from school to video games and, of course, the Cosmos.

I love both my boys and having them at the games makes my experience even more special. Truthfully, their experience of the supporting the Cosmos is one of Jekyll and Hyde proportions.

On one hand, my son, Clay, does not like the experience too much. He loves the tailgate because of the food, but the 5 Points experience does zero for him. Usually by halftime, he’s ready to call it a day. To be fair, he is now a teenager and I appreciate how he’s willing to stick it out.

My other son, Stone, is a diehard Cosmos fan. He loves the 5 Points, and he gets into the chanting and stomping his feet on the ground. Initially, he didn’t want to be part of it but something clicked and he’s been a fan ever since.