Some birthdays call for a dinner reservation. A 40th, for a man who has cheered for Son Heung-min for as long as I've known him, called for something else.

When LAFC's schedule brought Son to Citi Field to play NYCFC in October, the timing felt too perfect to ignore. We'd watched him in February from Row 15 at the LA Coliseum, among 75,000 fans. This time I wanted something closer. Much closer.

So I booked one of NYCFC's pitchside suites, and invited my husband's closest friends, along with Eli's best friend, to celebrate with us.

Three suites, right on the field

The pitchside suites at Citi Field aren't suites in the usual sense. There are only three of them: open-air pods set up directly on the field, each with two rows of six seats. There's no glass and no railing between you and the touchline, just a short stretch of grass and the players.

I'd kept the details vague on purpose. When we walked out to find our seats, everyone stopped and turned to me at once.

"THIS is where we're sitting?"

It's the best reaction I could have asked for.

The evening before kickoff

We arrived just before 6 p.m., when the club opens, and I'd recommend the same. Outside the stadium, NYCFC had set up a pregame area with foosball tables and giveaways, and the boys were in their element.

Inside the Delta Sky360 Club

Pitchside suite guests have access to the Delta Sky360 Club, and it set the tone for the whole evening.

Inside, one of the first things that caught the boys' eye was a display of Delta pilot wings arranged into the New York skyline, set against turf around the Mets logo. It earned its own stop for photos.

The club itself feels more like a hotel lounge than a stadium concourse. The ceiling is lined with white light that sweeps down into a long marble bar backed by a wall of whisky, with the Delta Sky360 logo lit beneath it. Screens showed the evening's college football, with "AAPI Night" glowing in NYCFC orange beside them. A hallway lined with moss and oversized black-and-white portraits of Mets legends, David Wright's #5 among them, reminds you that this is still a ballpark at heart.

The food. Everything is included, and there's a lot of it. A "Ballpark Favorites" station, framed with vintage Coca-Cola and hot dog prints, had the classics: a hot dog roller, soft buns and a popcorn machine. Eli went straight for the hot dogs and didn't look back. Further along, the buffet moved into heartier plates. Think pulled brisket with barbecue sauce and cheese tortellini. A shrimp cocktail station on ice made it feel like a proper celebration dinner.

The sweets. The "Sweet Spot" dessert counter is where the boys spent most of their time. Strawberry tarts, Oreo parfaits, mini éclairs and M&M cookies lined black glass shelves, next to a build-your-own sundae bar with every topping a kid could want. There were also Mets-branded ice cream cups in vanilla and chocolate. I'm still not sure how many each boy had. I decided not to count. It was a birthday, after all.

Grab & Go. Near the exit, a wall of drinks and snacks, from Cracker Jack and kettle chips to water and sodas, made it easy to grab something on the way back out to the field.

Because the suites sit directly on the field, no food or drinks are allowed in the seats. In practice this was a gift. The club became our home base: a warm place to eat, refill and thaw out before kickoff and at halftime, while the pitch was saved for the game itself.

And getting back to the field is half the fun. From the club, a private VIP tunnel glowing with ribbons of blue and pink light leads straight out to the pitch. The kids were sure it was the entrance to a spaceship, and every trip through it felt like a walkout of their own.

The walkout

Our pod sat right beside the player tunnel. Just before kickoff, the boys lined up along the rope, and as the teams walked out, the players reached over to high-five them. Eli wore his Son #7 jersey, and the boys got high fives from Hugo Lloris, a World Cup-winning captain, on his way onto the field.

Then Sonny walked past, close enough to see his expression, and I'm honestly not sure who was more starstruck: my son or the birthday boy.

The game: NYCFC 1, LAFC 1

It was AAPI Night at Citi Field, and Korean flags dotted the stands. Just before halftime, Son was brought down about 30 yards out, and Leo Walta curled the free kick just inside the post to put LAFC ahead. NYCFC equalized with a header in the 59th minute. In the final minute of stoppage time, Son slipped free in the box and hit the inside of the post. The whole stadium seemed to inhale at once (LAFC match recap).

A 1–1 draw, and somehow it felt like a win.

After the final whistle

The game ended around 9:45, but we weren't in a hurry. We stayed until after 10 so the boys could ask for autographs along the rail, and LAFC's Tyler Boyd stopped to sign Eli's ball.

It was well past bedtime. Nobody complained.

Is the pitchside suite worth it?

For a milestone, yes. It's a splurge, and it isn't something we'd do for every game. But for a 40th birthday, a hero's visit, or a night you want everyone to remember, nothing else at Citi Field comes close. You'll be closer to the players than anywhere in the stadium, with a warm, all-inclusive club just behind you.

For availability and pricing, contact NYCFC's premium seating team directly. Inventory is very limited, and big-name matches go first.

What to know before you go

What's included: field-level seats in an open-air pod (two rows of six), Delta Sky360 Club access with food and drinks, and a VIP parking pass.
No food or drinks on the field. Eat and drink in the club and come back out for the action.
Arrive before 6 p.m. to enjoy the pregame area and the club before kickoff.
Dress in layers. The seats are open-air, and October nights in Queens get cold, especially sitting still at field level.
Bring a ball or jersey and a marker. Players often sign along the rail after the game.
Plan your ride. We took an Uber both ways. The rideshare pickup area is about a 10-minute walk from the stadium.

Two games, two coasts, one very lucky year for a little Sonny fan. If you missed it, here's our first: LAFC vs. Inter Miami at the LA Coliseum.

A Birthday on the Pitch: Watching Son Heung-min from a Pitchside Suite at Citi Field