SoccerFest’s Feature Match
RSL/Parsippany SC battle to highlight Saturday Night Soccer Celebration
 Thursday, November 8
TAMPA – The foundation for the Feature Match of United Soccer Leagues SoccerFest was poured right here in South Tampa on Saturday, June 16 at Monroe Middle School, the home of Major League Soccer youth academy Real Salt Lake. There, RSL’s U17 team defeated the only three-time defending champions of USL’s Super Y-League, 2-1. Playing the majority of the second half with only ten men, RSL’s victory set up their date with New Jersey’s Parsippany SC, the Feature Match in next weekend’s Saturday Night Soccer Celebration at Ed Radice Sports Complex in Northwest Tampa.
A second local tie in next Saturday’s second huge New Jersey vs. Tampa match up of this fall is Adrian Bush, a National Player of the Year in 1994 when he captained the University of Tampa Spartans to a National Championship. The coach behind RSL’s U17 upset back in June, Bush also serves as RSL Florida’s General Manager and is the third-year Head Coach of the University of Tampa’s Men’s Soccer Team.
Their adversary, Parsippany SC, is a worthy opponent. An 11-1-0 Super Y-League Champion from the Mid Atlantic region, Parsippany is led by star midfielder Dilly Duka, a freshman at the very bane of Tampa, Rutgers University.
“We get a lot of people who come out for our games at Rutgers,” said Duka downplaying the buzz surrounding the North American Finals Feature Match. “Hopefully playing in big-time collegiate matches will prepare me to play in this match. Seeing all those people into the game raises a player’s level of play. I think to myself, ‘all these people came to see good players and I am out here, I am one of them.’ For me, that pumps me up, but I know I will be up for this match. RSL Florida is a strong team and I love to play against the best.”
Last season’s Saturday Night Feature Match, televised on Fox Soccer Channel, was between the MLS youth academy of Red Bull New York and Miami’s Kendall SC. The game drew in over 3,000 spectators from the local Tampa community and the nationwide network of professional and amateur soccer clubs playing under the banner of the Tampa-based United Soccer Leagues.
“Last season’s Feature Match was a tremendous success,” said United Soccer Leagues Director of Business Development, James Ward. “SoccerFest and its Saturday Night Soccer Celebration was created to unite the Tampa community with USL’s congregation of soccer clubs throughout the United States and Canada. We are looking to build upon the accomplishments of last season by adding several key events to this year’s celebration, all of which the Tampa community is invited to attend and even compete in.”
SoccerFest Activities Include
United Soccer Leagues’ Five-A-Side Frenzy
Based in Tampa, Florida USL plans to utilize their hometown’s beautiful November weather to combine SoccerFest’s national soccer audience with Tampa’s prospering soccer community. Spearheading this initiative is the Five-A-Side Frenzy. Successfully launched during the 2006 SoccerFest, the Five-A-Side Frenzy allows participants and families from the local community to take part in SoccerFest while also opening people up to the game of futsal.
The small-sided format is great for player development and creates a fun and fast-paced environment. Brackets and schedules are broken up by age group, skill level and gender. More details are available online at www.uslsoccerfest.com.
Teaming with United Soccer Leagues to boost the participation of the local community in the Five-A-Side Frenzy is United Soccer Association, a scheduling body of over 800 youth teams in the greater Tampa metro area. United Soccer Association focuses on establishing good sportsmanship for all involved in youth soccer by providing educational courses, clinics and instruction for the purpose of increasing the knowledge and efficiency of those involved with youth soccer. Other sponsors of the Five-A-Side Frenzy include UMBRO, Fox Soccer Channel and Tampa based organizations: the Tampa Tribune, Tampa Bay’s Mix 100.7 and Bright House Networks.
*All interested teams may apply through Sunday, November 11.
About United Soccer Leagues FREE Coaching Symposium
On Sunday, November 18th, USL will be hosting a FREE coaching symposium as part of the SoccerFest. This five-session educational series will be tailored to coaches involved with players between the ages of 8 and 14. Coaches can attend some or all of the seminars, but they are to register in advance at www.uslsoccerfest.com.
United Soccer Association Showcase Field
Teams from the U9 Academy Program will showcase United Soccer Association’s league matches on SoccerFest’s national stage. The match schedules for the United Soccer Association matches are available online at www.uslsoccerfest.com.
United Soccer Leagues Players’ Village
The Players’ Village, located exclusively at Ed Radice Soccer Complex during SoccerFest will be the focal point of the Saturday Night Soccer Celebration. Soccer tennis and street soccer are just a few of the activities set up in the Players’ Village. Other amenities include a free interactive area with entertainment and vendors from UMBRO, 90:00 Minutes Soccer Magazine, Demosphere and Fox Soccer Channel. The USL Players’ Village is intended for all involved in the Super Y-League North American Finals and members of the local Tampa community.
FIFA 2007 Video Game Tournament
On Saturday night United Soccer Leagues will host a FIFA 2007 video game tournament in the Players’ Village. Participants must register in advance for this component as space is extremely limited. During the remainder of the weekend these video game stations will be available for non-tournament participants.
About United Soccer Leagues’ SoccerFest
United Soccer Leagues, the largest organization of elite level soccer in both the United States and Canada will again play host to the Super Y-League North American Finals as part of its ultimate event – SoccerFest. Running from Friday, November 15 through Tuesday, November 20, the Super Y-League North American Finals are one of two major events coming together to form USL’s 2007 SoccerFest. The largest component of SoccerFest is USL’s Annual General Meeting being held in downtown Tampa Thursday, November 15 – Monday, November 19. USL’s AGM is a gathering of soccer executives from the league’s two professional systems, the USL First and Second Division. Representatives from USL’s two amateur leagues, the Premier Development League and W-League will also be attending the AGM.
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