00:00Good morning, New York City, and welcome back to The Morning Pitch.
00:03You give us five minutes, we'll give you the World Cup.
00:05First of all, I know it does not feel real, but it is.
00:09After 53 long years, the wait is over.
00:13The Knicks are NBA champions.
00:15These finals have brought so many New Yorkers together.
00:18On street corners and stoops, in bars and backyards,
00:21the celebrations are not over just yet.
00:23On Thursday at 10 a.m., we are hosting a ticker tape parade along Broadway,
00:28beginning in Battery Park and ending at City Hall.
00:30It will be free and open to the public,
00:32so plan to arrive a couple hours early to get a good spot.
00:36This will be the Knicks' first-ever ticker tape parade down the Canyon of Heroes.
00:40You will not want to miss it.
00:42But there's something else to look forward to before then.
00:44This afternoon, New York, New Jersey will host our second match of the World Cup
00:48when France and Senegal kick off at 3 p.m.
00:51The weather should be more pleasant than the humidity and heat of Saturday.
00:54Temperatures will be in the 70s,
00:55with a high around 80 degrees and a low around 65.
00:59At this moment, we are expecting dry and clear conditions.
01:01If you are traveling to the game, please take public transit
01:04and buy a ticket in advance at the FIFA New York, New Jersey official site.
01:08If you are still figuring out your travel plans, consider New Jersey Transit.
01:12The best part of riding the train is that it never gets caught in traffic.
01:16However you're getting to the stadium,
01:17begin your journey at least four or five hours before kickoff.
01:21Worst case, you get there a little early and watch William Saliba practice clearances,
01:24or Sadio Mane take free kicks.
01:26This is the first World Cup match being played at New York, New Jersey Stadium during a weekday,
01:30and it will coincide with rush hour.
01:33We are expecting especially heavy traffic and travel delays in Midtown.
01:37Bus and shuttle corridors and lanes will begin at 9 a.m.
01:40and remain in effect until 8 p.m.
01:425th and 6th Avenues from 42nd Street to 59th Street will be dedicated to buses and shuttles,
01:47as will 42nd Street from 1st to 12th Avenue,
01:50West 40th Street between 8th and 11th Avenues,
01:52and West 41st Street between 8th and 10th Avenues.
01:56I want to strongly encourage New Yorkers not to drive into Midtown.
02:00Take the subway, ride a bike, or walk.
02:03For those attending the match,
02:04there are restrictions as to what you can bring inside the stadium.
02:07You will be limited to one disposable plastic water pump.
02:11All bags must meet size restrictions and be transparent,
02:14so no backpacks, large purses, or strollers.
02:17For those planning to watch the game in the five boroughs,
02:20don't forget to take advantage of the $26 meal deal program
02:22offered by more than 900 restaurants and bars across our city.
02:26If Michael Olysses runs up the wing,
02:28have you craving fine French dining,
02:30check out Chez Oscar in Bed-Stuy.
02:32Or if Ily Manindayes, Maisy Dribbles,
02:34make you hungry for some West African cuisine,
02:36visit native Harlem on 125th Street.
02:38The full list of those deals can be found at nyctourism.com.
02:42Just scroll down to the five borough winner special.
02:45As we look ahead to what promises to be an incredible match,
02:48I cannot help but think back to 24 years ago,
02:51when Senegal and France met at the last time they met in the World Cup,
02:54in what was Senegal's first ever appearance at the tournament.
02:57Few expected that Senegal had a chance.
03:00This was a French side with giants of the game,
03:02like Patrick Vieira, Thierry Henry, and Emmanuel Petit.
03:06I wonder what club they played for.
03:07But Senegal had something special too.
03:10Players like Papa Boubadiop, who towered at the base of midfield.
03:13Strikers like Al-Hajid Jouf, with his bright blonde mohawk.
03:16Forwards like Henri Kamara,
03:18who played with enough flair to make even the most jaded fans smile.
03:21Salif Diaw, Kaliou Fadiga, Aliou Sisse,
03:24even their legendary coach Bruno Metsu.
03:26The list goes on and on.
03:28Against all odds, they defeated France in the opening game of the tournament,
03:32when Boubadiop squeezed the ball past Fabien Barthez's outstretched hands.
03:36Ask any Senegalese fan what that goal meant to them.
03:39What it meant to see the whole team dancing around Boubadiop's kit on the ground.
03:43What it meant to see Senegal defeat the country that had colonized them for so long.
03:47And the answer will not be short.
03:49Senegal was not satisfied with beating France.
03:51They drew Denmark and Uruguay to make it to the round of 16,
03:55where everyone expected they would fall to Henrik Larsson's Sweden.
03:58But this team did not know how to give up.
04:01Two Henri Kamara goals, including one in the 104th minute,
04:04extended the fairytale run to the quarterfinals.
04:07Although Senegal lost in a heartbreaking extra-time defeat to Turkey,
04:11it is hard to overstate just how important the Senegalese team remains for African soccer fans.
04:16They played without fear, were proud of themselves,
04:19and refused to be cowed by even the most daunting odds.
04:22They did not wait to be told that they belonged.
04:25They insisted upon it.
04:26I was 10 years old when Senegal beat France,
04:29wearing one of the fake kits that my father brought home for me
04:32each time he traveled to Dakar for work.
04:34That tournament was the first time he let me be late for school.
04:37On-time attendance didn't stand a chance against Pan-Africanism.
04:41Even though that entire team has long since retired,
04:44even though November will mark six years since Papaboubadiop passed away,
04:47their legacy lives on in the hearts of so many across our city
04:51and millions more across the world.
04:53Greatness never fades.
04:55Yes, with Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité, and Mbappé,
04:59France are once again the heavy favorites today.
05:02But never, ever count out the Lions of Taramba.
05:05Senegal wreck!
05:07Enjoy the match, New York City.
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