World Cup 2010 mania is right around the corner, and international football (soccer) fans in the Pittsburgh region already have started gearing up for the world's most popular sporting tournament. Yes, it's bigger than the Super Bowl, the World Series and maybe even the Stanley Cup combined, globally speaking.

The games begin Friday, June 11 in South Africa and end Sunday, July 11 with the championship game in Johannesburg. Most games will be televised live in the Pittsburgh region. Due to the time difference, most games will air during the daytime in the Eastern United States.

GlobalPittsburgh will be keeping up with all of the schedules and games during the course of the tournament, and we will be posting scores and updates on our social media network (the GlobalPittsburghNEWS blog, Facebook fan page and Twitter account - all the links can be found at our website at www.globalpittsburgh.org).

Thirty-two teams will play in the 2010 World Cup (see chart). Click on these links for a SCHEDULE and a full-color TOURNAMENT BRACKET.

Opening day (June 11) festivities will take place around town (see listings below). Anyone with free time during the day can watch live games at several locations, and more than one party (including Mullaney's Harp & Fiddle in the Strip District along with Global Beats) will evolve into a world music extravaganza after the final whistle of the day.

The parties will resume at 10 a.m. on Saturday, June 12 when the schedule will include the much-anticipated match between the U.S. and England. Take your pick from any of the locations below airing World Cup games during their normal hours of business. (We recommend calling ahead if you have any questions about schedules.) Drop us an EMAIL if you know of any other good places to watch the games. We'll add them to the list.

A.J.'s Peruvian Rotisserie Chicken
3608 Fifth Ave. in Oakland

Bahama Breeze
The Mall at Robinson
Robinson Township

Chicken Latino Restaurant
155 21st St. in the Strip
www.chickenlatino.com

El Campesino
4771 McKnight Rd in North Hills
www.elcampesino.net

La Prima Espresso
205 21st in the Strip
www.laprima.com

Mullaney's Harp & Fiddle
2339 Penn Ave in the Strip
www.harpandfiddle.com

Piper's Pub
1828 East Carson Street on the South Side
(412) 381-2797
www.piperspub.com


Royal Palace (African Community Celebration Friday 6/11 8 p.m.)
2660 Library Rd. Pittsburgh, PA 15234

Buy World Cup jerseys in your favorite country's colors at:

Mexico Lindo Mercado y Galeria de Artesanas
2027 Murray Ave. in Squirrel Hill
412-422-9984
www.mexicolindo.biz

Passion Sports World (Sebastian Martinez)
Weekend street vendor at the corner of Penn & 21st in the Strip District
412-605-4796


More World Cup Links:

Official World Cup 2010 Website
www.fifa.com

World Cup Wallpapers for your Computer
http://www.worldcupswallpapers.com/

The GlobalPost Insider's View of the World Cup
http://www.globalpost.com/soccer-world-cup-2010

Viewing World Cup Games on Your Smartphone
http://nyti.ms/cpETtq

GlobalPittsburgh is joining the British American Business Council and Club Canada to host a spring networking event on Thursday, May 20 from 5:30-7 PM at Tonic Bar & Grill (upstairs) at 971 Liberty Avenue in Downtown Pittsburgh.

There is no charge to attend this event, but we ask that you RSVP by 5/18 so we can inform the venue as to the number of guests. Light snacks will be provided. There will be a cash bar.

Feel free to bring your coworkers and clients, and prepare to make new connections. Remember to bring plenty of business cards.

Please let us know you're coming by calling Pat Fustich or Tim Allen at 412-392-4513 or by sending email to globalpittsburghpat@gmail.com.

More information at www.globalpittsburgh.org.

The Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission will host 14 of Pennsylvania's Authorized Overseas Trade Representatives in Pittsburgh on Wednesday, March 17 from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. for half-hour, one-on-one meetings at the Regional Enterprise Tower. Admission is free.

Companies and individuals interested in learning more about doing business abroad are encouraged to arrange meetings to ask questions and present information about their products and services. Meetings are scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis.

Countries represented will be: Australia, France, Germany, India, Israel (Middle East Region), Japan, South Korea, The Netherlands, Russia, Singapore, Spain, United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates and Vietnam.

The event is billed as a unique opportunity for exporters to follow up on projects they have been working with, and for "Export Ready" companies to explore new opportunities abroad. To register, please contact Jackie Pacheco by email at jpacheco@spcregion.org or by phone at 412-391-5590 x332.

The meetings will take place at the Regional Enterprise Tower, 31st floor, 425 Sixth Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15219.

• What has The Pittsburgh Summit 2009 led to?
• Exclusive G-20 Midnight Radio performance by Bricolage Theatre Company
• Warhol Museum as an international ambassador
• How Pittsburgh citizens can be global champions

February 24th, 2010
5:30 - 7:30 PM
Bricolage Theatre Company
(Caddy Corner to the August Wilson Center)
937 Liberty Avenue, Downtown

Seating is LIMITED

RSVP www.lpinc.org/community_events.asp
$15 General | $12 LPI Connective Members & Chamber of Commerce Members
Hors d'oeuvres & cash bar
412.392.4505 | office@lpinc.org

Applications and Schedules for Leadership Pittsburgh and Leadership Development Initiative
for 2010-2011 available now at www.lpinc.org

Penn State Greater Allegheny and Duy Tan University in Da Nang, Vietnam, have signed an agreement for academic collaboration to train about 100 faculty members from Duy Tan University to deliver 24 business courses. This training will occur over the course of four years, beginning this summer.

From the 2010-11 academic year, Penn State Greater Allegheny, which is located in McKeesport, PA, also will send two faculty members to Duy Tan University every semester for at least two weeks to model and monitor the teaching of these courses with the trained faculty and Duy Tan students. During the first year, the summer train-the-trainer sessions will be held at Penn State at Greater Allegheny.

"Penn State Greater Allegheny is happy to take this precedent-setting step with Duy Tan University," said Penn State Greater Allegheny Chancellor Curtiss E. Porter. "Establishing this program meets the needs of both institutions in expanding our international initiatives. Our agreement extends the internationalizing of Penn State and also extends the international capacity of Duy Tan University. Penn State business faculty teach at a world-class standard. Duy Tan faculty will benefit from this widely respected experience. Duy Tan students will be the effective beneficiaries of this joint effort."

Vice provost and director of academic affairs at Duy Tan University, Bao Le Nguyen, and director of academic affairs at Penn State Greater Allegheny, Kurt Torell, were the key individuals who created this partnership. Both expect this agreement, which was signed on Jan. 17, to serve as a model for future relationships.

"Penn State Greater Allegheny looks forward to this long and beneficial relationship that that will reinforce the global emphasis and the future development of both of our Universities," Torell said.

"As we move into the next decade, the need for international relationships among all institutions of national interest will only increase. People, trade and educational interests will become increasingly interdependent and global," Porter said. "We appreciate being a part of this new development with Duy Tan University."