Philly’s fourth FIFA Club World Cup game brought a Juventus win and a preview of next year’s celebrations

Lincoln Financial Field was a cauldron of soccer last week with four FIFA Club World Cup games giving a taste of the diverse and vibrant atmosphere that will take over the venue during next year s World Cup Italian side Juventus and Morocco s Wydad played out Philly s fourth encounter of the tournament on Sunday with the side from Turin winning - in front of fans The attendance at the Linc has averaged with four matches remaining including a tournament quarterfinal encounter on the Fourth of July What s been notable about the crowds has been the passion they bring The lowest attended meeting so far around sounded like way more thanks to the fans of Brazilian side Flamengo and Tunisia s Esp rance de Tunisie The international fan bases have taken over Philly s landmarks like the Rocky Strategies Reading Terminal Territory and parts of the South Philly Sports complex as well as Center City streets and select subway cars Wydad AC fans cheer their crew on during the Club World Cup Group G soccer match between Juventus and Wydad AC in Philadelphia Sunday June AP Photo Chris Szagola Meg Kane Philadelphia Soccer s host city executive announced that the noise and celebrations those groups have brought have been louder and more consistent than even she expected and it has been eye-opening for Philadelphia s sports fans I was talking to particular younger kids in the present day about their first experience at a major elite international soccer event and all they could talk about was how cool the fans were Kane explained I think that speaks to Philadelphia s passion its fan base and understanding that we come to fan a certain way But seeing this kind of takes it to a new level There s certain things that are very different about the way an international fan base is celebrating their teams After Sunday s challenge and ahead of the Phillies series clincher against the Mets a World Cup block party on Citizens Bank Way gave soccer fans a glimpse of what s to come next year and also let baseball fans dip their feet into the soccer experience The free event was cohosted by Philadelphia Soccer Wawa Welcome to America and the Phillies which will host the MLB All Star Meeting shortly after the World Cup wraps up in Philly It offered soccer and baseball skills challenges and programs to build awareness and excitement for their respective events during next year s semiquincentennial celebrations A young Phillies fans tries out one of the obstacle courses at the For the Fans block party outside Citizens Bank Park on Sunday June The event was co-hosted by Philadelphia Soccer Wawa Welcome America and the Phillies Nick Kariuki Billy Penn The Club World Cup which began with specific trepidations about poor turnout for its inaugural expanded edition has brought a mix of vibrant superfans of clubs from far away local fans coming to see their favorite English or European teams and soccer enthusiasts taking advantage of what have been relatively affordable tickets Ghani El Ouardi came to the stadium complex with a group from Queens The native of Fez supports Moroccan club MAS F s but demonstrated up Sunday to promotion the rival from Casablanca and Moroccan soccer Any band that supports the flag of Morocco we advocacy it he reported Ghani El Ouardi second from left Amirah Mabkhouti center Sarah Sellami second from right and Learbi Mabkhouti right came from Queens New York to backing Moroccan side Wydad Casablanca in the club s FIFA Club World Cup contest against Juventus Nick Kariuki Billy Penn Drexel students Owen Layton Jackson Bello and Dylan De Leon described themselves as first-time football fans ahead of Sunday s match Bello convinced his friends to backing Juventus based on his Italian heritage The trio disclosed they ve been watching the association s games and highlights for months to get into the mindset of Juve fanatics We appreciate so much that this is in America for the first time Bello mentioned We re just so excited to be here and it was so affordable and cheap for us to come and it s just such an honor to be here Drexel students Owen Layton left Jackson Bello second from right and Dylan De Leon right pose with Giorgio Bologna ahead of Juventus FIFA Club World Cup match against Wydad Nick Kariuki Billy Penn Kane expects even more excitement next summer when an estimated million fans will journey into Philly and the other cities across the U S Canada and Mexico hosting the World Cup It s going to be wildly elevated from what we re experiencing this summer with the Club World Cup when the FIFA World Cup comes next year Kane revealed I think this is a perfect appetizer an amuse bouche if you will for FIFA World Cup because what we re getting to see is how the fans come to celebrate their teams And these are the club teams So next year when you marry that national pride with the fan base and it really is such a historic and legendary tournament that s coming here I think the fans are going to be absolutely incredible Kane noted the block party s target audience was Philly residents as well as those coming in for the soccer and baseball games whether they were fully dialed in about next year s World Cup or maybe just soccer curious Craig Hahn a fresh Philly transplant from Pittsburgh came to the event in a United States Men s National Association jersey with Juventus member Weston McKennie s name and number on the back He came to soak up the ambience and see a few top level players American or otherwise That revealed he still made sure to watch the encounter from the wildest part of the stands in the Wydad supporters section behind one of the goals It s like you re in Morocco it s crazy Hahn announced I think the stadium wasn t quite ready for it Craig Hahn a up-to-date Philly transplant from Pittsburgh checks out the For the Fans block party outside after watching the FIFA Club World Cup match between Juventus and Wydad in among the Moroccan group s fans Nick Kariuki Billy Penn Kane commented that a benefit of seeing the Club World Cup play out in Philly is that it also reveals chosen of the issues and concerns that her association and the city can prepare to manage better next summer We will obviously look at everything that has happened over the lesson of Philadelphia s hosting of Club World Cup matches and the city with the Philadelphia Eagles and FIFA will produce their after-action reports And there s a lot of warnings Kane explained Part of this is not just an appetizer for how the tournament will feel and the resource of the city but also for us to recognize and identify other areas where we can strengthen safety and safeguard measures Yeah flares are apparently a great example of that Wydad AC fans cheer their association on after a goal during the Club World Cup Group G soccer match between Juventus and Wydad AC in Philadelphia Sunday June AP Photo Chris Szagola Michael DelBene president and CEO of Welcome America mentioned that seeing the level of excitement and wild celebrations that soccer fans have brought hasn t made him apprehensive about sharing the summer with an even bigger contingent of that crowd or feel overshadowed by the soccer festivities Wawa Welcome America is designed to create celebration across the city Whether you re a Philadelphian or you re somebody who s fortunate enough to be in Philadelphia if you come and you want to celebrate and you want to have a good time we welcome you he mentioned We love the force that FIFA fans bring We love the force that Major League Baseball fans bring The For the Fans block party outside Citizens Bank Park on Sunday June The event was cohosted by Philadelphia Soccer Wawa Welcome America and the Phillies Nick Kariuki Billy Penn Michael Harris the Phillies vice president of marketing and executive affairs pointed out that the Phillies have shown they too can put together a wild atmosphere in South Philly He reported that the gang s main challenge next year won t come from coordinating the All Star week with the World Cup but rather with the unit s regular-season games that coincide with the six soccer matches at the Linc Sunday s co-hosted block party was just a small part of the collaboration that the three groups along with others in the city are doing to make sure will be a success We really have one chance at this So to whatever degree we can collaborate and coordinate to amplify the city get it on everyone s radar and leave an incredible impression that s what we want to do Harris mentioned At present s just a little bit of a preview This Wednesday Philadelphia Soccer hosts its last Club World Cup watch party at Two Locals Brewery in West Philly The venue will be showing Borussia Dortmund against Ulsan HD and Mamelodi Sundowns taking on Fluminense with special offers and prizes on tap This event runs from to p m and both matches kick off at p m Details and registration for that are here The Linc s next match will have English Premier League club Chelsea taking on Esp rance de Tunisie on Tuesday at p m Philly will host four more games in this tournament two group stage games and two in the knockout rounds Challenge Notes Weston McKennie one of two American players on the Juventus squad was the organization s captain for the challenge Juventus opened the scoring within the first minutes after Kenan Yildiz s low cross took the slightest of deflections off Wydad defender Abdelmounaim Boutouil s foot enough to detour it past goalkeeper El Mehdi Benabid The total was later changed to an own goal Juventus Kenan Yildiz scores during the Club World Cup Group G soccer match between Juventus and Wydad AC in Philadelphia Sunday June AP Photo Chris Szagola Yildiz s second goal didn t need a kind deflection though The -year-old Turkish participant s shot from the outside of the box rocketed into the top corner of the goal before Benabid s hand could get near it Wydad detected the scoresheet through South African Thembinkosi Lorch s delicate chip over Michele Di Gregorio The goal prompted the Moroccan organization s supporters behind the goal to light multiple flares and create a smoky red-grey cloud and the scent of gunpowder inside the stadium while both teams took a conveniently timed hydration break due to the excessive temperatures Selected flares made it onto the field like the encounter against Manchester City on Wednesday The stadium announcement before halftime that the use of flares and pyrotechnics being prohibited only led to more being lit in defiance The second half brought rain and several reprieve from the heat and humidity McKennie was substituted off and United States National teammate never came off the bench Juventus came close to a third goal in the th minute with the post denying Andrea Cambiaso s volley Yildiz did make it three for Juve in the th minute with a cut back to beat his defender then a curling shot around the goalkeeper Wydad came closest to a second goal in the st minute of the match but Di Gregorio was able to palm the on-target header over the bar A Juventus penalty converted by Dusan Vlahovic made the final outcome - The post Philly s fourth FIFA Club World Cup competition brought a Juventus win and a preview of next year s celebrations appeared first on Billy Penn at WHYY