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The Schwan's USA CUP, presented by PUMA newsletter provides the latest information and updates about the tournament. |
Soccer Athletes and Celebrities Samuel Eto'o, Leslie Osborne and Ethan Zohn
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Samuel Eto'o, Leslie Osborne and Ethan Zohn will all be making appearances during Schwan's USA CUP, presented by PUMA.
 Samuel Eto'o is one of the premier soccer players from Africa. He is a striker with F.C. Barcelona in the Spanish Primera División (La Liga) where he won the Spanish La Liga in 2005 and 2006, claiming the Spanish La Liga Top Scorer award in 2006. Eto'o also won the UEFA Best Forward of the Year award in 2006, scoring six goals as Barcelona won the 2005-2006 Champions League Title.
Internationally, Eto'o was a member of the Cameroon squads that won the 2000 and 2002 Africa Cup of Nations and was a gold medalist at the 2000 Summer Olympics. From 2003 to 2005, he was named African Player of the Year for three consecutive years. Most recently, Eto'o was the top scorer in the 2006 and 2008 African Cup of Nations, becoming the all-time leading scorer in the competition with 16 goals.
 Leslie Osborne is a defensive midfielder with the U.S. Women's National Team. Osborne made her first appearance for the U.S. National Team on January 30, 2004 against Sweden. With 52 National Team games and 2 goals in her international career, Osborne helped the U.S. win the bronze medal at the 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup.
Born in Brookfield, Wisconsin, Osborne attended Catholic Memorial High School, leading them to two state championships while named Wisconsin Player of the Year. She played college soccer at Santa Clara University, recording 44 goals and 34 assists throughout her career. In 2001, she helped Santa Clara win the NCAA title. As a captain her senior year, Osborne won the NCAA's Honda Award as the nation's outstanding collegiate female player.
 Ethan Zohn won Survivor: Africa in 2001-2002 and went on to co-found Grassroots Soccer, an international non-profit organization that uses Africa's role models and professional soccer players to educate youth about the dangers of HIV/AIDS (www.grassrootsoccer.org). Zohn played goalie for the Highlanders Football Club (Zimbabwe), Cape Cod Crusaders (Cape Cod, Massachusetts), the Hawaii Tsunami (Oahu, Hawaii) and the 1997 and 2001 U.S. National Maccabiah Team (Israel). Off the field, he was the assistant coach for the Fairleigh Dickinson University Men's and Women's Soccer Team in Teaneck, N.J. from 1998-2002.
Zohn and Eto'o will be at Schwan's USA CUP Monday, July 14 and Tuesday July 15. Both will be featured guests at the Schwan's USA CUP Opening Ceremonies on Monday, July 14 at 7:45 p.m.
On Tuesday, July 15, Eto'o and Zohn will participate in an on-field demonstration at the NSC stadium. Zohn will be in goal with Eto'o taking a few shots on him. This will take place at 10 a.m. and is free and open to the public.
A photo and autograph session will follow afterwards in the PUMA World Store.
A meet n' greet with Leslie Osborne will be in the PUMA Lounge at 2:00 p.m., Thursday, July 17. Following the meet n' greet, Leslie will be available to sign autographs in the PUMA World Store beginning at 3:00 p.m.
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| MN Thunder to Play England's Burnley F.C. During Tournament |
The Minnesota Thunder will play a match against the 126 year old and storied Burnley Football Club in the highlight match during Schwan's USA CUP on Tuesday, July 15 at 7:35 p.m. in the NSC Stadium. Burnley F.C., one of the founding members of the The Football League and currently in The Championship, will be the first professional English team to play a match in Minnesota in over 30 years.
