Daisy Garcia Montoya 
Education Reporter

With the World Cup soccer tournament coming to Kansas City, PH Coffee (2200 Lexington Ave.) is hosting a tournament of its own in the Northeast- The Pendleton Cup.

Owner of PH Coffee, Eric Rosell, wanted to find a way where he could activate the spaces around him and further engage with the community beyond watch parties. 

“I think everyone is excited that people are coming to visit Kansas City for these games, which I think is fair, they should be excited but I wanted to make a space where my neighbors, my community, the Northeast, had a place to call their own,” Rosell said. 

Recalling a story where he went to Concourse Park and played with kids whom he didn’t share the same language with, Rosell says that he knows how big soccer is in the Northeast, often transcending spoken language, and wanted to find a way to involve the neighborhood during the international tournament. 

That’s when the Pendleton Cup was born, a 3v3 soccer tournament that could provide opportunities for local kids to participate and remember the World Cup in their city, even if they do not get to attend an actual match. 

With a green space across the street of PH available and underutilized, Rosell sought out to secure the space for the duration of the tournament. After securing a permit from the city and getting insurance, the planning officially began. 

“In the past, we’ve hosted many great events here, like the Strawberry Swing and Art Fest, so I knew that no one was using the space.  I asked the landlord if I could lease the space for a few months,” Rosell said.

The Pendleton Cup will be hosted every Saturday (with the exception of July 4th) throughout the World Cup (June 11- July 19). It will be a 3v3 tournament, with various age brackets open to all skill levels and will be free of entry costs. 

Participants are not limited to playing only one Saturday nor are they committed to the entire duration of the tournament. The format will be open-play with different time frames per age bracket.

All participants will have access to free water and Gatorade throughout play time, receive a free T-shirt for their participation and be invited back for a pizza party at the end of the tournament. 

Since a temporary pitch will be installed for the tournament to be used on Saturdays 5 to 8 pm, Rosell invites the community to use the space and have a good time. 

“If anyone wants to come and play, go for it. I want people to come and just have a good time,” Rosell said. 

The event will have many local businesses and organizations as sponsors such as Public House, Northeast Pizza, RevEd, Museum of Kansas City, Show Me KC Schools, Kansas City University and Celebrate AmeriKana, all which are within walking distance. 

Rosell says that as he began planning for the event, he received feedback from community partners and members and wants to remind the community that he always wants their input in future events.

CEO of RevEd, Edgar Palacios, said that with the Northeast being one of the most diverse communities in the region, serving as a reflection of the world, it is important to have World-Cup related events in the area. 

“The World Cup is an exciting moment for Kansas City, and it’s important that our communities aren’t just spectators to it, but active participants in it,” Palacios said. 

As for being a sponsor, Palacios says that he recognizes the importance of supporting your neighbors and saw that as an opportunity to continue advocacy work in the neighborhood while helping community partners.

“The World Cup coming to Kansas City is historic, but what matters just as much is who gets to feel that history,” Ivan Ramirez, Interim CEO of the Latinx Education Collaborative said. “The Northeast is home to some of the most passionate soccer families in this city, many of them immigrants, many of them Latino. Events like this make sure that the celebration happens in our community.”

PH Coffee plans to also host watch parties for every match of the tournament, including the late night games. In preparation for the 104 matches happening this summer, Rosell ordered additional TVs and projectors to ensure that the space is ready to welcome people in.

Rosell says that although PH Coffee will also be hosting watch parties as well, he wanted to host something that could show his personal belief of ‘Community first, business second.’ 

“I didn’t want to be just another place that had watch parties. I want to do as much as we can for the neighborhood and I love to activate stuff that people can come and remember,” Rosell said.

As he prepares to welcome people from his community and all over the world, Rosell wants to remind his neighbors that PH Coffee and upcoming events are spaces where they can feel and be safe.

“We live in a very big political climate that’s not very favorable to a lot of my neighbors and I want to remind everyone that this is a safe space. This tournament is meant for everyone and is a safe space for everyone,” Rosell said. 

Along with the Pendleton Cup and watch parties, PH Coffee will also have a World Cup-inspired menu showcasing different drinks for the four different countries that will be calling Kansas City home (Argentina, England, Netherlands, and Algeria). 

Participants are highly encouraged to pre-register for the tournament. To sign up or get more information and details, please visit: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-pendleton-cup-tickets-1989327532200?aff=oddtdtcreator