U90C hosts top teams from 20 states at 2nd annual SUPERCOPA+
By Sean Maslin
SoccerWire Staff Writer
(Follow SUPERCOPA+ Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube)
Published in Partnership With U90C Sports
In May, the second annual SUPERCOPA+ tournament hosted by U90C Sports, took place with 96 teams in the U12-U16 age groups. The invitation-only event featured teams representing 47 of the top clubs from across 20 states at the Tournament SportsPlex in Tampa, Florida.
Branded as ‘America’s Championship’, SUPERCOPA+ brings together an elite collection of talent on both the boys’ and girls’ sides. This year’s tournament was highlighted by an array of teams with membership in top leagues such as MLS NEXT, ECNL Boys ECNL Girls and the Girls Academy (GA).
The event created opportunities for teams not only from different leagues to play against each other, but there was a deliberate effort to create matchups between sides from a wide range of geographic regions.
“SUPERCOPA+ 2023 was a huge success,” said SUPERCOPA+ Girls Selection Committee Chairman Jeff Stanley. “Being in only its second year, not only did we see the team count and representation from various leagues go up, but also the number of states represented, so that is a definite sign to us that the event is gaining more traction as we head into planning for the 2024 event.”
(Daily Video Recaps: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4)
This year’s tournament included a slight adjustment in their scheduling, adopting a Friday-Monday schedule to further incorporate the Memorial Day weekend, and to avoid pulling players from school. Much like other SuperCopa events, the SUPERCOPA+ tournament employs a group stage followed by knockout rounds. For each age group there is a reseeding after Group Play.
“During this year’s knockout rounds we had 48 of the 75 games with a 1 goal differential to determine advancement, with 22 of those going to overtime and 7 eventually resulting in a PK Shootout,” said Stanley. “This format always lends itself to some fantastic matches during the ‘win or go home’ rounds over the last 2 days of the event.”
Helping showcase all of the weekend’s action was their strong social media presence which included photos and videos from across all age groups and divisions.
“We have a fantastic team that puts out a truly remarkable product,” said Stanley. “Our videography and photography team always captures incredible moments during the event. The team has a gift for creating digital content that really encapsulates and portrays the overall feel of the event.”
“On the strategy side, our Marketing and Social Media team does an amazing job of creating and then executing a daily story board to bring the event to life on all our social media channels,” he added. “The product that these teams put out for our events is unrivaled in this space.”
Putting on a tournament is never easy and requires a high level of coordination amongst not just staff and officials, but also the teams themselves.
“I think the highest accolades should go to all the coaches, players, and parents who took part in SUPERCOPA+ 2023 and understand the premise and benefits of the event, which is to compete against top-level talent from across the nation, no matter what your league affiliation may be,” said Stanley. “Ultimately, it’s their desire to compete at the highest level and their dedication to the sport that makes for a successful event. So, a huge thank you to all the coaches, players, and parents that made SUPERCOPA+ 2023 a success. We are already looking forward to SUPERCOPA+ 2024!”
See below for a rundown of division champions from the 2023 event (Full Results). To learn more about the SUPERCOPA+, click here.
SUPERCOPA+ 2023 Champions and Finalists
Boys
U12
SuperCopa Bracket
Champion: Orlando City SC 2011 Academy (FL)
Finalist: St. Louis Scott Gallagher 2011 Academy Navy (MO)
Gold Bracket
Champion: Dallas Texans 11 Boys Dallas (TX)
Finalist: Solar SC U12 (TX)
U13
SuperCopa Bracket
Champion: Concorde Fire 10 ECNL Platinum (GA)
Finalist: Florida Kraze Krush 10 Kraze ECNL (FL)
Gold Bracket
Champion: Florida Premier FC ECNL 10 (FL)
Finalist: Achilles 10 (MD)
U14
SuperCopa Bracket
Champion: Solar SC U14 (TX)
Finalist: St. Louis Scott Gallagher Academy U14 (MO)
Gold Bracket
Champion: Sparta Elite 64 09 (UT)
Finalist: Orlando City YSC 09 MLS Next (FL)
U15
SuperCopa Bracket
Champion: OK Energy FC 08 ECNL (OK)
Finalist: LA Galaxy U15 (CA)
Gold Bracket
Champion: Florida Premier FC ECNL 08 (FL)
Finalist: CJFA Juventus (NJ)
U16
SuperCopa Bracket
Champion: DKSC 07 ECNL (TX)
Finalist: Florida Premier FC ECNL 07 (FL)
Gold Bracket
Champion: Rayos 07 Martinez (TX)
Finalist: Barca Academy Pro Miami 2007 PRO (FL)
Girls
U12
SuperCopa Bracket
Champion: Intrepid-Sting 11 (TXN)
Finalist: OK Energy FC 11 (OK)
Gold Bracket
Champion: Mercury 11 Red (OH)
Finalist: Florida Premier FC Pre-ECNL 11 (FL)
U13
SuperCopa Bracket
Champion: Eclipse Select ECNL 2010 (IL)
Finalist: EJE7 2010 (FL)
Gold Bracket
Champion: Mercury 10 Red (OH)
Finalist: Florida Premier FC RL 10 (FL)
U14
SuperCopa Bracket
Champion: Florida Premier FC ECNL 09 (FL)
Finalist: Legends FC ECRL 09 (CA)
Gold Bracket
Champion: West Florida Flames 09 GA (FL)
Finalist: New York SC 09 GA (NY)
U15/16
SuperCopa Bracket
Champion: CO Elevation FC 08 Summit (CO)
Finalist: Mercury G0 Red (OH)