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| Cool Technology Enhances Tournament |
If it's cutting-edge and fun you're looking for at the 2008 Schwan's USA CUP, presented by PUMA, then look no further than three major technology initiatives that are really adding a "cool" factor to this year's tournament.  NSC WebcastNSCwebcast.tv is the place to go to watch games on the internet. All the games on the stadium field (U1) and the exhibition field (U2) right next door will be broadcast, complete with play-by-play commentary. The opening ceremony on Monday, July 14 will also be available on NSCwebcast.tv. Games and the ceremony will be available on a pay-per-view basis, $6.95 per game. Games will not be available on DVD. "It's a rarity for an amateur sports organization to offer webcasts, let alone the sheer number of games we will be telecasting," said Greg Hutton, NSC Media Specialist. "It's a great service to our customers, especially everyone who cannot attend the tournament. This is a way for family and friends of the players here to watch games in the comfort of their own home." All broadcasts will be available live, and also archived for purchase and viewing at a later time.  Kick TV
Adding to the cool factor will be Kick TV, the tournament's daily video show. Kick TV premiered last year, and the tournament staff is excited to get back to work producing a daily video show that's funny, entertaining and informative. "When we came up with the idea last year to produce a daily video show about what's happening at Schwan's USA CUP, we really didn't know if it would work," said Barclay Kruse, Media Director. "We didn't know if we could actually film and edit a show every day for ten days, and we were also unsure how many people would actually watch. "Happily, we got a show posted every single day, thanks to some very talented staff members and interns who put in 14-16 hour days to get the job done," Kruse said. "And once the word got out and the buzz took off, people watched. By the end of the tournament, we were getting almost 2,000 views a day. And we know people were watching from all over the world. For family and friends of players, Kick TV became their window on the tournament. All episodes will be available to watch on the USA CUP website's Sights and Sounds page. USA CUP Players Website The final new technology feature at 2008 Schwan's USA CUP is www.usacupplayers.com. This is the place for players, coaches, and volunteers to go to post profiles, chat online with other players, and even post photos and videos. It's a lot like Facebook or MySpace, but it's focused on Schwan's USA CUP. Several PUMA-sponsored celebrity athletes have posted profiles, like U.S. Women's National Team member Leslie Osborne and New England Revolution goalkeeper Matt Reis. Quietdrive, the band that will be playing at the Schwan Fest concert after the opening ceremony, July 14, has jumped onto the site. Schwan's USA CUP Activities Director Mikkala Korton hopes tournament participants will use the website to share information and tips on the best activities. "I'm planning to use the website myself to help publicize some of the cool activities we have planned," she said. "But I'm also hoping players and parents will start some discussion threads about their favorite activities, and also share tips with other players about how to have the most fun at Schwan's USA CUP. It's also a great way for players to get to know each other before they meet in person." |
| Check Out Our Vendors and Their Activities During Schwan's USA CUP |
Learn more by downloading our activities packet.
 Brunswick Zone
Tuesday, July 15-Saturday, July 19 - NSC Sports Hall - 900-1800
Visit Pinny or the Brunswick Zone table at Final Team Check-in or the Sports Hall to pick up a coupon for discounted bowling and to learn more about what the Brunswick Zone has to offer!
Harkarm Force Field Headbands
Tuesday, July 15-Wednesday, July 16 - NSC Sports Hall - 900-1800
Pick up your force field headbands and inflatable goals in the Sports Hall to help bring safety and fun to your time at the National Sports Center.
Heartland Sports and Super Steel Goals
Friday, July 11-Saturday, July 12 - NSC Sports Hall - 900-1800
Check out an assortment of soccer goals for anything from backyard play to full size fields.
JumpForward.com's FREE Recruiting TOOL
Tuesday, July 15-Friday, July 18 - North of U2 Field - 900-1800
Learn how to do the following for FREE: Search for 2,500 colleges & 55,000 college coaches, use a 7-step athletic recruiting roadmap, NCAA core course grade tracking worksheet and much more...
JumpForward.com & College Coach Session
Wednesday, July 16 - Schwan Center Grand Hall - 1200-1300
JumpForward & Implementing "How to get Recruited"
Thursday, July 17 - North End of Stadium - 1200-1300 and 1500-1600
Minnesota Twins
Tuesday, July 15-Friday, July 18 - NSC Sports Hall - 900-1800
Stop by the Minnesota Twins booth in the Sports Hall or at Final Team Check-in to buy your tickets for the game on July 18th!
National Marrow Donor Program and Soccer Marrowthon
Wednesday, July 16 - NSC Sports Hall - 900-1800
Through their Soccer Marrowthon program, Soccer Clubs can partner with the National Marrow Donor Program to save lives and raise awareness and money for both the NMDP and your club.
NSC Fundraising
Tuesday, July 15-Saturday, July 19 - NSC Sports Hall - 900-1800
The National Sports Center has a great fundraising opportunity for all teams competing at the Schwan's USA Cup! Stop by their booth to learn more.
PassPro
Tuesday, July 15-Saturday, July 19 - NSC Sports Hall - 900-1800
Test your passing accuracy and strength with PassPro walls in the Sports Hall.
Renaissance Exterior
Tuesday, July 15-Saturday, July 19 - West of the Schwan's Center - 900-1800
Check out Renaissance Exterior for any outdoor home needs. Renaissance will have roofing, siding, and window displays among others as well as reps on site for any questions.
