That’s right, our local boys have been invited to participate in the most significant Youth Soccer tournament held in the US. It’s a week long event that opens with a FIFA Reception (not US Soccer, but FIFA) on Saturday and today’s schedule includes the first two of a series of competitive Super League international youth matches

3:00PM Sao Paulo FC (Brazil) vs Andromeda SC (USA) Super Group Game
5:00PM Welcome World – Opening Ceremonies
7:00PM Liverpool FC (England) vs FK Slavija (Bosnia/Herzegovina) Super Group Game

Our boys are in Bracket A of the U17 Competition. They’ll play three games, one each Monday-Wednesday this week, against a tough, competitive line up that includes Tigres (Monterrey, Mexico), OSC Rage (Orange, California) and the North Texas Strikers (Dallas, Texas). SSC is 1 of 32 International teams competing in this age group. The winner of the bracket advances to Quarterfinal play on Friday, with the semifinal and final scheduled for Saturday and Sunday respectively.

Coach Cory Carr is being assisted this week by Eric Sorlie and Zach Alumbaugh. I asked Club Director Jeremy Alumbaugh to provide some background and thoughts on any goals the team, and club, have set for this tournament:

The Dallas Cup is by far the most prestigious youth soccer tournament in the United States if not the world. If you look at the number of professional international youth teams who are in attendance and then factor in every top youth club in North America is represented it is quite special.

For the Springfield Soccer Club and this entire area to be represented in this tournament is frankly amazing. Look at the population of the teams we will be competing against and to think that Springfield, Missouri is there with them is something no soccer person from this area would have imagined a few years ago. Congratulations to Coach Cory Carr and all of the players on this accomplishment.

For a team from a northern climate, it is always a difficult task to compete at the Dallas Cup. All three of our opponents are from southern climates where they have the luxury of constant outdoor competition and training. Hopefully, our recent run of outdoor games and good weather will allow us to compete. Dallas Cup is a tremendous tuneup for our upcoming MRL games and MYSA State Cup.

I know I’m going to regret not finding a way to join these boys for a week of soccer in Dallas. Hopefully Zach will find time to provide daily updates on the Springfield SC blog while he and the boys are in Texas. Otherwise we might miss stories like this one, about David Beckham as a 13 year old youth player at the Dallas Cup. He talks about his experience here as well. This story is categorized under International Soccer