BY SAMANTHA DOUTY
Zooming out
Also of note
Arlington will be home to nine matches for the World Cup. Teams start at the group stage and advance as they win. Group stage VS June 14 3 p.m. Netherlands vs. Japan (Group F) VS June 17 3 p.m. England vs. Croatia (Group L) VS June 22 noon Argentina vs. Austria (Group J) VS June 25 6 p.m. Sweden vs. Japan (Group F) VS June 27 9 p.m. Argentina vs. Jordan (Group J) Round of 32
Being a base camp won’t just benefit hotels and the city but local businesses as well, said Christal Howard, Frisco Chamber of Commerce president and CEO. “Beyond the immediate increase in traffic and sales opportunities, this is about long-term visibility,” Howard said in an email. “Frisco will be once again on the world stage. That kind of exposure can influence future tourism, business travel, and even corporate relocation decisions for years to come.” Regionally, the World Cup is expected to gen- erate billions in economic impact, according to FIFA. The chamber, along with Visit Frisco,
hosted an event to help prepare businesses for the potential influx of international visitors. More visitors means more potential revenue that comes into the city through sales taxes, which then are used to reinvest back into city infrastructure. To account for visitors, the National Soccer Hall of Fame will likely extend its hours of operations, said Djorn Buchholz, hall of fame executive director. About 80% of clients are already from out of town, he said. “This is the global moment we’ve all been waiting for and it’s here now,” he said.
June 30 noon Group E 2nd place vs. Group I 2nd place July 3 1 p.m. Group D 2nd place vs. Group G 2nd place
VS
VS
Projected economic impact
Round of 16
Semi-final
$116M safety grants shared with DFW and Houston
4M DFW airport passengers
$2B in North Texas
9 DFW matches
July 6 2 p.m. TBD
July 14 2 p.m. TBD
VS
VS
SOURCES: NORTH TEXAS FWC ORGANIZING COMMITTEE, DFW AIRPORT, FIFA/COMMUNITY IMPACT
SOURCE: FIFA/COMMUNITY IMPACT
The impact
the Hall of Fame, the base camp and the fan event will firmly position Frisco as the focal point and “unofficial headquarters” of the entire tournament. “I hope [for] the families and the kids that get to experience it here in just a couple months that it creates one of those lifelong memories,” Cheney said.
Johansson said in an email. “When I decided to come here, that wasn’t something I was thinking about at all, but now that it’s happening, it feels really special.” Frisco will host a soccer fan celebration outside Simpson Plaza across the street from Toyota Stadium. Smith said he believes that the combination of
FC Dallas may have several players participating in the tournament. Three players are potentially playing for their respective national teams: Croatia, Haiti and Sweden. FC Dallas player Herman Johansson could potentially play for Sweden. Johansson said Frisco is a great environment for a team to base in. “It’s exciting to know Sweden will be here,”
SUMMER SPECTACULAR SCAN TO REGISTER! JUNE 18th - 20th
METRO CHURCH OF GOD (FRISCO CAMPUS) 7701 STONEBROOK PKWY, FRISCO TX 75034 SERVICE TIMINGS: 9AM (STARTING MAY 31ST) & 11AM
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FRISCO EDITION
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