Schwan’s Usa Cup on track to a host record numbers of teams in 2015
BLAINE, Minnesota (June 9, 2015) – After hosting 1,060 teams from 21 states and 19 countries last year, the annual Schwan’s USA CUP is running ahead of the registration numbers from last season on this date.
The 31st annual tournament will be held July 10-18 at the National Sports Center in Blaine, Minn.
After hosting a record number of teams at last year’s USA CUP, registration numbers are up again this year, and tournament officials are confident another registration record will be set.
“We couldn’t be happier with our strong total numbers, and we’re looking forward to hosting the biggest USA CUP ever,” said USA CUP director Jen Een. “But we’re also really proud of the diversity of the teams that have registered so far. It’s what we’re known for of course, but it still gets us excited to see teams registering from all over the world.
National Sports Center staff has already booked teams five different continents so far, North America, South America, Europe, Asia and Africa. Canadian teams have registered from Manitoba, Ontario, Saskatchewan and the Yukon Territory, and the following U.S. states are represented so far: Alaska, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Iowa, Illinois, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Utah, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
A global tournament
As the largest youth soccer tournament in the western hemisphere held at the world’s largest soccer complex, more than 19,000 teams have combined for more than 50,000 games in USA CUP history, drawing millions of visitors to Blaine over the course of 30 years of tournament play. By playing a global game and hosting teams from around the world, USA CUP celebrates the numerous cultures that come together to enjoy the game of soccer.
This year, USA CUP will host its first ever team from Aruba, Sv Dakota Lifida. Operated by volunteers and committed to making a positive impact on players and their families, the club has sent teams to tournaments abroad every year to improve the skills and experience of its players. After traveling to tournaments in Florida for the last three summers, Sv Dakota Lifida is sending its U17 and U19 boys teams to play in their first-ever USA CUP.
Colombia’s Club Deportivo GOL STAR is also making its first-ever appearance at USA CUP this summer in the U19 girls division. From Bogota, the all-girls club is now in its seventh year and has the vision of becoming the best girls’ soccer club in the country. In six years, the club has won every tournament it has entered in the Bogota Soccer League, had eight players on the U20 National team that took fourth at the U20 2010 World Cup in Germany and currently has 17 athletes playing at different universities in the United States.
Lifida and GOL STAR will be just two of the many international teams competing at USA CUP, showcasing the cultural diversity that will be on display at this year’s tournament.
About the National Sports Center:
The National Sports Center (NSC) is a 600-acre multi-sport facility located in Blaine, Minnesota. The campus includes the Schwan Super Rink; an 8,500-seat soccer stadium; the Schwan Center meeting and convention building; a multi-faceted family golf center, the National Youth Golf Center, which features the 18-hole Victory Links course; an indoor Sports Hall with a FieldTurf field; 150-bed residence hall; and 52 soccer fields. The facility hosts nearly 300 events annually, and has welcomed approximately 32 million visitors since its opening. The NSC generates over $40 million in annual out-of-state economic impact. Visit nscsports.org.
