Dallas Cup

What they are saying about Dr Pepper Dallas Cup XXIX

2008-04-21T14:10:00.002-05:00

"It was evident a lot of work had gone in throughout the 12 months and was a super success, well done to all of you! Several referees.players/coaches all commented that they were greatly impressed with the atmosphere, the football and the organization itself." -Nick Brown, Referee, England

"It was a great experience for the whole team and every single player enjoyed his stay in Dallas, very much. It will an unforgettalbe time for all participants." -Armin Craaz, Eintracht Frankfurt, Germany

"I knew it was a big tournament, but you do not really appreciate it until you see it up close. It was very well run and I commend you for dedication and professionalism." -Michael Hester, FIFA Referee, New Zealand

"What other tournament can you have a torrential down-pour and play 24-hours later. Your organization is A-one. The boys are already talking about next year." - Tom Croft, Ajax Gunners, Canada

"Of all the tournament we have participated in the past three years, Dallas Cup is truly the cream of the crop, just as we had heard. The staff should be congratulated for putting on such a fine tournament." -Soctt Erickson, parent of a Minnesota Team

"This is the finest youth soccer or sporting event I have ever attended by a huge margin. We plan to be back next year." -Jim Kimball, Houston Dynamo, Houston

"Thanks for creating a tremendous experience for the Tulsa Soccer Club U17 squad, their Dallas Cup match experience was the best. We became the first team in Oklahoma history to reach the finals of the Dallas Cup." -Doug Wren- Manager, Tulsa SC

Where are they now... 2006 FC Groningen Super Group (U19) Team

2008-04-15T10:45:00.003-05:00

In 2006,FC Groningen (of The Netherlands), competed in Super Group (U19) division of Dr Pepper Dallas Cup XXVII, since that time, eight (8) of the twenty (20) players from that team have appeared in official matches on FC Groningen's first team. Today, FC Groningen is one of the eight (8) top teams in the Dutch league, ranking #8 on the European UEFA. There are still four players playing on the U21 team, currently ranked 6th.
Where are they now?
Bart Apotheker: currently on the FC Groningen U21 team
Tom Hiariej: has played 19 matches with the FC Groningen first team
Dennis Krohne: currently on the FC Groningen U21 team
Shkodran Metaj: has played 23 matches with the FC Groningen first team
Serdar Ozturk: has played 1 match with the FC Groningen first team
Robert Pomstra: currently on the FC Groningen U21 team
Jasmin Ramic: currently on the FC Groningen U21 team
Sander Rozema: has played 2 matches with the FC Groningen first team
Koert Thalen: has played 1 match with the FC Groningen first team
Martijn van der Laan: has played 1 match with the FC Groningen first team
Jeroen Veldmate: has played 2 matches with the FC Groningen first team

2008-03-23T18:29:00.001-05:00

Jair Marrufo is the man in the middle for Sunday’s final. He’s officiated MLS matches since 2002. In fact, Marrufo worked one of the league semifinals last year, Houston’s 2-0 win over Kansas City.

Marrufo was one of four officials to be hired in 2007 as part of U.S. Soccer’s innovative program to enhance referee performance in the United States. In effect, he became a full-time referee, dedicated to training and officiating.

Murrufo is a Texan, too, and speaks fluent English and Spanish. So he’ll have no trouble communicating with either team Sunday evening at Pizza Hut Park.

Multiple Hicks sightings

2008-03-23T18:05:00.002-05:00

Tommy Hicks Jr. has been around the Dallas Cup a bit this week. But Tom Hicks Sr., co-owner of Liverpool with George Gillett, made his first appearance at the tournament. He was in the stadium to see the Reds play Tigres in Sunday's final.

Hicks was just back from a family trip and came directly to Pizza Hut Park.

Semifinals set

2008-03-19T21:47:00.004-05:00

Tigres will face Monterrey in an all-Mexico battle in one of Friday's semifinals. They'll play at 6 p.m. at Pizza Hut Park's stadium. Thus, we'll definitely have a Mexican team in Sunday's final.

