City Invites Community to Celebrate Global Soccer Tournament with Matches in the Park

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PRESS RELEASE

Above: During Soccer in the LBC, the City of Long Beach will host Matches in the Park, which will feature community watch parties with a live big-screen match viewing, as well as group activities for youth hosted by the City's Department of Parks, Recreation and Marine.

Long Beach, CA - As part of its Soccer in the LBC efforts during this summer's global soccer tournament, the City of Long Beach will host Matches in the Park, a series of local soccer activations and match viewings at various parks throughout Long Beach. These events will take place during the knockout stage of the tournament and offer residents across the city chances to gather, connect and celebrate soccer in a relaxed, family-friendly environment.

"With these local soccer activations in parks across Long Beach, we are providing residents in every neighborhood an opportunity to get outside, connect with their community and celebrate the global game," said Mayor Rex Richardson. "We encourage everyone to join us on soccer's biggest stage and experience every thrill this global moment has to offer."

The full event schedule is listed below. As participating national teams progress in the tournament, the City will announce what games will be shown at each location.

• Monday, July 6 at 5 p.m. - El Dorado Park West (2800 N. Studebaker Rd.)
• Thursday, July 9 at 1 p.m. - Martin Luther King Jr. Park (1950 Lemon Ave.)
• Friday, July 10 at noon - Admiral Kidd Park (2125 Santa Fe Ave.)
• Saturday, July 11 at 6 p.m. - Heartwell Park (5801 Parkcrest St.)
• Tuesday, July 14 at noon - Recreation Park (4900 E. 7th St.)
• Wednesday, July 15 at noon - Scherer Park (4600 Long Beach Blvd.)
• Saturday, July 18 at 2 p.m. - Houghton Park (6301 Myrtle Ave.)

Each activation will feature a community watch party with a live big-screen match viewing, as well as group activities for youth hosted by the City's Department of Parks, Recreation and Marine (PRM). Attendees are encouraged to dress in their favorite soccer team's attire and bring blankets, chairs and picnic meals.

At each event, soccer themed augmented reality missions and challenges will also be available through the Agents of Discovery app, a free educational mobile gaming platform. The Summer of Soccer challenges, powered by Agents of Discovery, are designed to teach players about soccer fundamentals, soccer history and international championship trivia while encouraging families and community members to get outside, interact and explore. The app is available for free download in the Apple App Store or Google Play.

Matches in the Park are part of the City's broader Soccer in the LBC efforts, a series of locally driven activations and community-focused soccer programming in neighborhoods across Long Beach throughout the global tournament. These efforts launched in partnership with Major League Soccer's LA Galaxy and Downtown Long Beach Alliance on June 11 with the LA Galaxy Soccer Celebration. Taking place along Pine Avenue in Downtown Long Beach now through June 27, this celebration features live FIFA World Cup 26™ match viewings, Galaxy player and alumni appearances, youth soccer clinics, family-friendly fan areas, giveaways, limited-edition merchandise offerings, sponsor activations and more.

The City's extensive local soccer programming will culminate on Sunday, July 19 with an open streets event to celebrate the tournament's final match, which will be staged at Bixby Park. Hosted by the City and presented by Metro, with sponsorship from Port of Long Beach, this one-day event will open streets in multiple neighborhoods across Long Beach, transforming them into safe, open areas for people to bike, walk and explore. More information will be announced in the coming weeks.

Together, these events will bring the excitement of the global game to communities in every Council District in Long Beach. Learn more at longbeach.gov/SoccerInTheLBC.

About the City of Long Beach
Long Beach is nestled along the Southern California coast and home to approximately 466,000 people. As an award-winning full-service charter city, Long Beach offers the amenities of a metropolitan city while maintaining a strong sense of individual and diverse neighborhoods, culture and community. With a bustling downtown and over six miles of scenic beaches, Long Beach is a renowned tourist and business destination and home to the iconic Queen Mary, nationally recognized Aquarium of the Pacific and Long Beach Airport, award-winning Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center and world-class Port of Long Beach.

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