Lemon Team FC · Sunrise Football at Pier 5, Brooklyn

Our story

A weekend ritual
since 2023

It started with a few friends and a ball. Three years later, Lemon Team FC has more than 100 members of every age and background, from first-timers to seasoned players, and 22 of us show up on the field every weekend.

We arrive at 6:30, warm up as the sun comes up over Brooklyn, and kick off at 7:00 sharp. For many of us it's the one thing we look forward to all week: fresh air, good football, and friends.

Training sessions are led by our head coach Makhmadali Sadykov, holder of the AFC "B" Diploma, so every level gets better.

Lemon Team FC players by the Brooklyn Bridge Park marina

Every season

Rain, frost or snow,
we play

Summer heat, rain, frost, snow: the game goes on. When it snowed, we brought shovels and cleared the field ourselves.

Sunrise game with the Manhattan skyline — **Sunrise**First touch before 7 AM

Player shoveling snow off the field — **Snow**We clear the field ourselves

Ball on a frosty pitch at sunrise — **Frost**Ice on the turf? Still on.

Grill after the game — **Third half**Then we grill together

Head coach

Makhmadali
Sadykov

A licensed coach under the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Coaching Convention, trained through the Tajikistan Football Federation. He runs our warm-ups, drills and team sessions, from fitness to tactics.

AFC "B"Coaching Diploma · 2019

AFC "C"Coaching Certificate · 2017

AFC FitnessLevel 1A · 2019

AFC B Diploma, Tajikistan Football Federation, 2019

AFC B Diploma coaching course certificate, 188 hours, 2019

AFC Fitness coaching course Level 1A, 2019

Tap a certificate to view it full size.

Drone view of Pier 5 fields and Lower Manhattan

Our home ground

The best view in New York football

Pier 5 at Brooklyn Bridge Park, with the East River, the marina and Lower Manhattan right behind the goal.

How we play

Simple, early, organized

Weekend mornings

Warm-up at 6:30, kickoff at 7:00 AM. Two hours of football before the city wakes up.

Full-sided games

22 players, balanced teams, bibs on. Coached drills and small-sided games when numbers are lower.

Adults 18+, all levels

Beginners and experienced players welcome. Every player signs our participation waiver before joining.

Respect the park

Our club code

We follow Brooklyn Bridge Park rules and respect permit holders and youth programs.
We arrive early and finish on time, so the next group gets the field on schedule.
We leave the field cleaner than we found it.
Fair play first. No one is left out of the game.