Autism awareness spurs world's longest soccer match

Table of Contents
A US soccer fan is organizing the world's longest soccer match in history to benefit autism awareness.

Steve Giordano, 19, will captain one team that will play at Stillwell Fields from August 20-22 in the "Kick for Autism" event.

The motivation was nothing more than a story Giordano saw on a Yahoo! home page.

Beginning on April 30, church team Cambray FC and a team comprised of its league’s all-stars went for 35 hours in Cheltenham, England and currently holds the record.

Giordano, 19, thought he could do better, and admits there was a sense of personal accomplishment involved.

But he also thought back to the autistic daughter of a rector from his old church in Bellerose, and everything clicked.

"I thought, 'I can’t do something that big for nothing'," Giordano told Syosset Patch.

The plan is to go for 40 hours, beginning at midnight on August 20, and ending August 22. The English attempt was also set for 40, but was shortened due to rain.

Each team will have 18 players to allow for substitutions, and a five-minute break is allowed between each hour of play.

Giordano added: "Forty hours is not something to joke around with.

"We had to do it before the end of the summer or we were going to lose all the people going back to college."

Open an account with bet365 today and claim your 100% Deposit Bonus!


Also see: