Coritiba FC and Fluminense FC Return to Dr Pepper Dallas Cup
U.S. representatives for Gordon Jago Super Group revealed
Dr Pepper Dallas Cup XXXV is excited to announce the acceptance of Brazilian sides Coritiba FC and Fluminense FC into the 2014 Gordon Jago Super Group. This marks the eighth consecutive year a team from Brazil will be represented in the elite age group. Clubs from Brazil, site of this year’s FIFA World Cup, and long known for developing some of the world’s best players, have won the Dallas Cup Super Group title a record eleven times. The tournament will run from April 13th through April 20th, 2014.
Coritiba, Super Group Champions in 2012, will be making their fourth appearance in the Dr Pepper Dallas Cup. Two players from their Championship team, Thiago Primao and Denner, have already broken into the senior team. Coritiba is the fifth club in this year’s Gordon Jago Super Group which has previously won either a Super Group or U-19 Dallas Cup title. They join Fulham FC (2013), IF Brommapojkarna (2013), Eintracht Frankfurt (2011), and CD Guadalajara (2001) as the other previous champions to be accepted into the 35th anniversary tournament.
Making their second trip to Dallas for the tournament is 2013 Super Group semi-finalists, Fluminense FC. The squad made a strong run in their tournament debut, but fell in penalty kicks to the eventual Super Group Champion, Fulham FC. Last year, players Biro Biro and Igor Juliao used that strong tournament performance to immediately push for first team playing time.
Both Brazilian clubs are bringing talented teams that recently experienced a successful run during the 2014 Copa Sao Paulo de Juniors tournament.
Dr Pepper Dallas Cup also announced the U-17/18 U.S. Developmental Academy sides from FC Dallas and the LA Galaxy will represent the United States in the Gordon Jago Super Group. Currently atop the U-17/18 U.S. Developmental Academy League Central Conference, this will mark FC Dallas’ fourth trip to the Gordon Jago Super Group since 2007. The Galaxy will be making their second consecutive appearance in the top division of the prestigious tournament.
Both teams are led by famous Dallas Cup alumni. Having played in the Dallas Cup with Strike Force from Miami, FL in 1997, FC Dallas Academy Director, Luchi Gonzalez, went on to win the 2001 Hermann Trophy and was a Major League Soccer first round draft-pick. The LA Galaxy U-17/18 Academy Head Coach is former U.S. International Ante Razov, who played in the 1991 Dallas Cup with North Huntington Beach FC. Razov scored 114 goals during his MLS career, and tallied an additional six during his 26 appearances with the U.S. National Team.
Dr Pepper Dallas Cup is the oldest and most prestigious international youth soccer tournament in the United States, celebrating its 35th anniversary in 2014. Dallas Cup consists of seven age groups from U13 to U19 and entertains on average more than 100,000 spectators during the week. Since its inception in 1980, Dallas Cup has hosted teams and referees from across 47 states, six continents and more than 100 countries. Follow Dallas Cup on Twitter, Facebook and on Instagram.
