Cleveland readies for pre-World Cup soccer match
60,000 fans expected for Brazil/Egypt FIFA warm-up exhibition
CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) - A once-in-a-lifetime event in Cleveland, International Soccer at Huntington Bank Field, leading into the FIFA World Cup.
A warmup to the World Cup that starts next weekend in Los Angeles and around the country, this exhibition bringing fans from all over to Cleveland.
“The passion of the International Soccer fan is unlike what we have in America,” said Andrea Yock with Road to 26, the organizing group. “They will come with their faces painted, their national team flags flying, every inch of their clothing will be team colors, and they will be loud the whole time.”
The colors and cheers will be for Brazil and Egypt, meeting in a tune-up match for the FIFA World Cup, which begins June 12th in Los Angeles and around the country, this exhibition played on the biggest field ever at this facility.
“This field was specifically grown for this game on Saturday night,” explained Yock. “It was brought in from New Jersey, it was grown on a farm in New Jersey, brought in on twenty-eight refrigerated trucks, each roll of grass weighs one ton.”
Twenty-eight tons of turf for the first International Soccer match in Cleveland, an opportunity to experience World Cup soccer without leaving town.
“For fans that cannot afford a World Cup ticket,” continued Yock, “who can’t necessarily travel, who don’t have the time off from work, this is a chance for fans to see the best players in the world right in front of them.”
Sixty-thousand soccer fans will decent on Huntington Bank Field, bringing enthusiasm...and dollars...to Cleveland.
“We’re expecting about sixty-thousand people, not only from Cleveland but out of the market,” said Chris Lewis of the Greater Cleveland Sports Commission. “It’s huge sports ‘get’ for us here in Cleveland so we’re expecting an economic impact.”
That impact felt at restaurants and hotels, not to mention on the field.
“You’re never going to see anything like this leading into a World Cup,” concluded Yock. “t’s going to be a long time,”
There are still some tickets for Saturday’s game, which begins at six o’clock, starting at about $75.
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