Springfield MO Soccer

The US Youth Soccer Association National Championships, the ultimate goal of any team that competes in the Missouri State Cup, opens today in Little Rock AR with the Opening Ceremonies. Games begin Wednesday. As the the website notes:

A field of 10,000 teams has been narrowed to the Final 56 for National Finals. The top boys and girls teams in six age groups will be crowned in North Little Rock, AR. The event features the oldest youth sport trophy, James P. McGuire Cup, est. 1935

No team from Missouri, Arkanas or Iowa made it to the Finals but Kansas has a pair of teams, the U15 Girls KCFC Intensity and the U19 Boys KC Wizards Juniors. I’m sorely tempted to make an overnight visit to get a glimpse of the action although the likelihood is low I’ll actually go. If you are interested, here are the game times for the relatively local teams you can see.

U15 Girls
Wed 11:30 am - Field 10 - Lonestars 93 Red (STX) vs. KCFC Intensity (KS)
Thu 9:30 am - Field 9 - KCFC Intensity (KS) vs. So Cal Blues-Dodge (CA-S)
Fri 7:30 am - Field 10 - Slammers FC (CA-S) vs. KCFC Intensity (KS)

U17 Boys and U17 Girls play at 7:00 pm each evening in the preliminary rounds.

U19 Boys
Wed 7:30 am - Field 9 - KC Wizards Juniors (KS) vs. Freestate United (MD)
Thu 11:30 am - Field 3 - Colorado Rush Nike (CO) vs. KC Wizards Juniors (KS)
Fri 9:30 am - Field 2 - KC Wizards Juniors (KS) vs. Solar 89 (NTX)

The teams play a round robin series and the top two teams in each group face off for the Final. Saturday evening will be the Finals for the U14 Boys and Girls, starting between 6:30 - 7:15 pm. Sundays schedule starts early, 7:30 am for the U18 Boys, 7:45 am U18 Girls, and continuing in this fashion with U17B, U17G and then at 10:00 am U16G, 10:15 am U16 B 10:30 am U19 G and 10:45 am the U19 B Final.

If anyone heads down there, I’d love to have some photos and a Soccer Adventure story to share with my readers. Call me!

On a side note, it’s kind of remarkable how even the USYSA recognizes that a tournament is more fun with a large group of teams. To bad the Missouri Youth Soccer Association has lost focus of that fact. Were there even 56 teams total this year? Remember the crowds and the excitement in 2006 when Springfield hosted!

Off the soapbox now - mark your calendars for Saturday August 9th when Fox Soccer Channel will broadcast the USYSA National Championships Highlight Show