Atlantic Cup a “highly competitive, incredibly exciting” sendoff to fall season
By Jimmy LaRoue
With its largest field since the inaugural year of the tournament six years ago, the Virginia Rush Soccer Club’s 2012 Atlantic Cup — set for this weekend — figures to be an exciting cap to the fall season.
“Atlantic Cup this year is going to be highly competitive and incredibly exciting,” said tournament director Sonny Landry.
Nearly 160 boys’ and girls’ teams will be participating in the tournament, taking place on the plush fields of the Hampton Roads Soccer Complex in Virginia Beach.
The tournament features the Under-9 through U-18 age groups for both boys and girls, with teams coming from across the Mid-Atlantic region, and the field featuring a number of up-and-coming teams, which will be headquartered at the luxurious Founders Inn, just seven miles from the fields.
Teams and families will be near the city’s many attractions and the Oceanfront, which is lit up in the evenings with its Holiday Lights at the Beach display, featuring more than 25 blocks of the boardwalk decked out in a nautical holiday display of bright lights.
On Saturday evening, the city hosts its annual Holiday Parade at the Beach. Nearby Busch Gardens will be hosting its Christmas Town celebrations.
Each age group will feature premier and classic flights, with the U-9 and U-10 age groups playing in a 7-on-7 format, while the U-11 and U-12 age groups will play an 8-on-8 format. Games begin at 8 a.m. Saturday and will end with championship and consolation matches Sunday afternoon. A champion and finalist will be awarded for each flight.
Landry said the tournament and its host club are excited to support the Wounded Warrior Project, an organization that provides help for thousands of wounded Marines, soldiers, seamen and airmen who return home from combat.
The weather forecast calls for cooler morning temperatures, but will warm up to the upper 50s and low 60s during the heat of the action over the weekend.
“The weather for the weekend looks great,” Landry said.
