Soccer fans in North Texas will get the chance to see teams from Sweden and Czechia, formerly known as the Czech Republic, practice at their base camps in Frisco and Mansfield.
The two teams qualified for the world’s largest sporting tournament on Tuesday, when Sweden beat Poland 3-2 and Czechia defeated Denmark 3-1 in penalty kicks (2-2 after extra time).
Sweden will be based out of Toyota Stadium in Frisco, home of FC Dallas, while Czechia’s base camp will be at Mansfield Stadium.
Dan Hunt, president of FC Dallas, said having base camps in North Texas gives fans unique opportunities to see those teams practice.
The teams will be required by FIFA to have open practices, Hunt said. He expects Sweden to show up and start practicing at Toyota Stadium around June 5.
And practices likely won’t be the only chance for folks both in the community and visiting from abroad to see the teams.
“In the modern game, they like to get the guys out more often into the community to participate, maybe a day playing golf, a day doing something else to get away from all of the sessions all day long and also their travel schedules,” Hunt said. “But their big focus obviously is the games and their schedule.”
Sweden is scheduled to play Japan June 25 in Arlington.
Hunt said businesses around Toyota Stadium are already looking for ways to participate, from restaurants and bars hanging Swedish flags and scarfs to nail salons to paint flags on nails.
Some details are still in the works, like how to handle heat that European visitors may not be used to at home
Sean Decker, president of REV Entertainment in the Arlington Entertainment District, said REV and FC Dallas have plenty of experience in dealing with that.
“We'll be ready both on the fan side and to work with the teams to make everything as enjoyable as possible and embrace it in all the great ways,” Decker said.
Preparing Mansfield Stadium will take a little more work than Toyota Stadium – largely because construction in Mansfield isn’t done. Decker said the stadium is on schedule, with completion expected around May.
Hunt said not much will have to change at Toyota Stadium.
“This is our full-time job, so we're ready to go,” he said. “We're going to go on a big break from a Major League Soccer standpoint, and obviously the team will be away for a big stretch here. So I think it's going to be plug and play for us.”
The mayors of Frisco and Mansfield said previously that their cities are also making plans to incorporate the cultures of the teams they’re hosting into the celebration.
Details on that haven’t been shared yet, but they suggested food, music and incorporating soccer traditions from Sweden and Czechia will be part of it.
Sweden’s team will start its World Cup run in Guadalupe, Mexico on June 14 versus Tunisia, then travel to Houston to face off against Netherlands June 20 before playing against Japan in Arlington on June 25.
Czechia will kick off its participation against South Korea on June 11 in Zapopan, Mexico. Its second match on June 18 will see Czechia play South Africa in Atlanta. The third match will see the team play against Mexico, which will enjoy a home crowd backing at legendary Azteca Stadium in Mexico City.
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