At 8 p.m., high-scoring Liverpool will face Benfica in the second semifinal at the stadium. Liverpool scored 21 goals (21!) in its three group-play matches.

Legacies of the Dallas Cup

2008-03-19T21:46:00.002-05:00

The stories of the Dallas Cup legacies help make this tournament really special. For instance, no fewer than five former Dallas Sidekicks have sons playing in the tournament.

Kevin Smith, David Doyle, Nick Stavrou, Curtis Partain and Michael Powers all have sons playing in the 2008 tournament.

Plus, Kenny Cooper’s son Joe plays for the Texans team that’s currently in the under-19 bracket. Kenny Cooper Sr. was never directly affiliated with the Sidekicks, but he coached against them often in the old Major Indoor Soccer League. And he surely a Dallas soccer legacy, going back to his wonderful years keeping goal for the Dallas Tornado. Son Kenny Cooper Jr. has been at the matches this week, too, cheering his brother.

Liverpool's goal total: 12 ... and counting

2008-03-17T20:26:00.002-05:00

Don't despair, Tigres fans. Liverpool's 5-1 win over the club from Monterrey wasn't as bad as it sounds. Truly, it was a bit of a strange match.

Tigres was quite competitive. Probably more so than the club from Bosnia, which fell to Liverpool 24 hours earlier by a 7-1 final.

Monday at Richland, Tigres probably had more chances than Tom Hicks' Reds. Simply put, Liverpool knows how to score. The Reds took their chances well. Tigres didn't. The result: a 5-1 score line that doesn't really tell the whole story.

You can't spell "comeback" with the "C" from Chivas

2008-03-17T20:15:00.002-05:00

Chivas is alive in the Super Group thanks to a remarkable comeback.

The side (known formally as CD Guadalajara) was down, 2-0, to the Whitecaps from Vancouver with 10 minutes to go Monday at blustery Richland. Having managed only a draw in Sunday's tournament opener, the proud club from Mexico was on the verge of elimination.

But Chivas struck heroically for two late goals. The equalizer came on a nifty, twisting header from midfielder Ulises Davila three minutes into added time.

So, Chivas will need some help Wednesday evening, but the Goats can still squeeze into the semifinals with a win at the Pizza Hut Park stadium.

Liverpool cruises ...and how

2008-03-17T11:19:00.002-05:00

That 7-1 result is no fluke. This Liverpool side is solid.

They move the ball around well as a unit and they are packed with talented individuals. Gerardo Bruna is a stylish playmaker. Craig Lindfield can score.

Really, there were too many strong performances to mention as the the Bosnian side was out of its element from the start. Maybe the Reds were inspired by Tommy Hicks' appearance to kick out the ceremonial first ball. (Tommy Hicks, of course, is the son of Tom Hicks, whose holdings include the Rangers, the Stars and Liverpool FC.)

Liverpool will look for more of the same today at 4 p.m. agaisnt Tigres, who beat the Super Group entry from Japan on Sunday, 2-1. Monday's match is at Richland College on Field 10 (the small stadium field).

Famous name in the house

2008-03-16T19:56:00.002-05:00

Dennis Wise, former Chelsea captain, was inspecting the Dallas Cup action Sunday. Wise is now director of football operations for Newcastle. In his position, he essentially oversees the club's youth operations and the academy, and he also oversees player acquisition.

Wise said he wants to watch the games and look at the operation and perhaps see if he can get a Newcastle team here next year.

Big upset!

2008-03-16T17:42:00.002-05:00

Andromeda, the national champions from Dallas, certainly had a chance against Sao Paulo, the giant club from Brazil.

But who saw this coming? Andromeda won the Super Group match at Pizza Hut Park, 5-2.

Whoa!

Sao Paulo came all the way from Brazil, but now they are seriously up against it, before the tournament is even a day old. In group play, it's all about winning your first game. Win the game, and you can control your group. Lose, and the pressure is really on. One more loss will kill any chances of going through to elimination play.

Sao Paulo plays at 4 p.m. Monday at Richland against Monterrey, and you had better believe the Brazilians will upset about Sunday's showing.

