Pablo’s Mate presents the Chopped Cheese Classic: A Five-Borough Bodega Soccer Celebration & Block Party for the Real NYC

Pablo’s Mate presents the Chopped Cheese Classic: A Five-Borough Bodega Soccer Celebration & Block Party for the Real NYC

BROOKLYN, NY — July 12, 2025 — New York City’s bodegas take the field (literally) this summer at the inaugural Chopped Cheese Classic, a five-borough soccer tournament and all-day community block party hosted by Pablo’s Mate, in partnership with CLUBELEVEN and NYC Footy.

The event kicks off Saturday, July 12, with a round-robin soccer tournament at McCarren Park from 8AM to 12PM, featuring ten teams repping iconic NYC bodegas — from The Bronx to Staten Island. It’s local pride on full display, with every slide tackle and goal reflecting the grit and hustle of New York’s most beloved corner stores.

At noon, the celebration spills over to Richardson Street (between Union & Lorimer) for an 8-hour block party featuring:

• Live music spanning salsa, house, hip hop, and more
• Street food icons from halal trucks to fruit carts
• Signature Pablo’s Mate cocktails & mocktails from DoubleSpeak
• CLUBELEVEN’s Soccer Bus & mobile soccer museum
• Mini field and skills contests
• A raffle benefitting the Greenpoint Spartans, a youth football program empowering marginalized kids through sport

“The Chopped Cheese Classic is our way of honoring the everyday institutions that hold New York together — the bodegas, fruit carts, and street vendors that rarely get a spotlight but define this city”, says Maggie Hogan, cofounder of Pablo’s Mate. “As entrepreneurs, we see bodegas as one of the purest expressions of the American Dream — immigrant-built, community-rooted, and fiercely independent. They are woven into the fabric of our city’s culture, and we felt that was worth celebrating.”

Entry to the block party is free for all, and team registration for the tournament is $300. Whether you come to rep your borough, sip a Pablo’s Mate, or just catch a vibe — the Chopped Cheese Classic is New York at its most real.

EVENT DETAILS

Chopped Cheese Classic: Soccer Tournament & Block Party

• Saturday, July 12, 2025
• 8AM–12PM — Tournament at McCarren Park
• 12PM–8PM — Block Party on Richardson St. (btw. Union & Lorimer)

ABOUT THE HOSTS

Pablo’s Mate

Pablo’s Mate is a yerba mate beverage brand on a mission to change the way people fuel their bodies and their minds. The founders, based in Brooklyn, believe that too often, the “better-for-you” space feels like an exclusive club. Pablo’s Mate was created for everyone—especially for the millions of Americans who have been left out of the wellness conversation. Its ready-to-drink yerba mate is formulated, carbonated, and canned to make the refreshing taste and functional benefits of mate accessible to the masses.

NYC Footy

Started in 2011 in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NYC Footy has grown to be the nation's largest adult soccer league, with over 50,000 players in NYC alone. Exclusively mixed, NYC Footy brings true inclusivity to the game, ensuring soccer is accessible to anyone, no matter your background, identity or level of soccer experience.

CLUBELEVEN

CLUBELEVEN is the leading grassroots soccer media brand in America, dedicated to uncovering and sharing the untold stories of soccer in the US. Since the start of the 2025 season, part of the CLUBELEVEN crew has been traveling the country in a renovated school bus, visiting top soccer destinations nationwide.