Sony
Friday, July 11-Sunday, July 13 - North of field U2 - 900-1800
Parents will be able to "test drive" a Sony DSRL-A300 camera during the game and take home their favorite game photos by having their pictures burnt onto a CD.
Sports Star Photo
Tuesday, July 15-Saturday, July 19 - NSC Sports Hall - 900-1800
Sports Star Photo, the Schwan's USA Cup's professional photo vendor, will be taking action shots and an assortment of portraits for teams competing in the USA Cup. This year, Sports Star is stoked to feature team portraits, panoramic team shots, and star heads - giant "stickers" to post on your wall. Stop by the Sports Star table at Final Team Check-in to sign your team up! |
| Tips for Parking at Schwan's USA CUP |
Welcome to Minnesota's largest tourism event! With hundreds of teams and thousands of athletes come many, many cars, and sometimes this creates parking headaches. To keep you from parking frustration, please heed the following parking tips:
- First and most importantly, parking is FREE in all lots at the National Sports Center
- Get our campus map and find links to the summer road construction projects in the metro area on our Maps/Directions page.
- Plan to arrive a minimum of 1 hour before your game because it can take 15-30 minutes to find a parking spot, and then walk a long way to your field.
- The MAIN lot in front of field U2 and the velodrome usually has spaces. Park in the Main Lot and walk. It is the least congested and easiest lot to get in and out.
- Do not expect to park adjacent to your field.
- PUMA will have six golf carts running at all times during the event to assist people in getting around the campus. Park in the Main Lot near the center island and catch a PUMA golf cart shuttle (this is especially recommended for anyone with difficulties walking or the team designee who has the duty of bringing the team tent or cooler).
- Parking lots near fields H-M are the most difficult to find a spot in, and especially on these fields a person is encouraged to park in the Main Lot and walk.
- Some of the local businesses take a very aggressive stance to USA CUP cars parking in their lots. Please be sure to pay attention to no parking signs in the local business lots. Some WILL tow cars parked there improperly.
- Make sure you don't leave valuables in your car.
- If you lock your keys in your car, you will be happy to know that Blaine is one of the few cities in the metro that will attempt to assist you free of charge - call 763-427-1212.
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| Quietdrive Performing Live at Schwan's USA Cup 2008 |
 Schwan's USA CUP is excited to present national recording artists, Quietdrive, to perform at the July 14 opening ceremonies.
Quietdrive's music has been featured in the movie John Tucker Must Die ("Time After Time"), and the band charted a Top 25 single for the same song. The band's debut album, "When All That's left is You", was released on Epic Records in 2006, and launched the band into the network of modern rock bands.
Quietdrive has recently finished their new record, "Deliverance", and will be performing, for the first time, songs from the album.
After the show, the band will be signing autographs and meeting fans. Bring your cameras and join in the festivities.
For now, you can discover Quietdrive and its music by linking to www.myspace.com/quietdrive | |
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| Volunteers Needed for Gift Packing! |
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We need 100+ volunteers to make the world's largest assembly line packing 17,000 gift bags for participants! Wednesday, July 9, 5 pm.
Location: Schwan Super Rink, west side of the new building, white garage door W. Park in the C Fields Parking Lot.
Dinner provided. See you there! |
| Final Team Check-In Information |
Directions: Get directions to the Schwan Center, located on the campus of the National Sports Center.
Schwan's USA CUP WEEKEND Final Team Check-in: Canada, Minnesota, United States
Thursday, July 10
14:00 - 20:00
Schwan's USA CUP Final Team Check-in: Canada, Minnesota, United States
Monday, July 14
13:30 19:30
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| Maximize Your Experience |
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Schwan's USA CUP is so much more than just a soccer tournament. It's a complete soccer experience with so many additional activities to take advantage of. The tournament offers over 40 activities for participants to enjoy. Most activities are on the National Sports Center campus and many of them are free.
For a complete list of all the fun activities and registration forms during Schwan's USA CUP visit our website. |
| PUMA Shoe Recycle Program |
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The Agahozo Shalom Youth Village (ASYV) is a special place in Rwanda, Africa. It's a school, a village and a home to orphaned children who survived the horrible genocide in Rwanda in 1994. To learn more visit here.
Soccer plays an important role in helping these kids rebuild their lives and they could really use your help.
If possible, please bring gently used soccer shoes to the PUMA World Store in the NSC Sports Hall during Schwan's USA CUP. For every pair of shoes you donate, you will be given an authentic ASYC pin.
Your donation can really make a difference! Thank you.
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