This summer is full of soccer! For the first time in decades, the FIFA Men’s World Cup will be hosted by the US (co-hosted by Canada and Mexico). It will be the 32nd men’s World Cup and the largest one ever featuring 48 national teams playing a total of 104 matches. Things kick off with Mexico vs. South Africa on Thursday June 11th and finish off with the World Cup Final on Sunday July 19th.
Team USA’s opening match on Friday June 12th will be after the library closes, but that won’t stop us from celebrating! As part of our America250 series of events , we’ll be hosting a US Men’s National Soccer Team (USMNT) World Cup Pre-game Party from 2:30-4:30 PM in the Teen Room. We’ll have foosball and EAFC26 tournaments as well as a Kahoot trivia contest about the USMNT. All winners will receive soccer-related prizes, and everyone who participates will receive a snack. If you would rather make something, we’ll have templates for buttons for all 48 countries represented at the World Cup and coloring sheets.
This party isn’t the only soccer-related event we’ll be having this summer. If you’re into foosball, we’ve got you covered with monthly foosball tournaments on the second Thursday of the month (starting Thursday June 11th from 4:30-5:30 PM). You can also play EAFC or foosball whenever the Teen Room is open (we have extended summer hours Monday-Thursday from 1-8 PM along with our year-round Friday-Sunday hours).
Do you want to watch live soccer? The closest professional teams, the Chicago Stars of the National Women’s Soccer League and the Chicago Fire of Major League Soccer, both re-start their seasons in July. You can watch live soccer closer to home, however.
Throughout June and into July, you can cheer on DeKalb’s very own semi-pro soccer team, DeKalb County United (DKCU) at the NIU Track and Field & Soccer Complex. DKCU teams feature college athletes on their summer breaks (from a variety of schools including NIU and Kishwaukee College) and a few recent DeKalb High School and Sycamore High School graduates. With DKCU’s men’s and women’s teams playing in multiple competitions, there’s plenty of chances for you to see a match before their final home match on July 18th. Check out DKCU’s home schedule for the rest of June below:
| DATE AND TIME | TEAM | OPPONENT | COMPETITION |
| Wednesday June 10th 7:00 PM | DKCU Women’s First Team | Rockford Raptors FC | United Women’s Soccer League |
| Thursday June 11th 8:00 PM | DKCU Men’s First Team | Panathinaikos Chicago | Illinois State Cup |
| Saturday June 13th 12:00 PM | DKCU Men’s Reserve Team | Chicago Ghost FC U23 | Greater Chicago Soccer League |
| Wednesday June 17th 7:00 PM | DKCU Women’s First Team | Force FC | United Women’s Soccer League |
| Saturday June 20th 7:00 PM | DKCU Men’s First Team | Chicago Ghost FC | Midwest Premier League |
| Tuesday June 23rd 6:00 PM | DKCU Women’s Reserve Team | Firebirds SC U23 Women | Illinois Women’s Soccer League |
| Wednesday June 24th 7:00 PM | DKCU Women’s First Team | Chicago Inter SC | United Women’s Soccer League |
| Thursday June 25th 7:30 PM | DKCU Men’s Reserve Team | SJA Dunbar | Illinois State Cup (Quarterfinals) |
| Saturday June 27th 7:00 PM | DKCU Men’s First Team | RKC Third Coast | Midwest Premier League |
| Sunday June 28th 1:00 PM | DKCU Men’s Reserve Team | Steel City Academy | Greater Chicago Soccer League |
| Tuesday June 30th 6:00 PM | DKCU Women’s Reserve Team | Chicago Eagles U23 | Illinois Women’s Soccer League |
DKCU are one of our Summer Reading Program sponsors and children and teens can earn free tickets to matches by reading 10 hours.
Do you have questions about library programs? The Teen Services staff is happy to help! We can also help you find books to build up your Summer Reading hours. You can use your free DKPL library card to check out physical copies of books or other materials (including video games and DVDs) at our library. Many books can also be downloaded to your phone, tablet, or computer as e-books or audiobooks. Stop by the Teen Room with any questions or contact the Teen Services Staff at (815) 756-9568 ext. 2450 or by email at [email protected].