Tom Hicks’ team is “in it to win it”

2008-03-16T15:50:00.003-05:00

You bet. Look at Liverpool’s roster: It’s stocked with first-team reserves, which means the Reds are serious about their bid for the Lamar Hunt Super Cup (for the Super Group winner).

Here’s how these foreign glamour teams are put together for Dallas Cup. They take some players from the first-team reserves (those still young enough to be eligible) and some “academy” players. The academy players are still in the team’s youth developmental program. They still have some work to do in order to earn a professional contract.

Well, Liverpool’s roster is almost exclusively reserve team fellows. Among them:

Forward Craig Lindfield, who has already appeared for England’s Under-19 national team. He’ll be fun to watch.

Defender Stephen Darby, whom Liverpool took as a backup into a Champions League match earlier this year.

Defender Emiliano Insua, who has already appeared for Argentina’s Under-20s.

You can look up more info on any of those players at Liverpool’s web site. They (and others here in Dallas) are listed among the team’s First Team Squad Profiles.

Liverpool plays tonight at the stadium at 7 p.m.

Super Group matches going back to Richland College

2008-03-15T08:44:00.002-05:00

With the majority of our Super Group matches going back to Richland College, fans will get to see one significant upgrade in the soccer complex there. The fields remain in immaculate condition, just as they were through the early part of the decade, when so many of the matches were staged at the Richardson college.

Now the school has constructed a nifty little 700-seat stadium. It’s enclosed and has a small press box atop the grandstand on one side. It’s mostly the doings of Sean Worley, a good guy who has long overseen Richland’s soccer program. He’s always doing a little something to make the program or the complex better over there.

Everyone may remember how fans lined the field three- and four-people deep to watch Freddy Adu play at Richland a few years back. For the next big star to play out there (Who will it be?), at least 700 fans will be able to take a seat while they watch!

We’re hoping to do something special in connection with this year’s Dallas Cup...

2008-03-12T15:19:00.001-05:00

Some people are familiar with the story of the Alcala family of Dallas. Back in the late 1980s, a young fellow visited as part of the Essex Schools team out of London. Back then, he was just another nice, young English lad. As part of the Dallas Cup’s home-stay program, this nice young man bunked with Sam and Christine Alcala. They had a son playing in the Dallas Cup and therefore happily obliged the call to house some of the foreign players.

The Alcala’s house guest that week happened to be a young David Beckham.

Newspaper accounts done in the last few years have recounted how well they all got along, how Sam Alcala had breakfast with “little Davie” each morning, how Davie left a few nice gifts for the family, etc.

Now, of course, Beckham is one of the world’s most recognized faces. And it just so happens that he’s playing at Pizza Hut Park on the night before the Dallas Cup begins. So, Dallas Cup executive director Gordon Jago has reached out to Beckham and the Galaxy, attempting to arrange a meeting of the long, lost friends.

Here’s what Beckham told Sports Illustrated’s Grant Wahl last year:

“I've tried to trace them (the Alcala family) in the last 10 years and I’ve not been able to,” he says. “I’d love to track the family down because it was incredible.”

Now, the Dallas Cup has done it for them. So far, we’ve haven’t heard back from the Galaxy about getting the old friends back together.

The Galaxy and Beckham arrive Friday.

Dallas Cup To Premier adidas Europass Match Ball

2008-03-12T10:33:00.001-05:00

The official match balls have arrived at the Dallas Cup offices. This year we are using the newly designed adidas Europass. This is the ball that the German-based apparel and equipment giant unveiled in December, specially created for the 2008 European Championships (this June, co-hosted by Austria and Switzerland).

But here’s the neat part for the Dallas Cup: this will be adidas Europass ball’s debut in international competition. Even better, this version of the ball has been stamped with the Dallas Cup logo.

Our friends at adidas told us the ball has been used in a couple of youth tournaments in the United States. But Dr Pepper Dallas Cup XXIX, they say, will definitely mark the ball’s debut in international play.

http://www.press.adidas.com/DesktopDefault.aspx/tabid-11/16_read-8454/

Dr Pepper Dallas Cup XXIX-Does the Can! Can! Can!

