Ashley Castanio-Gervasi, a Long Beach girls head soccer coach, is returning to MetLife Stadium for a different kind of sporting event after her widely publicized attempt at a $100,000 field goal fell short on Christmas. Castanio-Gervasi, a former goalkeeper for Stony Brook University, received a surprise of World Cup tickets for the round of 16 from New York State officials while attending a watch party at her alma mater. The event celebrated the U.S. women's national team's 4-1 victory over Paraguay.
Castanio-Gervasi was among several youth soccer coaches on stage at the event, believing she was being recognized for her contributions to the sport locally. Her previous encounter with national attention, stemming from her field goal attempt, resurfaced during the surprise. "It was funny because when I was on the stage, one of the other coaches was like, ‘You look really familiar,’ " she recalled. "Then he put two and two together."
Although being a coach was initially a technicality that prevented her from taking the field goal kick, it became the reason for her selection for this new opportunity. Her mother submitted a video, leading to Castanio-Gervasi being awarded the World Cup tickets. She expressed a sense of irony, noting, "Isn’t that ironic? Now soccer got me probably one of the most memorable experiences I’ll have in my life with my mom at MetLife." Castanio-Gervasi has previously traveled to Canada to support the U.S. women's team, highlighting her long-standing passion for soccer.