KICK IT UP! Project reports from Soweto for the FIFA World Cup

At last report, the 22 young women from East Los Angeles who had been chosen to take part in Global Girl Media’s “KICK IT UP!” project were embarking upon their training in Soweto, South Africa to report on the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Since then, the World Cup has kicked off with stellar results for Team U.S.A, advancing to the Round of 16.

Photo Courtesy Getty Images/Ian Walton

In the United State’s first Group C match against England, a mistake by English goalie Robert Green earned the U.S. a tie score of 1:1, amidst the sounds of blaring vuvuzela horns.

In the team’s second match on June 18, it took a tie 2:2 with Slovenia in what would have been a tie had referee Koman Coulibaly had not taken away Maurice Edu’s goal on a bad off-sides call. But two goals by Tim Howard and Landon Donovan, who is the all-time national team leader in goals scored, kept American hope alive.

The third group C match, and arguably could be considered one of the most important soccer games ever played, was played on June 23 against Algeria with the full 90 minutes remaining scoreless. In a tie-breaking stop-time over time, Donovan was able to score the winning goal given an opening from Algerian goalie Rais Mbolhi and allow the U.S. team to emerge as the group C winners and a qualification to the Round of 16.

On June 26, the U.S.A. will play Ghana, a team split with a record of 1-1-1, with a sole win over Serbia.

And while the World Cup has caused an obvious boost of patriotism and pride in the United States, the girls of Global Girl Media’s academy have been capturing the hope and action on South Africa’s soil.

For the first week of the international competition, the Global Girl Media (GGM) reporters were trained in journalism, story structure, camera-work, interviewing and on-camera presence to learn how to properly put together interview footage at events at the Rosa Parks Library in Soweto.

The girls began in the field with covering the opening of the NIKE Football Training Centre in Soweto, future home of training to up and coming youth athletes in football, or soccer if you will, and life skills. The girls were able to score a major interview with Brazilian soccer star Alexander Pato, as well as with the South African Minister of Health.

The girls then split into four groups to begin covering the World Cup. GGM sent reporters to the stadium, a family in Soweto and two groups out in the Fan Parks. They covered Opening Day and had an interview with Dr. Jill Biden at the Hector Pieterson Museum. One reporter, Tumi Maumakwe, blogged about the interview with Biden and discussed Biden’s views on current issues in Africa, including education.

Other videos include an interview with Executive Vice President of ESPN, John Skipper; interviews with different African leaders about using sports to teach about the dangers of HIV/AIDS; history on the Soweto uprising in 1976 and their own interview with Spanish television station Univision.

All videos and blogs are located on GGM’s Web site as the girls continue their coverage of the competition.

In World Cup history, the United States has only made it past the Round of 16 twice (in 1930 and 2002) Regardless of who’s giving the coverage, will you have your eyes on the television come June 26 as the U.S. takes on Ghana?