Vinicius Carvalho and Isabella Brito did some travel math before they made their way from St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada to MetLife Stadium on Tuesday morning to see Fluminense play a 3 p.m. match in the Club World Cup semifinal.
Figure six hours to go nearly 400 miles, they thought. Then add an extra 90 minutes or so to ensure they got there early. And, oh yeah, build in a few extra hours to have time to spend at American Dream.
Really?
Really.
Carvalho explained.
“This place is amazing,” he said. “To have a place like this, so close to the stadium, is incredible. We can park here, get something to eat, then head over for the game. It’s a perfect setup.”
And one Carvalho knew nothing about until just a few weeks before, when he made a similar journey to see Fluminese play an opening-round game against Dortmund.
“I had no idea this was here,” he said. “This is unlike any other stadium I’ve been to.”
The couple is not alone in their praise for the 3-million-square foot entertainment, shopping and dining complex that is just a pedestrian foot bridge away from MetLife Stadium.
And they certainly weren’t the only ones making the trek there. The mall has been overflowing with soccer fans throughout the event.
On Tuesday night, more than two hours after Fluminese came up short in its match with Chelsea, American Dream was packed in a way that usually is saved for weekends.
And that was nothing compared to when another Brazilian league team, Palmeiras, played two opening-round games at MetLife. American Dream officials estimated there were more than 10,000 Palmeiras fans in the place pregame and postgame.
Gregg Schwartz, who heads all sports marketing initiatives at American Dream, said none of this is by accident.
American Dream has worked hard to brand itself across the country and around the globe – and worked hard to ensure there were plenty of soccer activations to make it the meeting place for those going to the Club World Cup, which concludes Sunday.
“We work hard to coordinate and capitalize on what’s going on next door,” he said.
“Fans want to experience the excitement of big events. If they don’t have tickets, this is a way they can be a part of it. If they do have tickets, this is a place where they can congregate before and after.”
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The American Dream mega mall, a combination of shopping, recreation and entertainment like no other place, has had many doubters. The Club World Cup has proven them wrong. It has been the ultimate proof of concept.
Just ask the major brands.
Companies connected to FIFA — big and small — have used American Dream for promotional purposes during the Club World Cup event.
Hisense has a promotional booth at MetLife Stadium and in American Dream. In fact, at its American Dream setup, the company has a few of its new 100-inch TV screens showing the games as they are happening.
Taittinger, the official champagne of the World Cup, has been holding private parties before each match at MetLife at … where else: The Isola Bella champagne bar.
Coca Cola and Univision are planning major activations for the weekend, Schwartz said.
American Dream has proven to be more than just a place to beat the oppressive heat. And it’s been more than just a fan fest; it’s become a food fest.
Valeria Jurado, a manager at the Yard House, one of 11 sit-down restaurants (there are 65 eateries) said business has been booming — on weekends and weekdays. And since matches have been mid-day, the restaurant has seen a before and after crowd.
“MetLife always has been a huge help, but this has been a different vibe,” she said. “It’s incredible.”
And next summer, when there will be no on-site tailgating at the stadium, it’s easy to predict that the crowds will bigger — and the business will be even better.
Schwartz said the Club World Cup — and the coming 2026 World Cup — have been good for business in another way.
A few new tenants will be announced in the coming weeks and months, all of which, Schwartz said, wanted to make sure they were up and running in time to take advantage of the coming influx of fans.
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The party planning goes both ways.
American Dream officials said they aren’t just waiting for events to come to them.
American Dream has been using its center stage to host indoor parties and events, including a trophy reveal, a legends meet and greet and a show from a famous (soccer ball) juggler.
Schwartz said American Dream has been reaching out to fan clubs, too.
On Wednesday, the local Real Madrid fan club took over the Hasbro GAMEROOM for a pre-match party. Schwartz said he’ll spend the next few days working to organize events with fan clubs of the two finalists: Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain.
He figures it won’t be hard to find them.
The benefit of being so close to the action is that you become the action when there are no games. Schwartz said American Dream expects to see huge crowds on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
“If you’re a Chelsea fan or a PSG fan, what are you going to do the next few days,” he asked and then answered. “We know plenty of them will be here.”
More cool events are coming in the next 12 months, Schwartz promises.
His biggest dream: Having a watch party in the water park.
“How cool would it be to have huge screens showing the games while you’re in the water,” he said.
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American Dream is what the Meadowlands has long needed: A gathering place where fans can have fun – and food – before and after the game. Look no further than Super Bowl XLVIII in February of 2014 to see how much business the state has missed out on during big events.
Here’s what American Dream is not: A substitute for a world-class convention center.
At least, that’s the way Meadowlands Chamber CEO Jim Kirkos sees it.
Kirkos has long been pursuing a multi-purpose convention center, one that could hold major conferences and major youth tournaments. And he said a convention center should be viewed as complimentary piece to MetLife Stadium, the Meadowlands Racetrack and American Dream — not a competing one.
“Just imagine if each week there was a major concert, sporting event, convention or youth sports tournament bringing thousands of visitors to the complex,” Kirkos said. “Every week could be like this week.”
The potential economic impact is incredible, Kirkos said.
A recent study by Hundin Partners, initiated by the Meadowlands 2040 Foundation, showed a convention center would have a $30 billion impact over the next 30 years.
“We need to capture that,” Kirkos said.
For now — and next summer — the complex will rely on MetLife Stadium and American Dream.
That was enough for Carvalho and Brito. At least it was enough to get them on the road before sunrise.
“I told Isabella, ‘You have to see it; it’s incredible,’” Carvalho said. “That’s why we got up extra early.”
Their views on American Dream were almost universal among patrons this week.
Truth be told, of the dozen or so groups interviewed, only one couple had a complaint.
Two Bayern Munich fans, perhaps a bit salty because their club didn’t make final four, didn’t want to voice an opinion on American Dream.
“We’re here for football, not shopping,” one gruffly said, not wanting to even break stride and talk.
Their loss. They missed a heck of a party — one that appears to just be getting started.
