Academy Sports Club travelled to Blaine, Minnesota this past weekend for the commencement of the 32nd Schwan USA Cup, the largest football tournament in the western hemisphere.
The tournament will run from 15-23 of July, and is the largest since its conception in 1985. This year’s USA Cup will feature 1,178 teams from 19 states within the USA and 19 countries overall. The 19 countries represented are Argentina, Aruba, Brazil, Canada, Cayman Islands, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Haiti, Iceland, Japan, Mexico, Norway, Panama, Puerto Rico, Sweden, Uganda, and United States.
Academy has four teams participating in the Cup, and has travelled to Minnesota to participate in the tournament annually since 2010. Participating players range from 8 – 15 years old and are all looking perform as successfully as Academy teams have in past years where their U12 and U13 teams have both been named champions in their divisions.
The U15 boys will play their first match on Tuesday, 19 July against Ela Elite from Illinois. The U13 boys have their first match on the same day, against CC United from Minnesota. Academy’s U11 team also face an opponent from Minnesota on Tuesday, with a matchup against Rebels SC.
Travelling with the 51 players are coaches Paul Byles, Logan Seymour, Christian Cartagena, and Peter Reijn. Head Coach Virgil Seymour said that he is looking forward to the club’s annual tradition of participating in the USA Cup. “Every year it is a great experience and learning opportunity for our players,” he said. “I know that this year will be no different as the boys have been training hard in preparation for the tournament.”
Part of that preparation came from the recent U14 and U15 Cayman Airways Invitational Youth Cups, which featured teams from the US, UK, and Jamaica. “International experience is vital, especially at such a young age,” said Coach Paul Byles. “The type of exposure that the players get at these tournaments is irreplaceable.”
July 19, 2016 – Cayman reporter
