A QUICK- STRIKE GUIDE TO THE SASKATOON WORLD CUP

Twenty-eight teams compete in the Saskatoon World Cup this year: Assyria, Brazil, Cameroon, Canada, the Caribbean, Chile, China, Columbia, El Salvador, England, First Nations, Germany, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Italy, Lebanon, Mexico, Morocco, Nigeria, Norway, Palestine, Peru, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, South Sudan, Ukraine. There are also four teams in the women’s draw, six in the under-14 division and six in the under-12. The tourney started in 2010 with 16 men’s teams. “It’s grown in popularity,” said organizer Julio Diaz, who plays for Team Chile. “And there are bigger things to come. “The whole point of doing this is bringing communities together within Saskatoon,” he added. “We have 28 teams, and that’s 28 communities within our city.” On the men’s side, there are seven groups of four teams. Teams play a round robin format within the group. Group winners advance to the quarter-finals, as does the next highest seed. Teams play with nine players on the pitch (including a keeper). Changes are made on the fly. Games consist of two 25-minute halves. If tied in a playoff game, there are two five-minute overtime halves. If still scoreless, penalty kicks determine the outcome. There are no offsides or throw-ins. Yellow cards result in a four-minute penalty. Reds result in a six-minute penalty and a game misconduct. All games are played indoors at the SaskTel Sports Centre. “It’s a really good social event,” said Irish captain Sam Martin, who has played in the tourney since its inception. “We’re playing against guys that you normally play with. There’s friendly banter going on and off the pitch. We’ll play our games, then it’s off to the pub. “What the weekend’s almost turning into is a folk fest of soccer.” To be eligible to play for a specific country, heritage must at least be traced back to a grandparent. Teams are also allowed three import players. “That helps some countries be more competitive,” said Diaz, who moved from Chile when he was two. “It gives them a little more accessibility to players.” The first game is Friday at 6 p.m. The women’s final is Monday at 4 p.m. The men’s is at 5:30 p.m. Admission is $5 daily or $10 for the whole tourney.