Soccer fans’ motivations for choosing rivals are an interesting psychological phenomenon which makes rivalries and derbies meaningful. Matches among teams of different ethnic groups in New York normally come with a tense atmosphere as a country’s pride is at stake. But surprisingly enough it is even more noticeable between clubs of the same ethnic background.

The Greek Americans and Pancyprian Freedoms have been the strongest Hellenic teams during the last decades. Many years ago the landscape was quite different.

Let’s take a look at the most important derbies between the clubs of the New York Omogenia since the 1960s.

Hellenic vs. Greek-Americans

During the 1960s the Greek-Americans had established one of the best teams in the United States winning the Challenge Cup – undoubtedly the then most-coveted prize in American soccer – three times in a row. Every team wanted to beat them. But none as badly as the Hellenic Soccer Club.

Those two clubs were probably the bitterest rivals in the metropolitan area of New York. The Greek‐Americans were founded in 1946 by Smyrna-born Tom Laris and they mostly imported their players from northern Greece, mainly Macedonia. One the other hand, Hellenic’s players were primary Athenians, like one of the club’s legends, Jim Grigos, who was born and raised in Athens.

The matches between the two teams would attract up to 1,500 fans and most Greek Orthodox churches in the metropolitan area would be almost empty on the two Sundays they faced each other! It is the strange power of the game of soccer.

Sunday meant a day of backgammon (tavli) for Greek men in Astoria, possibly while talking about upcoming or recent games between the Greek-Americans and Hellenic. The former had the upper hand on most occasions, featuring players who had even worn the Panathinaikos shirt, Haralambos (Bob) Hatzos and Yiannis (John) Kosmidis and of course Alkis Panagoulias, Aris’ former defender. Panagoulias was the coach who transformed them to a powerhouse and brought the Sir Thomas Dewar Cup (the trophy awarded to the winner of the National Challenge Open Cup) to Astoria three times and also coached rivals Hellenic in the 1971-72 season

Other notable players for the Greek-Americans were Anestis Aslanidis, Sofoklis Kotrofos, Nick Tonorezos, Kyriakos Fitilis, Gregory Manouses, goalkeeper Savas Hatzioannou, striker Dennis Nanos, forward Peter Tsalouhidis, halfback Bob Ifantis, defensive midfielder Lolos Hasekidis who went on to play for the New York Cosmos, and Thanos Prousalis who was present at all four U.S. Open Cup finals. The Greek-Americans was one of the first clubs to import players from Europe – before the Cosmos – and even toured Greece in the summer of 1970.

The biggest game between the two bitter rivals was in 1969. On March 30, the Greek-Americans and the Hellenic met in the New York State final of the United States Challenge Cup at the Metropolitan Oval Stadium. That match was more than just a trophy as the winner would advance to the National Challenge Cup final in Los Angeles. Alkis Panagoulias’ squad were more experienced and thrived against Hellenic. Seven years later, the two clubs would merge under the name of ‘Greek-Americans-Hellenic’. Just like the Greek-American Athletic Association and Hermes, the first ever Hellenic sport clubs, did in 1935.

Derbies between the Greek-Americans and Hellenic had been iconic in the 1960s and 1970s with the two teams competing for years in New York’s top division. Hellenic often battled for survival in the league, but their struggle did not affect their performance against the ‘Greeks’. Those two matches played on various fields in the metropolitan area (Maspeth, Franklin Square, Throggs Neck Stadium in the Bronx, Metropolitan Oval, Sohuetzeti Park Stadium in North Bergen) were the most important of the season for their players and fans. On many occasions there were fights during the games and even attacks on referees like the infamous one against Mike Eshkenazi in the beginning of the 1969-70 season by several Hellenic players that resulted into the club’s suspension for three months.

Although the rivalry between the Greek‐Americans and Hellenic was fierce in the 1960s and 1970s, they both supported each other in fund‐raising and social events. For example, when Hellenic or campaigned for funds or had its annual dance fans from the Greek Americans supported Hellenic by advertising in Hellenic’s journal and by attending the dance themselves and vice versa. The rival players were good friends with each other anyway, but just not on those two Sundays of the soccer season. Their aim was pretty clear: to prove which Greeks knew better soccer, the Macedonians or the Athenians.

Greek Americans vs. Doxa

Doxa Soccer Club, founded in 1962, earned promotion to the Major Division in 1972 and became the third Greek team of New York’s top tier. The team from New Rochelle reached the New York State semifinal of the United States Challenge Cup in their first season in the Major division. Their opponents? The Greek-Americans, who despite a poor offensive performance managed a 2‐1 victory over Doxa to advance to the final – where they beat New York Hota.

Soon, Doxa started cementing their status as a Major division club with talented players like John Stavrou, a star at Long Island University, while the Hellenic was struggling almost every year. Thus, the matches against the always powerful Greek Americans started attracting bigger crowds. On March 18, 1974, the two teams met in the New York State final of the United States Challenge Cup, in what had been dubbed as ‘the game of the century’ by the Greek communities of the metropolitan area. It was not just a final, it was a game of prestige. Besides, the Greek Americans had already eliminated old rivals Hellenic in the semifinal by 4-2.

The final held at the Throggs Neck Stadium in the Bronx was won 2-0 by the Greek‐Americans in freezing temperatures. But, 1,500 Greeks fans were in the stands for hours. Who could go to the Greek groceries shopping the next day and saying that they didn’t attend the game, anyway?

Greek-Americans vs. Pancyprians

The Pancyprian Freedoms, founded as ‘Cypriots’ in 1974 after the Turkish invasion, managed to quickly climb to the Major division within just 3 seasons. And there was more success to come as the club won the National Challenge Cup in 1980, 1982, and 1983 in an era that the Greek-Americans did not win a major trophy. The Cypriots even signed Mimis Papaioannou in 1979, one of the best Greek players of all time, who took the team to another level and led to ‘silverware’ – trophies. Since the early 80s the derby between the two teams is considered the ‘Greek clasico’, with the rivalry being more intense in the 2000s when both dominated the Cosmopolitan league: the Cypriots were crowned champions four times and the Greeks clinched the title on three occasions.

However, nothing compares to the golden era of the 60s and 70s.The introduction of the MLS in 1996 has limited the opportunities for the once-strong ethnic soccer teams of America, including the Greek clubs. Besides, they now feature a quite diverse roster. unlike the all-Greek sides of the 1960s.

Other soccer rivalries between Hellenic sides also involved the now defunct Olympiacos New York in the mid-70s and AO Krete in the 80s when both clubs competed in the Major division.