World Cup watch party weekend with Park City’s Rob Zarkos

Stadium 974, one of the FIFA World Cup venues in Qatar. Photo: Parkite Kris Severson whos working at the FIFA Qatar World Cup

PARK CITY, Utah — Park City resident and resident authority on national soccer, Rob Zarkos, talked to TownLift about the Qatar World Cup. 

Regarding Tuesday’s triumph of USA over Iran, he said, “It was a great win for such a young group and it is exciting to once again make it to the group stage.” He knows of what he speaks possessing seemingly unlimited tribal knowledge about members of the United States Men’s National Team (USMNT). Paraphrasing the Bob Dylan lyric, Zarkos has forgotten more about professional soccer than most will ever know.

Discussing this Saturday’s morning match of USA against the Netherlands, Zarkos said, “The Netherlands will be a tough opponent, but the game is winnable if we can continue our high octane style and and have our offense hitting on all cylinders.”

He also speculated on the FIFA World Cup 2026 hosted in USA/Canada/Mexico. “Having the World Cup in your home country (or in this case North America) is fantastic, as a fan you can see these teams in person, but it also provides a significant amount of inspiration for American soccer players and shows them that there is a global path for a career in soccer.”

USA versus the Netherlands will be televised on FOX Sports networks and begins at 8 a.m. Mountain time.

Watch Party Venues: 

• Collies Sports Bar and Grill with the PCHS Soccer Team

• Basin Rec Fieldhouse
• Park City Municipal Athletic Recreation Center (MARC)

• The Market at Park City Grocery Store with the Park City Adult Rec League

• NewPark Hotel with the Park City Soccer Club

*Contact the above-mentioned locations to confirm early morning viewing availability