2008-03-02T20:55:00.004-06:00

Dr Pepper branded Dr Pepper Dallas Cup XXIX with the roll-out of over 600,000 cans with the touranment logo and special ticket promotion. This is the first time in Dallas Cup's 29 years, that this has happened- thank you Dr Pepper!!! Cans are available throughout the metroplex at convenience stores and retail grocery outlets. Fans may also see our can flying the friendly skies, on American Airlines planes around the United States.

Tournament tickets are on sale NOW- mention that you saw the can on this blog or on the Dallas Cup website (www.dallascup.com) and get $5 Off Adult All-Tournament Pass or $2 Off any Opening Day ticket or Stadium Day ticket!

Fans will also receive discounted tickets when they bring a Dr Pepper can to Pizza Hut Park during the week of the tournament (March 16-23, 2008)!

Dr Pepper Dallas Cup XXIX Countdown Has Begun!!!

2008-01-02T17:25:00.000-06:00

11 WEEKS until 180 teams, 250 referees and 1,000 volunteers will descend upon Addison, Dallas, Plano and Frisco to compete in one of the premiere youth soccer tournaments in the world!!!

Currently there are 17 countries being represented by teams this year!

The final touches are being put on the age groups, U13-U19, with teams being notified within the next week on their acceptance, then it is down to travel arrangements, lots of practice & team preparation, with kick-off, March16! Game on!!!

Super Group (U19) Teams Competing in the 2008 Tournament:
1- Liverpool FC (England)
2- Sao Paulo FC (Brazil)
3- SL Benfica (Portugal)
4- Leicester City (England)
5- Slavija FK (Bosnia/Herzegovina)
6- Eintracht Frankfurt (Germany)
7- Tigres (Mexico)
8- CD Guadalajara (Mexico)
9- CF Monterrey (Mexico)
10- Ryutsu Keizai (Japan)
11- Whitecaps FC (Canada)
12- Andromeda SC (USA)

Dallas Cup Staff Enjoy A Holiday Dinner Together

2007-12-30T15:58:00.000-06:00

On December 19th, the Dallas Cup staff celebrated the holiday season at Maggiano's. In attendance, but not in any specific order, Gordon Jago & wife, June; Mary Link & husband, Ken; Bucki Rogers; Justin Moore; Randy Jones & wife, Donna; Jolyne Doyle & husband, David; and Sue Slater & husband, Mark. The conversation flowed, the food was filling and a good time was had by all!

2008 Dallas Cup Tickets Arrive!

2007-12-30T15:49:00.000-06:00

The tickets for Dr Pepper Dallas Cup XXIX have been designed, the ink is barely dry and they were delivered before the offices closed down for the holidays. Now in order to get them up for sale they must be counted, logged in and then distributed to The Soccer Corner! Tickets are on sale today- call 214.221.3636 to order them over the phone or visit any of the local Soccer Corner stores on January 3, 2008! Check our website for ticket prices and games- www.dallascup.com

The Latest Addition to the Dallas Cup Family

2007-11-25T19:05:00.000-06:00

Welcome Jolyne Doyle! (pictured above, on the right) She is Dallas Cup's new office administrator/volunteer coordinator. Make a point to come by and introduce yourself to her, during Dr Pepper Dallas Cup XXIX this coming March!

Dallas Cup Kicks Off Its' Dallas Is Diversity Soccer Camps!

2007-06-17T22:33:00.000-05:00

Starting, Tuesday-June 19, Dallas Cup kicks off its 2007 Dallas Is Diversity Soccer Camps. This year we have a six soccer camps up three from the last few years. Once again we will be working with the Salvation Army Summer Camp Kids and Neighborhood Council Summer Camp Kids, but we are excited add a camp for the Special Olympic kids from Lewisville, Plano and Frisco and Frito Lay Summer Camp employees kids- both of which to be held at Frito Lay on soccer fields located at the Plano campus. Another organization new to the line-up this year, is West Dallas, their camps will be held down in the West Dallas neighborhood off Inwood Rd. Along with the tradional soccer camps we hold, there will be two art camps conduct by a retired DISD art teacher with a "make and take" art project with flower pots.

