Soccer City!

Expect a spectacle of an opening night at Soccer City

Feb 28, 2010 11:40 PM | By SALLY EVANS

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Fifa is remaining tight-lipped about preparations for the World Cup opening ceremony to be held at Soccer City in Johannesburg. But if the 2006 opener in Germany is anything to go by, fans can expect a spectacle.

The 2006 World Cup opening ceremony attracted a record global television audience of 26.29 billion, who tuned in to see German super model Claudia Schiffer and Brazilian soccer legend Pele carry the Fifa World Cup Trophy into the stadium in Munich, followed by 170 former World Cup winners.

There was a 37-minute multimedia theatrical production and hip-hop dancers and rappers performed to the beat of 120 drummers. Videos of memorable scenes from World Cup tournaments were shown on massive screens.

The details of this year's opening ceremony are expected to be announced only two or three days before the big event.

But Fifa has announced that fans will be treated to a pre-opening "Official Kick-Off Celebration Concert" on June 10 at the renovated 40000-seat Orlando Stadium in Soweto.

Fifa announced the concert in October, after appointing Emmy Award-winning producer Kevin Wall and his company as executive producers of the concert.

In a press release, Wall said: "We are honoured to have been selected by Fifa to organise and produce this event for the world's largest sport. We believe sports and music transcend cultural, language and geographic barriers, and through this international event, we will present the sights and sounds of unity and celebration ."

Beyonce, Jay-Z, Akon and the Black Eyed Peas are some of the celebrities who have been invited to perform.

Proceeds from the concert will go to the official campaign of the 2010 World Cup, "20 Centres for 2010".

In a statement last year, Jerome Valcke, Fifa's general secretary, said: "This kick-off celebration will be one of the greatest events of its kind in Africa and a must-see for football and music fans around the world."

Wall's company was responsible for the Live Earth concert in 2007.

Soccer News from Los Angeles Times, The Fabulous Forum, Sports section:

Major League Soccer 2010 schedule pits Galaxy against Chivas USA on April 1

February 3, 2010 | 11:29 am

Finally, as it approaches its 15th season, Major League Soccer has a schedule that makes sense.

The league on Wednesday released its 2010 lineup of regular-season games, and for the first time, they will follow the pattern set by the top leagues in England, France, Germany, Italy and Spain.

Each of the 16 MLS teams will play the others twice during the season -- once at home and once on the road, for a total of 30 games per team.

The league will take a two-week break from June 11 to June 25 during the first round of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

Locally, the Galaxy, which reached the 2009 MLS Cup final, and Chivas USA, which has qualified for the playoffs four years in a row, will play their first game on Thursday, April 1 at the Home Depot Center.

The Galaxy will be the home team that night, with Chivas USA staging the return game on Oct. 3.

The 2010 MLS season begins on March 25, with the expansion Philadelphia Union playing at the Seattle Sounders. Chivas USA opens its season on March 26 at home against the Colorado Rapids, while the Galaxy opens at home on March 27 against the New England Revolution.

The regular season will end on Oct. 24, followed by playoffs leading to the 2010 MLS Cup final on Nov. 21.

For more on the 2010 MLS schedule, go to http://www.latimes.com/sports/soccer/ later on Wednesday.

-- Grahame L. Jones