New York, NY—One fantastic thing about living in New York City is that you can visit the world. All you need is a Metrocard and a bus or subway map, and you're off.  

With the Cosmos Copa NYC 2011 kicking off this Saturday, June 18th at the Parade Grounds in Brooklyn, I've made it a point to learn about as many of the Cosmos Copa Teams as I can.

As well as learning about the teams themselves, I wanted to hear recommendations as for good places to eat, grab a drink, and snack.

Cosmos Copa Team Japan will return to NYC's World Cup when they face Colombia on Saturday at the Parade Grounds. Their match will take place at 4 PM at Field 8. A victory would guarantee that Japan will continue their quest of winning the Cosmos Copa NYC 2011.

I've only once seen Team Japan play, and this came against the defending Cosmos Copa Champions Poland. I found them to be a very entertaining team who moved the ball well. In addition, the team is not afraid to attack the net, and has a fantastic defense.

Ironically enough, while I've only seen Team Japan play once, I've seen their Team President/Coach Kenichi Yatsuhashi on a regular basis. Along with his responsibilities overseeing Team Japan, he volunteers his time as an official for the friendlies that were held on Friday nights at FDR Drive and East 6th. As a Jack of all Trades, Kenichi also operated the lights for the evening matches.

From my conversations with Kenichi, I am more than confident that his team is prepared for another run at hoisting the Cosmos Copa Cup.

 Here is Cosmos Copa Team Japan's profile in their own words:

Team Name: Team Japan

Team Nickname: Blue Samurai

Player to watch and why: Please watch our team, not any particular player

Type of Soccer Formation: Balanced style between attacking and defending

Community team is based from: 9 existing Japanese teams & some college teams. Please go to www.team-japan-nyc-soccer.org for more info.

Best sports bar in your Community: Katsu-Hama

Best place to go for a meal in your Community: East Village or Midtown East, Manhattan; there are many to choose from

Best spot for Dessert: Tackahachi Bakery

Best Alcoholic Beverage from your Country: Miyanoyuki (Japanese Sake)

Thank you, Team Japan! I wish the best of luck this Saturday!

Cesar Diaz covers Soccer for LatinoSports.com. He also writes for 5 Points Press & USSoccerPlayers.com ; your source for American Soccer news brought to you by members of the U.S. National Team. Easily accessible, you may reach Cesar at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and at Twitter at @CoveringSoccer.

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