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World Cup comes to Lowell!

Yes, it’s true! One Lowell is sponsoring a World Cup Soccer tournament at Cawley Stadium on August 4 and 5. They have 16 adult teams from the region representing nations around the world.  In addition to soccer, there will be food, music and arts & crafts, and the money raised will support One Lowell’s work helping immigrants in Lowell.   

Why am I so excited about this event? Anyone who knows me knows I am not a sports fan; however, last summer I was fortunate enough to travel to Europe and by coincidence found myself observing a lot of the excitement surrounding the World Cup. In London, we were witness to banners, signs and spontaneous parades as the populace geared up for its quarter final match; in Paris, we saw the Champs-Elysee closed down at midnight after France won their match. People were just out celebrating, walking up and down; cars converged from all sides, horns blaring, with flags flying and joyous fans hanging out of windows and sunroofs. The police were on hand in case things got out of hand, but nothing untoward occurred. While stuck at the Frankfurt airport, we tried watching a game, but never saw an actual goal scored. (Unlike American sports, the actual scoring of points does not seem to be the highlight of the game). However, Germany won their match as well. The joyful shouts and sounds of car and taxi horns and general mood of good cheer was infectious. Then in Italy, we saw whole towns close down as everyone gathered in the piazza to watch the game together.  I came away with a new interest in and appreciation for what we call soccer (of course, it’s called football over there). It really seems more than a sport; perhaps it’s somewhat the way Red Sox baseball is to New Englanders, but involving a whole country’s national identity. In any case, the One Lowell World Cup should be a great family event with international flair. Perfect for our city!

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