If you happen to find yourself in NYC on Saturday, July 21 you should consider swinging by the sixth edition of the annual Adidas Fanatic soccer tournament.

As always, the event will be held on the rooftop at Pier 40 which is located at the corner of West Houston Street and the West Side Highway.

Kick off is at noon with 24 teams competing in four groups of six. The final match will most likely be played after sunset, around 8 p.m. or so.

Most of the teams are made up of members of downtown Manhattan boutiques, design agencies, magazines and various other creative collectives.

As the day progresses, the tournament always turns into a fun gathering on the sidelines, courtesy of the free booze, food and jams.

Plus, it’s really entertaining to watch a bunch of more-or-less out of shape, inebriated characters battle it out in the usually excruciating heat and humidity.

Members of the Chinatown Soccer Club are competing on several teams starting with the CSC itself and fellow former finalists The Krauts.

You might also spot the odd CSC head or two on the Psyop team as well as on the Syrup and Bowery United squads.

Not only has Fanatic become a cherished NYC summertime tradition over the past few years, it also helped launch the CSC back in 2002 so come out and support your team.

In the meantime, you can check out a little write-up on the Chinatown Soccer Club and the Fanatic tournament in the August 2007 issue of Paper magazine.

The Coach