One of the oldest and most prestigious international youth soccer tournaments in the United States is the Dallas Cup. In fact, many in the youth soccer world consider it to be one of the best youth soccer tournaments in the world. The tournament is played at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas, a state-of-the-art facility that cost $80 million to build and which serves at the home field of FC Dallas of Major League Soccer. All games are played at this single location, which has 17 regulation-size fields as well as a 21,000 seat stadium
The Texas Longhorns Soccer Club were the original hosts of the tournament, which they launched as a way to repay the hospitality their teams had been shown by European clubs they stayed with when they entered youth soccer tournaments in Europe. Pretty soon, though, the event outgrew the club and it now has a full-time staff of its own and is run separately from other club activities. The 184 teams that typically enter do not come close to making the it the largest soccer tournament in the country. But the level of play is extremely high, so it is one the toughest to do well in.
With games being played in the week leading up to Easter, the timing of the tournament varies from year to year. The great advantage of this is that Easter has long been an important date for youth soccer tournaments in Europe, so the Dallas Cup has found it quite easy to attract teams from across the Atlantic. In fact, organizers have done a fantastic job of making the event a magnet for overseas teams.
Approximately 40 percent of the Dallas Cup’s participating teams come from foreign countries. The Super Group divisions, in particular, often attract the youth teams of some of the top clubs in the world, including Spain’s Real Madrid, England’s Manchester United, and Ajax of Amsterdam. South America, too, has sent its share of participants, such as Boca Juniors of Argentina, Sao Paulo of Brazil and Tahuichi of Bolivia, .
Some of the more famous players who have competed in the tournament include David Beckham of England, American forward Landon Donovan, legendary Spanish striker Raul, and rising Mexican star Giovanni Dos Santos. The Dallas Cup has, therefore, become a magnet for soccer scouts from around the world looking to uncover the next big soccer star.
So the Dallas Cup is certainly a very prestigious youth soccer tournament. If you think you’re good enough, and your team is lucky enough to be accepted, you could find it is a stepping-stone to a glorious soccer career.
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