Hours before kickoff, Ciara and Phillip’s afternoon started with a video interview in the MAPFRE Stadium parking lot on their experience as Crew SC Season Ticket Members.
The couple was asked, among other topics, about how they first started following the team, how the Crew played a role in their relationship, and what their favorite Crew memories were.
Words like ‘family’, ‘friends’, and ‘energy’ were tossed out as the two described what it is like to join fellow fans on a regular basis in support of the Black & Gold.
As for their favorite memories, the Wil Trapp goal vs. Orlando City in 2018 came to the forefront, and rightly so.
After the final whistle, though, it’s safe to assume their answers to that particular question had changed after the night’s true intentions were revealed, as Phillip proposed to Ciara on the field in front of an onlooking Nordecke crowd while a banner with the words, ‘Wil you marry me?’ unfolded behind her.
The proposal was the capstone on a day of well-intentioned trickery; a day which started off with intentions of following Phillip and Ciara around and showcasing the uniqueness of being a Season Ticket Member before culminating into an unforgettable moment in an environment that helped start it all for Phillip and Ciara.
“I started coming here because of him,” Ciara said. “He brought me [to a Crew game] on our third date.”
It’s disputable whether it was the second or third date, said Phillip, who started following the Club back in 2015 before getting hooked on the action on the field as much as the camaraderie off the field.
As for Ciara, it is the welcoming atmosphere that has made being a part of the Crew family so special.
“I enjoy the people the most. That’s what makes Crew Stadium what it is,” Ciara said. “It’s the people we come to see every game; it’s the friends that have become family that we come to see every game; it’s cheering, so the next day our voices are completely shot. That’s the best part about coming to Crew games.”
Phillip echoed Ciara’s sentiment and attributed the familiarity and the environment to why he enjoys attending matches as a Season Ticket Member.
“I enjoy the tailgating,” Phillip said, “but I like the supporters’ section. I like to sing and chant, even though I am off-key and out of tune every time, but it’s what I enjoy.”
In one sense or another, the Crew will be a part of their relationship forever. Whether it’s the friends they have made or the goals they have witnessed, there is always something unique about the Club and the environment and that is what makes it special, Ciara explained.
“That is the best part – the people that we get to know at the stadium that are all around us. That energy is unlike anything else…There’s just nothing like it.”
