Borussia Dortmund take over New York's Times Square for charity event
Borussia Dortmund may have been left frustrated by Werder Bremen’s late comeback in Friday’s Bundesliga Matchday 5 opener, but Die Schwarz-Gelben were busy putting smiles on people’s faces on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean less than 24 hours later.
Alongside Street Soccer USA, a non-profit organisation that strives to fight poverty through football, Dortmund helped transform the heart of New York City into a street soccer arena on Saturday as part of the 14th annual Times Square Cup.
The event, which brought together hundreds of young players, football personalities, influencers, community leaders and spectators, also served as one of the featured stops on the new BVB World Street Series presented by CSTS, which appeared in Los Angeles in April and Tokyo in July.
New York’s iconic square was transformed into a sea of black and yellow. In a pop-up arena featuring two small-sided pitches, over 300 youngsters from across New York and New Jersey competed in four-a-side matches as part of the BVB Youth Cup, giving them the chance to play on one of the globe’s most famous stages.
Following a rendition of Guiseppe Verdi’s Triumphmarsch - which is traditionally played in the build-up to Borussia home matches - it was time for the Women’s Cup and SSUSA Open Cup.
Former Dortmund and Germany international Patrick Owomoyela led one of the sides in the latter competition, teaming up with athletes, artists and influencers from around the world.
To round things off, some of the area’s most promising rising talents were given an opportunity to showcase their skills in a one-on-one Top Baller competition.
The BVB World Street Series was created as part of a five-year partnership between Dortmund and Street Soccer USA, which focuses on young people, local communities and the unifying power of football.
Under the motto ‘Built by every story’, the charity aims to give youngsters access to the sport by offering them memorable experiences in some of the world’s most iconic locations.
