Pre-Libertadores Final Doubleheader to Crown Tournament Winners
Mexico's Representatives to Prestigious Tournament Will Be Determined In Houston
The 2001 Copa Sears Pre-Libertadores reaches its last stage and most pivotal point in less than two weeks. Three of the four Mexican clubs scheduled to play in the final double header of the Copa Sears in Houston on September 19 have a strong chance to finish in the top two spots, qualifying for the next round of the elimination series to the prestigious Copa Libertadores de America.
After 4 cities, 7 games and a great deal of spectacular soccer, the 2001 Copa Sears Pre-Libertadores culminates in Houston's Robertson Stadium with a doubleheader featuring Atlas vs. Cruz Azul at 7:00 pm and Morelia vs. America immediately following at 9:00 pm. Atlas, Morelia and America arrive with a chance to advance to the next round. Because ach team needs a victory to advance, action on the field promises to be feverish.
"After a wild summer full of futbol, fans are ready to know which teams will qualify for the Libertadores," said Jorge Ramos, spokesperson for the Copa Sears, adding, "The games in Houston will be a great way to bring the Summer of Copa Sears to a close."
The Copa Sears Pre Libertadores 2001, now in its fifth year, is a two-phase qualifying series played by Mexican clubs to secure a spot in the Libertadores Cup Tournament. For the past three years, Mexican clubs have played the qualifier in U.S. stadiums, attracting thousands of fans. The tournament is among the few official international soccer tournaments to take place in the U.S. The 2001 Copa Sears Pre-Libertadores concludes in Houston on Sept. 19, 2001.
During the 2001 Copa Sears, Sears will partner with Soccer in the Streets (SITS), an organization that has established children's soccer leagues in more than 75 culturally-diverse cities in the U.S. Together they will bring back the Equipos del Futuro ("Teams of the Future"), children from local soccer leagues, to each city where the championship is played. The Equipos children will enjoy the Sears Soccer Experience, an interactive game area, prior to the matches and will serve as ballboys/ballgirls during the games. In addition, they will receive goody bags full of futbol equipment and their local leagues will receive a cash donation from Sears.
To showcase the excitement of the Copa Sears Pre-Libertadores Tournament, Sears launched an integrated marketing campaign that includes in-store promotions, giveaways, visits to the stadiums by the Sears Fiesta Mobile, and local sweepstakes.
The tournament is a CFA (Cardenas/Fernandez & Associates, Inc.) production in conjunction with the Mexican Soccer Federation and Terject. CFA is the premier Hispanic special events, entertainment and sports marketing and full- service production company in the United States. The games will be broadcast live in the U.S. by Radio Unica and shown on national network on a tape- delayed basis by Telemundo. Tickets are available via Ticketmaster or at Robertson's Stadium's Box Office.
Sears, Roebuck and Co. is a leading retailer of apparel, home and automotive products and services, with annual revenue of more than $40 billion. The company serves families in the U.S. through Sears stores nationwide, including approximately 860 full-line stores. Sears also offers a wide variety of merchandise and services through its Web site, http://www.sears.com/ . For more information about the Copa Sears Pre-Libertadores, visit http://www.copasears.com/ .
SOURCE: Sears, Roebuck and Co.
Contact: Valeria Roedenbeck-Galli, +1-312-587-1737,
cultura@interaccess.com , Henry A. Moya of CFA, +1-773-506-2024,
CopaSearsMedia@aol.com , or Sandy Tiberi of Sears, Roebuck and Co.,
+1-847-286-9336, stiberi@sears.com
Website: http://www.sears.com/
Website: http://www.copasears.com/