In case you missed it, soccer fever has gripped Vancouver. The number of country flags on passing vehicles around town might give you some insight. Various locations around East Vancouver have been buzzing with fans gathering to watch their favourite teams. Commercial Drive has certainly been a hub for soccer fever with the sheer number of restaurants, bars and coffee shops showing the game. Our favourite tweet on Twitter last week was by David C. Jones who summed up people’s passion for the game “Only on Commercial Drive can you walk into a café and be told ‘you have to wait until after this penalty kick’.”
There are many options to watch the final game in East Vancouver outside of the usual bars and coffee shops, including the Rio Theatre which is a free event and local community centres. The City of Vancouver has announced another great option this Sunday for soccer fans for the final match up. The City is organizing a free outdoor World Cup Soccer event at Trout Lake (John Hendry Park) this Sunday, July 13th . The game will be displayed on a 13 X 23 foot LED screen which will be set up in the park. The day is intended to be a celebration of soccer and samba.
Also scheduled for Sunday morning, members of the Vancouver Whitecaps FC will be running a soccer clinic for children aged 7-12 on July 13 at the Trout Lake Community Centre. The clinic will be led by Vancouver-born Sam Lenarduzzi who played for nine years with Whitecaps FC. Registration will take place at 10:00 am with the hour long clinic beginning at 10:15 am. Word is out about the Whitecaps Soccer Clinic and there is now a wait list. If you wish to add your child’s name, visit the sign up page at Eventbrite.
This day of celebrating soccer and samba will also feature live performances from local South American and Brazilian cultural troupes, a best-dressed fan contest, face painting and a station where kids can design their own soccer jersey. The event is only able to accommodate up to 800 people and although the event was just announced it is already sold out. So soccer fever has struck Vancouver. Wherever you watch the final game this Sunday, do a little samba for the host country Brazil.
ILiveInEastVan.com 