Dallas Cup wishes to thank, Texans Credit Union and Frito Lay for their sponsorship of these programs and for all their volunteers, who help make it possible for these children to have an exciting break in their summer! Each child receives a Dallas Is Diversity t-shirt and an adidas soccer ball to take home with them after the camps. Check www.dallascup.com for more information and photos on our Dallas Is Diversity Soccer Camps!

Sao Paulo FC To Play Shamrock Rovers FC in the Super Group (U19)

2007-01-22T22:41:00.000-06:00

Wednesday, April 4th- 8:00pm Game - Sao Paulo FC of Brazil vs. Shamrock Rovers FC of The Republic of Ireland.

Returning to Dr Pepper Dallas Cup XXVIII after an 11 year absence, 2006 has been a very successful year for Sao Paulo FC U19 team. They recently reached the semi-final in the Sao Paulo State Cup and will participate in the most important youth tournament in Brazil, “Junior Sao Paulo Cup” in January 2007. SPFC will bring the traditional Brazilian soccer along with great competition

The Shamrock Rovers FC are the most successful and most famous club in Republic of Ireland with over a century of great history and tradition. To this day, Shamrock Rovers FC has provided the most number of players to be capped by the Republic of Ireland international team from any one club. Over the past number of years Shamrock Rovers have being a leading light in Ireland in producing exciting competitive youth teams as exemplified with a highly competitive 0-0 draw with Paraguay international team in 2001 who subsequently went on to win the 2001 Milk Cup 6-0 v Manchester United. Other illustrious opponents have been Maccabi Haifa (3-1), Everton (0-1) Hearts (5-0), Feyenoord (1-3). Most recently the youth team was unlucky to lose to Barcelona 2-1 in 2005 and many of the players have since graduated into the clubs u21/reserves and 1st team. The youth team is currently in mid-season and is in all four domestic competitions.

It should be an exciting and energetic game! Tickets on sale now!!!!

Dallas Cup, Inc. Bids Farewell To Sports Visionary Lamar Hunt

2006-12-17T13:47:00.000-06:00

[1932-2006] It is with great sadness, that we say good-bye to Lamar Hunt, a charter investor in the MLS in 1994, an investor in the North American Soccer League, founder of the AFL, credited with coining the term “Super Bowl”, co-founder of the World Championship Tennis circuit in 1967. His vision of the sports industry was respected by us all and some say, because of Lamar, “soccer” is a common household name today, in the United States. He leaves behind his wife, Norma and his four children. He was also the grandfather of 14 grandchildren.

He will be truly missed!

Dr Pepper Dallas Cup XXVIII Announces 5 of the 12 Super Group (Under 19) Teams

2006-12-05T23:09:00.000-06:00

The competition bar just got raised for the Super Group (U19) Division. The following are 5 of the 12 teams to compete, April 1-8, 2007 at Pizza Hut Park Stadium & Complex.
1. Alta Loma Arsenal of Alta Loma, California, USA- As three-time USYSA National Champions (the only team to achieve back-to-back national championships), these boys have been together under the direction of head coach Steve Lucey since they were playing in the U15 division. They currently play in the Coast Soccer League with a record of 9-2-2, holding onto second place, out 12 teams.
2. CD Guadalajara (Chivas) of Guadalajara in the Mexican state of Jalisco- Currently they play in the Torneo Nacional de Reservas and are in first place with a 9-5-3 record. Coached by Marco Antonio Fabian Vazquez, Chivas was a quarterfinalist in the Copa Chivas 2006 Super Grupo and a finalist in the 2006 Continential Cup in Cleveland Ohio. Chivas are one of the most popular teams in Mexico with a large fan base not only in Mexico, but the world.
3. Chelsea FC of Stamford Bridge in England- This will be the first Dallas Cup Super Group (U19) appearance for Chelsea FC, coming in as one of the top youth teams in the Premiere League. Chelsea will be bringing their top youth players, some of which, have been recently playing on their Reserve Squad. A club known for “the one and two-touch, pass and move soccer” will be coached by Ruud Kaiser, who joined the club in summer of 2006, and directed Chelsea to 9 straight wins in his first season. Kaiser is a former coach of the Dutch FA, where he coached the Dutch U16 and U17 National Teams.
4. Real Madrid CF of Madrid, Spain- Having won Dallas Cup XIV & XV, back to back, Real Madrid will appear in Dallas Cup again this year with a mind set equal to their performances in past years.
5. Sao Paulo FC of Sao Paulo, Brazil- Returning to Dr Pepper Dallas Cup XXVIII after an 11 year absence, 2006 has been a very successful year for Sao Paulo FC U19 team. They recently reached the semi-final in the Sao Paulo State Cup and will participate in the most important youth tournament in Brazil, “Junior Sao Paulo Cup” in January 2007. SPFC will bring the traditional Brazilian soccer along with great competition.

