I-House invites campus soccer fans to view World Cup final

BERKELEY — The World Cup soccer final is this Sunday, July 11, and there will be no shortage of international fans at UC Berkeley watching the match between the Netherlands and Spain. International House will host a free viewing of the game and is encouraging fans from all backgrounds to come and cheer for their favorite team. Soccer’s popularity at Cal has been steadily increasing over the years among both traditional soccer fans and those new to the sport. And on a diverse campus like UC Berkeley, students from around the world have been showing up at I-House to watch the World Cup since it began on June 11. Even though the United States was knocked out of the tournament by Ghana on June 26 in the Round of 16, fans of teams like Germany, Brazil, and Spain stopped by the multi-cultural residence and program center on game days. "Given our composition of residents from around the world, including from the U.S., every team seems to have supporters," said Martin Brennan, executive director of I-House, via e-mail. "I expect we will have a lively crowd on hand this Sunday for what promises to be an epic finale to a fascinating World Cup." The final could be one of the most classic in World Cup history.