Lehigh University Athletics
Experience the World Cup with Lehigh Men’s Soccer
6/11/2014 3:37:00 PM | Men's Soccer
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Soccer is set to take its largest stage Thursday when the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil begins. As the world readies to turn its eyes to the sport, the Lehigh men's soccer team is gearing up to cheer on the event and inviting fans to join them. Junior Kyle Chin is traveling to Brazil to attend the World Cup and will be blogging about his experiences throughout his journey. Head Coach Dean Koski and some of the Mountain Hawk players will also be in attendance at the FIFA World Cup Soccerfest and Viewing Party at the Bethlehem Steel Stacks on June 12-16 and 19-22.
Chin, a forward/midfielder on the Mountain Hawk squad, heads to Brazil Friday to experience the World Cup first hand. He will follow Team USA to its three group play sites and blog about his experiences throughout his time in Brazil. He'll be filling fans in on his experiences once he arrives and after all three of the United States' group play games and his posts and photos will chronicle his experiences at the summer's largest sporting event. Chin took time to preview his trip below:
Check back to Lehighsports.com throughout the World Cup for updates and photos from Chin.
The Mountain Hawks will also be in attendance at the FIFA World Cup Soccerfest and Viewing Party at the Bethlehem SteelStacks. The free event is one of a select few outdoor viewing events in the nation that is officially approved by FIFA and will take place June 12-16 and 19-22. It will also be one of three events nationwide in which ESPN will be filming live look-ins during the United States' match against Ghana on Monday June 16.
In addition to the 17-foot high by 27-foot wide outdoor LED screen that 26 World Cup games will be shown on, the event will also feature soccer clinics, live music performances, food and drink tents and more.
The event is run in part by Lehigh Valley United, a local club soccer organization. Koski, assistant coaches Ryan Hess and Mike Montross, as well as Lehigh women's soccer head coach Eric Lambinus all coach teams within the organization. Koski was part of the preliminary conversations about the FIFA World Cup SoccerFest and Viewing Party and will help coach some of the youth soccer clinics, as well as a clinic with Good Shepherd Pediatrics, that will take place at the event. He sees the event as a way to promote the game of soccer and build community ties.
"If you look at the history of soccer in the Lehigh Valley as it relates to the steel industry, it was one of the reasons why ArtsQuest, FIFA and ESPN felt so strongly about having this event here," said Koski. "Those organizations standing behind this event is an indication of how far soccer has come. It's exciting in many ways, not just for the players in our program, but for the members of the soccer community in the Lehigh Valley."
More information on the FIFA World Cup SoccerFest and Viewing Party can be found here.
Chin, a forward/midfielder on the Mountain Hawk squad, heads to Brazil Friday to experience the World Cup first hand. He will follow Team USA to its three group play sites and blog about his experiences throughout his time in Brazil. He'll be filling fans in on his experiences once he arrives and after all three of the United States' group play games and his posts and photos will chronicle his experiences at the summer's largest sporting event. Chin took time to preview his trip below:
The opportunity to travel not only to the World Cup, but to a country like Brazil where the people are so passionate about the game of soccer is something special. The trip is starting to feel surreal as kickoff is now just a few days away. I'm excited to learn and experience the culture of Brazil as well as travel to the three group stage games for the United States in the cities of Natal, Manaus, and Recife, respectively. The United States team has the most difficult travel schedule of any team in the tournament (approx. 8,866 miles) as well as being grouped with Ghana, Portugal, and Germany, which many have labeled the "group of death." Despite this, I'm confident and hopeful that the United States will surprise all the doubters and put together a string of memorable performances! I'm also looking forward to seeing, meeting and interacting with fans from around the world. I cannot wait to see the different countries being represented in the streets and people proudly wearing their country's colors.
From my time in Brazil, I hope to take away a deeper understanding and love for the game. I cannot wait to experience the passion of the people and their love for soccer. My whole life I have read and heard about Brazil's reputation for being one of the most prominent soccer countries in the world. However, the opportunity to immerse myself into the culture during the world's biggest sporting event will be an experience that will likely redefine how I view the word "passion." From the kids playing in the streets to the global stars playing in the stadiums, I cannot wait to live and breathe the game of soccer alongside the people of Brazil.
From my time in Brazil, I hope to take away a deeper understanding and love for the game. I cannot wait to experience the passion of the people and their love for soccer. My whole life I have read and heard about Brazil's reputation for being one of the most prominent soccer countries in the world. However, the opportunity to immerse myself into the culture during the world's biggest sporting event will be an experience that will likely redefine how I view the word "passion." From the kids playing in the streets to the global stars playing in the stadiums, I cannot wait to live and breathe the game of soccer alongside the people of Brazil.
Check back to Lehighsports.com throughout the World Cup for updates and photos from Chin.
The Mountain Hawks will also be in attendance at the FIFA World Cup Soccerfest and Viewing Party at the Bethlehem SteelStacks. The free event is one of a select few outdoor viewing events in the nation that is officially approved by FIFA and will take place June 12-16 and 19-22. It will also be one of three events nationwide in which ESPN will be filming live look-ins during the United States' match against Ghana on Monday June 16.
In addition to the 17-foot high by 27-foot wide outdoor LED screen that 26 World Cup games will be shown on, the event will also feature soccer clinics, live music performances, food and drink tents and more.
The event is run in part by Lehigh Valley United, a local club soccer organization. Koski, assistant coaches Ryan Hess and Mike Montross, as well as Lehigh women's soccer head coach Eric Lambinus all coach teams within the organization. Koski was part of the preliminary conversations about the FIFA World Cup SoccerFest and Viewing Party and will help coach some of the youth soccer clinics, as well as a clinic with Good Shepherd Pediatrics, that will take place at the event. He sees the event as a way to promote the game of soccer and build community ties.
"If you look at the history of soccer in the Lehigh Valley as it relates to the steel industry, it was one of the reasons why ArtsQuest, FIFA and ESPN felt so strongly about having this event here," said Koski. "Those organizations standing behind this event is an indication of how far soccer has come. It's exciting in many ways, not just for the players in our program, but for the members of the soccer community in the Lehigh Valley."
More information on the FIFA World Cup SoccerFest and Viewing Party can be found here.
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