Soccer Sparks Unity: Cortlandt Residents Get a Kick Out of World Cup Watch Party

Local fans trade the couch for a communal experience at Cortlandt Waterfront Park

World Cup merch supporting the home team.

By Brianna Ferguson, [email protected]

July 3, 2026

Local families packed Cortlandt Waterfront Park on the night of Wednesday, July 1, cheering on team USA while igniting a passion for soccer in their children.

This was the first World Cup watch party hosted by the town of Cortlandt, with locals treated to a 2-0 USA victory over the team from Bosnia and Herzegovina. Residents transformed the park into a sea of red, white, and blue to celebrate the game.

With over 200 fans attending, the crowd brought vibrant energy while waiting for the kickoff on a giant TV screen. Children played soccer on the grass, while others wore flags and USA merch, showing their support.

“I think it’s just a sense of community, honestly. To be able to just experience those moments and have other people experiencing that same excitement is really fun.” said Ashley Baker of Cortlandt.

Meanwhile, hungry fans were lined up at Octavio’s Food Wagon, which was serving their fish tacos, quesadillas, and assorted refreshments. Nearby, the Mister Softee truck served tasty soft-serve ice cream cones.

The packed crowd of fans watching the game.

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Jared Hadjstylianos of Cortlandt (left) and Liam Cruz Rodriguez of Cortlandt (right) playing soccer.

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Fans Ashley Baker, Cortlandt, and Chris Brenner, Goshen.

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Fans lined up at Octavio’s Food Wagon and Mister Softee.

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Two young soccer enthusiasts of Cortlandt shared with the Herald what they hoped to get out of the game and their experience at the watch party.

Liam Cruz Rodriguez said, “The crowd makes the vibes great. At home, it’s calm and normal.”

Liam’s mother, Carolina, shared her story of growing up around soccer.

“As a little girl, I hated soccer because I grew up all the time watching,” she said. “Everything was about soccer. Now, my son plays soccer and I love it. Every time he plays, I’m there for him. I’m supporting him right now, even though I hated soccer at the beginning.”

“At home, it’s more calm, but here with the crowd, it’s more energetic, and I feel like it would be really fun,” said Jared Hadjstylianos, a young Cortlandt resident.

“I’m excited to see how many goals we can score because Bosnia isn’t one of the top countries right now in this World Cup, so I think that we can score a good amount of goals and get to round 16,” added Hadjstylianos.

Whether local residents came as lifelong fans, or like Rodriguez, learned to love the game through her son, fans seemed to create memories they won’t likely forget.

About the Contributors

Brianna Ferguson, Cortlandt Beat Reporter

Brianna Ferguson joins us as a summer intern covering stories on the Town of Cortlandt and the Villages of Buchanan, Verplank, and Montrose. She worked as a student journalist for the Peekskill Herald during her time at Peekskill High School. She is a rising senior at SUNY Oneonta majoring in Media Studies. Throughout her experience as a student journalist, she covered small business stories, school & town board meetings, community events, and local news stories.

Mya Guardino, Social Media Editor

Mya Guardino is a freelance writer, journalist and content creator from Peekskill. She is passionate about storytelling in all its forms, from reporting on local news and community events to creating digital content and teaching creative writing courses. A graduate of Howard University, she earned her MA in Creative Writing from the University of Westminster in London in 2024. Her experience spans special media management, publication projects, and content strategy, but her heart always comes back to writing. Contributing to the Peekskill Herald allows her to honor her roots, share stories of the city that raised her, and continue building her writing career.