[MYSA Parents] Can You Feel It? Tommorrow? It Begins!!!

[Mike Baptiste]

You mean you don't know what starts tomorrow? The biggest sporting event
in the world? Happens every 4 years? An event with 3.2 Million
spectators and a cumulative 29 Billion (yes Billion with a B) viewers
from over 200 countries on TV?

No it's NOT the Olympics.

It's the FIFA World Cup and it starts tomorrow.

32 teams from around the world, including the US, will be competing in
64 matches over the coming month to decide the best soccer team in the
world.

This is a great chance for you and your children to see how soccer is
playing professionally and overseas. These matches will be intense
regardless of who is playing. All 64 matches will be carried live on
ESPN, ESPN2, and ABC  Given the time difference, most will be in the
morning or early afternoon (but not 2AM like last time).

The first match for the US Men's team (Ranked #5) will be June 12th
against the Czech Republic (12:00 EST, ESPN2). The US is in Group E,
sometimes called the 'Group of Death' due to the presence of Italy
(Ranked #13) and the Czech Republic (Ranked #2), but most feel Group C
is the true 'Group of Death' with Argentina and Holland - both very
strong teams. Many feel Brazil (Ranked #1) will win this time. The US,
if they emerge from Group E in the #2 spot could face Brazil in the next
round. Should be exciting!

If you happen to be away from a TV during the day, fear not. The BBC
plans to offer live Internet streams of each match, though many expect
their servers will melt when everyone tries to watch.

There is a ton of World Cup information online as well. The official
World Cup site can be found at http://worldcup.com. ESPN's SoccerNet is
also a great resources (http://soccernet.com) Blogging about soccer and
the World Cup has also taken off this past year and you can catch the
latest musings from sites like All Things Footie, Who Ate All The
Bratwurst, Bruce's Belly, and others at http://soccerblogs.net  My own
blathering has been known to show up there from time to time too.

The premiere soccer blog for the World Cup is http://worldcupblog.org
which has writers from all around the world writing about their teams
and a number in Germany for the cup. To see how things are going for the
US Men's team, don't miss the USSF site at http://ussoccer.com

Yes, I know the Canes are poised to win the Stanley Cup and given that
the Edmonton knocked their own goalie out, it seems almost a sure thing.
So now you can watch a sport you love with a lot of suspense as to who
will get knocked out in the first round and who will move on.

This is also a great opportunity to invite teammates and friends over
for World Cup parties to watch the games. School is out at just the
right time (in many countries they will be closing school or having the
matches of their countries team broadcast inside!) It may not seem like
it here, but the entire world is tingling with anticipation - the #1
story in England for weeks has not been politics, crime, or the economy.
It has been the status of star player Wayne Rooney, who broke a bone in
his foot, and the results of recent scans clearing him to play.

Coaches - don't forget, you all can post to the coaches mailing list at
coaches at mebanesoccer.us So if you plan to hit a local establishment to
watch the matches and want a few (or a dozen) MYSA coaches to come with
you, by all means mention where you plan to go watch! A 12:00 match is a
perfect time for lunch!

The full TV schedule can be found at:
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/worldcup/fixtures?&lpos=wcnav&lid=gn_sn_WC+fixtures&cc=5901

Go USA!

Mike