With the World Cup now just two days away, it's time for soccer lovers to be glued to the television set for the next month. It kicks off with Mexico facing hosts South Africa this Friday at 9 a.m. CT, and the huge USA-England contest is Saturday at 1:30 p.m. CT. As you may have already heard, the Wizards are co-hosting the Summer of Soccer World Cup watch parties at the Power & Light District. EVERY game will be shown live on the big screen in the "Living Room" area of the KC Live! block.
During the tournament, the Wizards will provide additional content that we hope will improve your viewing experience. We have teamed up with a pair of Wizards staff members and two area soccer enthusiasts who are traveling to South Africa and have promised to provide first-hand accounts of the spectacle.
Here are our contributors and their credentials:
David Ficklin – OnGoal VP of Development
David is the man who heads our stadium development team and is a director of the bid to bring the FIFA World Cup to Kansas City in 2018 or 2022. He has attended the last four Men’s World Cups, and was a staff member in 1994. He was also involved with the host committee for the Women’s World Cup in both 1999 and 2003.
Josh Whisenhunt – Host KC Soccer Radio Show
Josh is a member of the Wizards sales team and is a co-host of the weekly KC Soccer Radio Show on Sports Radio 810 WHB with Jake Gutierrez. Josh will take in several matches, including the Honduras-Spain game that will, hopefully, feature Wizards defender/midfielder Roger Espinoza
TJ Widbin – Kicks 4 Kenya
The Wizards first learned of TJ and his great deeds in 2007 when he requested some soccer balls for an upcoming trip to Kenya. We provided a few soccer balls, and along the way he was featured in a story by the Kansas City Star. Kicks 4 Kenya has since taken off, and we are very proud to support TJ’s efforts however possible. He is serving as a hospitality ambassador for FIFA during the tournament, and we will be re-posting excerpts from his blog. We always encourage people to donate to K4K. They do a truly great thing for young children in Africa.
Kurt Austin – Oz City Soccer
No Oz City doesn’t still exist, but Kurt still loves soccer, and he is still an excellent writer. He will be at all three USA group-stage matches, so we look forward to hearing what it’s like in the stands. Hopefully Uncle Sam’s Army is loud as ever!
We will also provide updates from watch parties, including recap videos and photos. It's going to be a fun summer. Hopefully we provide content that makes it even more enjoyable.
