Dr Pepper Dallas Cup Set to Kick Off Soccer Week in North Texas
Prestigious international youth tournament is one of several events to take place in the coming days revolving around the beautiful game
The Dr Pepper Dallas Cup, the oldest and most prestigious international youth soccer tournament in the United States, is pleased to headline Soccer Week in North Texas. Starting this week, North Texas will host several high-profile, international soccer events, bringing in players, scouts, fans, coaches, and referees from all corners of the world.
The Dr Pepper Dallas Cup is pleased to join with Adidas, Major League Soccer, and FC Dallas to create Soccer Week in North Texas. Next week, the eyes of college coaches, professional scouts, fans of youth soccer, and soccer fans in general, all looking to spot the rising stars in youth soccer, will turn their attention to North Texas.
North Texas has long been considered one of the leading regions of youth soccer in the United States, and that reputation continues to grow with the addition of Soccer Week in North Texas. Here is a list of all the soccer happenings taking place this week in the area.
Dr Pepper Dallas Cup XXXIX
March 25 – April 1
224 teams will compete in nine age brackets for the iconic “Boot and Ball” championship trophy. Dr Pepper Dallas Cup XXXIX will debut the Univision Deportes Super 14’s, showcasing twelve elite Under 14 teams. Highlighting this year’s Gordon Jago Super Group is the return of two world-renowned Premier League academies, Manchester United and Arsenal. Manchester United will play Tigres in the marquee game of opening day at Cotton Bowl Stadium, immediately following the Dallas Cup Parade of Nations. Between the competing teams and participating referees, more than 40 countries in total will be represented.
Major League Soccer
March 24
Western conference power FC Dallas continues their 2018 MLS campaign as they host the Portland Timbers on Saturday at Toyota Stadium in Frisco. Several Dallas Cup alumni figure to participate in the game for FC Dallas, including Reggie Cannon, Victor Ulloa, and 2017 Dallas Cup standout Paxton Pomykal.
Generation adidas Cup
March 23 – March 31
The Dr Pepper Dallas Cup will co-host, along with FC Dallas, Major League Soccer’s Generation adidas Cup, the annual U17 MLS Developmental Academy tournament. All games will be played at the Toyota Soccer Complex in Frisco, and will feature 19 MLS academy teams and 13 international teams competing in two different brackets – the Champions Bracket and the Premier Bracket.
International Friendly
March 27
Mexico will square off against Croatia in an international friendly match at AT&T Stadium in Arlington. 14 Dallas Cup are expected to be on the roster for the Mexico National Team, including Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez, Carlos Vela, and Guillermo Ochoa, among others. Croatia is likely to feature Dallas Cup alumnus Ivan Perisic.
CONCACAF Referee Symposium
March 29
CONCACAF, soccer’s governing body for North America, Central America and the Caribbean, will once again partner with the Dr Pepper Dallas Cup to host an international referee symposium during Dallas Cup. Tournament officials will have the opportunity to receive elite referee training from current FIFA referee instructors through the highest level presentations in the confederation.
From its humble beginnings in 1980, when 32 teams from four nations gathered for the inaugural tournament, the Dr Pepper Dallas Cup has since become recognized as one of the premier international youth soccer tournaments in the world. The Dallas Cup has been a key development platform for the best youth players of soccer’s elite clubs from all corners of the United States and around the world.
General Dallas Cup Facts
• This year will be the 39th consecutive Dallas Cup tournament, making it one of the oldest youth soccer tournaments in the United States. In the 39 year history of the tournament, Dallas Cup has hosted teams and referees from across 48 states, six continents and more than 100 countries.
• The Dr Pepper Dallas Cup is one of the city’s most international annual events. This year, the tournament will host participants, including players, referees, scouts, and officials, from six different continents and 38 countries.
• The regional economic impact of the annual tournament is over $17 million making it one of the largest annual sporting events held in Dallas.
• Dallas Cup has seen some of the biggest soccer stars in the world play in the tournament. The list of alumni includes David Beckham, Landon Donovan, Clint Dempsey, Wayne Rooney, Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez, Raul, Andrea Pirlo, Giovanni dos Santos, and many more.
• The 2018 FIFA World Cup expects to see several Dallas Cup alumni figure into the action, including Keylor Navas (Costa Rica), Ivan Perisic (Croatia), Jesse Lingard (England), Gylfi Sigurdsson (Iceland), and Andres Guardado (Mexico), among others. 1 out of every 19 players on the 2014 FIFA World Cup rosters were Dallas Cup alumni.
Dr Pepper Dallas Cup XXXIX Quick Kicks
• Thanks to a partnership with Dallas ISD and the Dr Pepper Dallas Cup, every student in the Dallas Independent School District received a ticket voucher for the opening day games at the historic Cotton Bowl.
• Kellyn Acosta, a rising star for FC Dallas and Dallas Cup alumnus, will be the guest of honor during the tournament’s Opening Ceremonies and will complete the ceremonial “first kick”.
• The tournament will open with games at the Historic Cotton Bowl at Fair Park and finish with the championship games at Toyota Stadium in Frisco. Additional games will be played throughout the week, free of charge, at MoneyGram Soccer Park in Northwest Dallas and the Classic League Soccer Complex at Richland College.
• This year’s U19 Gordon Jago Super Group participants include top academies from seven countries and four continents. The world-renowned Manchester United and Arsenal academies headline the top bracket as 2018’s Super Group is set to be one of the strongest to date. Defending Super Group champions FC Dallas, current Liga MX champions Tigres, two-time Super Group champion EC Vitoria, and the club with the most Dallas Cup championships, CF Monterrey, also return to Dallas, among others.
Source: Dr Pepper Dallas Cup Press Release