Two Dallas Clubs Battle for Super Group- December 5th

2006-12-04T10:40:00.000-06:00

The final slot for the Super Group Division (U19) of Dr Pepper Dallas Cup XXVIII will be decided on Tuesday, December 5th, between the Dallas Texans Red coached by Hassan Nazari and Solar SC coached by Kevin Smith. Kick-off is at Richland College, field #7 at 8:15pm. Whoever wins will advance, but in the event of a draw Solar SC would advance into the Dallas Cup becuase of their Boys Classic League standings prior to this match. These two clubs are no strangers to Dallas Cup, in fact the Dallas Texans Red team coached by David Hudgell was crowned Super Group champions of Dr Pepper Dallas Cup XXVII. Tomorrow nights' match looks to be an exciting game, so don't miss the action!

2006 College Cup Finals

2006-12-03T18:44:00.000-06:00

Today, UC Santa Barbara defeated UCLA, 2-1, in the 2006 NCAA Division 1 Men's Soccer Championship. This is UC Santa Barbara's first-ever national title in men's soccer.

The North Carolina Tar Heels beat Notre Dame, 2-1, to become the 2006 NCAA Division 1 Women's Soccer Champions, making this their 18th championship in the 25-history of the Women's College Cup. North Carolina has always had one of the best soccer programs in the United State, but to get to the finals they had to beat some of the nation's best teams incuding, Texas A&M in the quarterfinals, UCLA in the semifinals and finally Notre Dame for the championship.

A hearty Dallas Cup congratulations goes out to the champions...the men of UC Santa Barbara and the ladies of North Carolina! A job well done!

So, what do you think...What state do you think has the strongest youth and collegiate soccer competition?

Dallas Cup Alumni - Giuseppe Rossi

2006-12-03T18:34:00.000-06:00

Rossi Called Back To Manchester United

Guiseppe Rossi and the Manchester United U19 Squad played Real Madrid U19 in front of a 17,105 crowd, a Dallas Cup record, at Pizza Hut Park stadium this past April. Although neither team did well in the Super Group division of the Cup, Rossi left Dallas and headed straight to the Manchester United First Team. Officially joining United as a striker in July of 2004, he has since this past year, made 14 appearances and scored 4 goals for United. It was shortly after signing his contract that Rossi made his mark on the Reserve Squad netting 13 goals in his first 19 starts. To further his soccer education and to get him more playing time, Sir Alex Ferguson, put Rossi "on loan" to Newcastle. Within the last week, Sir Alex has had Rossi called back to United and will be officially be with the squad sometime this week. Sir Alex stated recently, "We could have done with him here, so he might as well come back to us".

Dallas Cup Alumni - Freddie Adu

2006-12-03T17:21:00.000-06:00

Adu Returns Home To The U.S.

Freddie Adu has just completed a two-week trial with Manchester United and will be returning home sometime this week to DC United. Adu made his Dallas Cup debut on the USA National U17 Team in 2003 at the age of 14. The USA National U17 Team kicked-off Dallas Cup that year in front of a record attendance for Dallas Cup at Lake Highlands stadium. It all came down to the finals that year, where the USA team was defeated by Tigres of Mexico. The USA National U17 Team qualified for the FIFA U17 World Cup where they eventually lost to Brazil, who went on were crowned champions. Freddie Adu was named U.S. Soccer Chevy Male Athelete fo the Year in 2003 and called up to USA National U20 Team. Since 2004, Freddie has played midfielder for DC United (who were also crowned MLS Champions in 2004), playing over 5,400 minutes, scoring 11 goals and 17 assists to date. This year was Freddie adu was named to the MLS All-Star team.

