FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Michael Preston
781-363-0305 / michaelp67@aol.com
January 30, 2004
www.NFLHS.com

Canada and Team USA meet in Championship Game; Houston all-stars hold walkthrough at Reliant Stadium

THE MATCH UP is a familiar one but the number one seed a new name as Canada and Team USA clash on Saturday in the final of the NFL Global Junior Championship VIII.

The two teams are paired in the Championship Game for the fourth straight year, but for the first time Canada has a psychological edge having beaten their Texas rivals during first round action. Canada (4-0) is undefeated in this year’s competition and claimed a prized 7-3 victory over the USA (3-1) Houston-Harris County all-stars on Wednesday.

The winner-takes-all match up kicks off at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday at Tully Stadium following a battle for third place between Mexico (2-2), Japan (1-3) and Russia (0-4).

Team USA will plot revenge in the magical surroundings of Reliant Stadium, treading the same field where 24 hours later the stars of the New England Patriots and Carolina Panthers will meet in Super Bowl XXXVIII. MIKE JOHNSTON’s squad will hold a closed walkthrough on the hallowed field on Friday afternoon, while being filmed by Super Bowl XXXVIII broadcaster CBS.

“It’s a fantastic opportunity for these kids to be inside the stadium only 48 hours before the finest players in football play on that same field in front of millions of people around the world,” said Johnston. “It will be something they will remember forever, When they’re watching the Super Bowl on Sunday, they can say ‘I was there playing myself just a couple of days ago.”

Saturday’s NFL Global Junior Championship VIII action kicks off at 11:00 a.m. at Tully Stadium when Mexico and Russia meet over two seven-minute quarters. The same shootout format will be used as Russia takes on Japan at 12:30 p.m. and when Mexico and Japan conclude the bronze medal games at 2:00 p.m.

USA and Canada will contest the NFL Global Junior Championship VIII Game over four 12-minute quarters at 4:00 p.m. Former Houston Oilers Hall of Fame defensive end ELVIN BETHEA will perform the coin toss. Live audio broadcast and regular game updates will be available on www.NFLHS.com/GJC/

Media buses will leave the Super Bowl XXXVIII Media Center for Tully Stadium (located south on Dairy-Ashford exit off I-10 West) at 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.

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