North American club champion D.C. United will compete for one of the world’s most coveted soccer championships when Bruce Arena’s club takes on Brazil’s Vasco da Gama, the South American club champion, in the first leg of the Interamerican Cup on Saturday, November 14 at RFK Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET, and the match will be televised live on Fox Sports World and Fox Sports Americas. The Interamerican Cup is contested annually between the club champions from CONCACAF (North and Central America and the Caribbean) and CONMEBOL (South America), with the winner claiming the title of “Best Club in the Western Hemisphere.” United qualified by virtue of winning the 1998 CONCACAF Champions Cup, 1-0 against Toluca of Mexico, in Washington on August 16. Vasco da Gama won the two-legged Copa Libertadores final against Barcelona of Ecuador in August. The Interamerican Cup also will be a two-leg affair. The first leg will be played at RFK Stadium this weekend, while the second leg will be played at Lockhart Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. on Saturday, December 5. The team scoring the most goals over the two legs will be the winner. After winning Major League Soccer’s first two championships, D.C. United advanced to MLS Cup ’98, losing 2-0 to the Chicago Fire on October 25 at the Rose Bowl. The Interamerican Cup will be the final two games for United Head Coach Bruce Arena as D.C. coach. The 1997 All Sport Coach of the Year, whose 76 wins (regular season and playoffs) are the most in MLS history, was named the U.S. national team’s head coach on October 27. One of Rio’s “Big Four” (along with Flamengo, Fluminense and Botafago), Vasco da Gama won the Copa Libertadores in the club’s 100th season of existence, capping a magical year. It won the 1997 Brazilian championship, its third since 1972 when Brazil started a true national championship. Then in early 1998, Vasco won the Rio de Janeiro state tournament for the 20th time. Vasco features a tough defense led by goalkeeper Carlos Germano, who was a backup at France ’98, and defenders Felipe, Odvan and team captain Mauro Galvao. Felipe and Odvan are rising stars in the Brazilian National Team pool under new national team coach Wanderley Luxemburgo. Vasco technical director Antonio Lopes considers Felipe among the next great superstars in Brazilian soccer. “I believe he is the greatest revelation of Brazilian football during the last decade,” said Lopes. “He has fabulous technique, shoots well, passes the ball well and above all he is endowed with a very strong personality.” Vasco also features goalscoring threat Donizete up front, and defender Vagner, who was a second-round pick of the Dallas Burn in the 1996 MLS supplemental draft. Both legs of the Interamerican Cup will take place on either side of Vasco’s trip to Tokyo to play in the Intercontinental Cup, matching the winner of the European Cup and the Copa Libertadores. Vasco will play Spanish power Real Madrid at the National Stadium in Tokyo on Tuesday, December 1. D.C. United is scheduled to train for this weekend’s match on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday at United Park. Vasco da Gama is scheduled to arrive in Washington, D.C. Friday morning.