Referee Spotlight: Trevor Simpson

2006-11-30T17:36:00.000-06:00

When did you first get involved with Dallas Cup?
I was introduced to Dallas Cup in September 1984, by Irish FIFA Referee Malcolm Moffatt when we were together attending a British FA Referee Instructor Course. I had just been promoted onto the English Football League as a referee after serving for two years as a Linesman (Assistant Referee). He had refereed in Dallas that year and arranged for an invitation to be issued to me. My first Dallas Cup as a referee was Easter 1985 and I have officiated consecutively in all subsequent tournaments. A treasured award is the Special Recognition Trophy that Dallas Cup presented to me in 2005 to commemorate my twenty years service to the tournament.

What keeps you coming back every year to Dallas Cup?
Over the past 21 years I have thoroughly enjoyed every minute spent in Dallas both on the fields as referee and experiencing the wonderful, friendly, Texas hospitality. I knew no one when I first arrived and now I can count hundreds of people as ‘my friends’ with special mention to my home stay families. The second year I stayed with English referee Mike Hickling at the home of Jan and Ralph Gifford before moving a few years later to stay with Mary Ann and Jim Trombla, where I still remain and have become a part of their family for well over a decade. The tournament is well organized by the staff and volunteers, working under Gordon Jago, embracing all the referees into the Dallas Cup family and catering to the every need to make the whole tournament memorable. Mike and I love the Country Music scene and in addition to stocking up on our CD collections we also visit live music venues to experience first hand the great tradition that Texas has for country music. Solid enjoyment!

What is your most memorable Dallas Cup moment?
I have several. There was one year in the 1990s when after the opening ceremony it rained continually for three full days and nights and no soccer took place. I remember the flood at Moss Park was almost 8 feet deep with just the top of the goalposts being visible. On the Thursday at the crack of dawn we all moved to Grand Prairie where we caught up with all the games with 30 minute, halves and came off the fields at 2:00 am the following day. Huge sponges, along with helicopter blades were used by the staff to get the fields ready to use and it really demonstrated the spirit of Dallas Cup.

Team Applications are Rolling In

2006-11-30T15:19:00.000-06:00

As we draw close to the application deadline (US teams due by Dec. 1, International teams due by Jan. 1), there are over 150 teams who have already applied for Dr Pepper Dallas Cup XXVIII. Out of those teams, six of seven continents are represented. Now if only Antarctica had some youth soccer clubs.

The Dallas Cup Team Selection Committee will be reviewing all applications and acceptance letters will begin going out the first full week in December. Top boys youth soccer clubs are applying from Australia, Brazil, Spain, South Africa, England, Germany, The Netherlands, Ireland, Japan, El Salvador, Mexico, California, Florida, Pennsylvania, New York and many more locations all over the world, to compete in Dallas Cup this coming April.

Stay tuned as Dallas Cup will be announcing, within the next week, a few of the teams competing in the Super Group division.

What teams would you like to see compete this year at Dr Pepper Dallas Cup XXVIII in any of the 7-age groups (U12, U14, U15, U16, U17, U19, Super Group-U19)?

The Premiere International Boys Youth Soccer Tournament

2006-11-29T14:36:00.000-06:00

APRIL 1-8, 2007 at PIZZA HUT PARK, FRISCO, TEXAS USA

In just five short months, youth soccer teams from all over the world will descend upon Frisco, Texas (located 18 miles north of downtown Dallas) to compete in one of the most competitve tourmanents in the United States. Celebrating its' 28th year in 2007, Dallas Cup has seen such soccer greats as David Beckham, Landon Donovan, Raul, Freddie Adu and Michael Owen, just to name a few, played as young boys, their first steps in international soccer.