Rooftop soccer comes to Sunset Park, by way of Paris

One of the challenges of pickup soccer in the city is securing field space, especially when the weather gets nasty. Remember that winter a few years back when a thin crust of ice made every pitch in New York unplayable for weeks? 

That’s why I’m excited about Socceroof, a year-round 70,000-square-foot indoor facility that’s opening next month in Sunset Park, Brooklyn. I recently got a tour of the space from Jonathan Lupinelli, the project’s French-born general manager and futbol bon vivant. 

Socceroof takes up the top level of a five-story warehouse on the waterfront. It’s a little off the beaten path, but there will be available parking, ferry service from Wall Street, and a shuttle departing every fifteen minutes from the 59th street subway station.  

As Jonathan and I exited the freight elevator, it still felt like a live construction site—saws buzzing, crew members scurrying about, building materials piled high. But then we turned a corner into the main corridor, where the finished playing fields glimmered green like an oasis against sweeping views of downtown Manhattan, the Statue of Liberty, and the Verrazano Bridge. 

Socceroof GM Jonathan Lupinelli on one of the facility's large fields. 

Socceroof is designed around ten 5-a-side fields, 80' X 50', with the flexibility to combine two or three fields for larger games. The first thing you notice stepping onto the pitch is the incredible softness underfoot. “We spent a lot of money on the turf to avoid injuries,” said Jonathan. “Everything was brought in from Europe, including the crew who did the installation.” 

Instead of the usual rock hard substrate, a 2-inch matte underlayment supports the next-gen synthetic grass. After running a few lengths, I can tell you it’s like no surface I’ve ever played on in New York. And there are none of those annoying rubber granules that I (and my wife!) find all over the house after I play on most of the city’s existing turf pitches.  

It’s not just Socceroof’s playing surface that bears a European influence. The whole concept of 5-a-side soccer is core to how players learn the game abroad. “Foot five is a more technical game, with an emphasis on dribbling and passing,” said Jonathan, who grew up in Bordeaux and played high-level ball in France and Spain before attending college in the U.S. “Our vision is to help develop the game in the U.S. by making thousands of kids better each year.”

Socceroof's two French co-owners have the right mix of business acumen and soccer IQ to bring that vision to life. Jean David Tartour is a foot-five pioneer, having founded LE FIVE, a 5-a-side soccer community headquartered in Paris, with 22 centers throughout Europe. Jerome Meary has worked for years as a recruiter in Major League Soccer, and brings a keen understanding of player development in the U.S.

Workers put down pavers for the future rooftop terrace.

I like that Socceroof is looking to elevate soccer in the U.S. But the facility is also a boon to old guys like myself who are just looking for a game. (“In France, we call you ‘veterans,’" Jonathan said, which with his French accent made it sound almost noble). Players of every age and ability will have access to the facility from 10am to midnight during the week and 7am to 2am on weekends. It’s $200 an hour for a field during peak hours, which works out to $20 per player, a bit less with subs. And there will be plenty of league play at every level.    

Socceroof will also have a big social media component, through an innovative app that lets players track their performance, create teams, and loan or borrow players, as happens in professional leagues around Europe. “The gamification is something new,” said Jonathan. “It’s a way to create that FIFA like experience and grow community both online and offline.”

Matches will even be videotaped, allowing players to download clips and share them with the world on social media. That might mean a lot of trick shots and gamewinners filling your Facebook and Instagram feeds. It should also inspire more soccer passion throughout New York, especially with a second Socceroof facility already in development, and others on the way.