And so we add another sensational tournament to the Soccer in Sun history books!
Not only did all domestic and international teams bring their A-game, the weather came out to match — a sunny 65° degrees, with nary a cloud in the sky for the whole weekend! (Which is astounding because the Monday previous, it was pouring buckets and one of the fields was essentially underwater until Thursday evening.)
Las Vegas welcomed 4,200 players and 2,800 spectators cheered through 462 games of soccer on 29 fields across 11 complexes, all managed with the help of 80 dedicated referees! (Whew!) The shared passion for this sport was palpable and is what makes King Cup always such a thrilling event. Mutual dedication to competition and sportsmanship between our participants and our staff drive Soccer in Sun to organize and strive to produce better events every year.
What made this year especially remarkable was the collective enthusiasm from teams across the world to join our tournament. As many found out, we sold out of our 208 team slots within mere weeks of opening registrations. Not only did our Team Waitlists overflow, this year’s Free Agents List was our most diverse yet! All Las Vegas soccer fields were bursting with not only King Cup teams, but during that same weekend, 800+ Youth Soccer Teams played in a tournament of their own as well! Sometimes it’s a challenge to accommodate so many, but with committed efforts, we keep the event going.
Thankfully, Soccer In Sun‘s staff roster was also full this year with 11 ardent friends and family on deck to help keep the tournament running smoothly. Without the tireless diligence of Jenn, Larry, Iara, Romuald, Jason, Austin, Lori, Kim, Magenta and Leilani, it would have been absolute pandemonium.Without further ado, the winners of the 2018 King Cup were…
| CHAMPIONS: Avanti FC |
Second Place: LA Persepolis |
| CHAMPIONS: Mutiny FC |
Second Place: Austin United FC |
Over 40 – Martin Division
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| CHAMPIONS: Lumark SC |
Second Place: V-Stars |
Over 40 – Luther Division
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| CHAMPIONS: Four Peaks Brewers |
Second Place: El Cartel |
| CHAMPIONS: Boise United |
Second Place: LA-DC United |
Over 40 – Competitive Division
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| CHAMPIONS: Jake Stars |
Second Place: El Farolito |
Over 48 – Martin Division
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| CHAMPIONS: Califia SC |
Second Place: El Cartel Hall of Famers |
Over 48 – Luther Division
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| CHAMPIONS: Pellman’s Old Guys |
Second Place: Azzurri FC |
| CHAMPIONS: Four Peaks Growlers |
Second Place: Blue Dragons |
Over 48 – Junior Division
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| CHAMPIONS: OC Spurs |
Second Place: Artilleros |
Over 48 – Competitive Division
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| CHAMPIONS: Sina FC |
Second Place: Kentucky Waterfall |
Over 55 – Martin Division
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| CHAMPIONS: Seymour FC |
Second Place: MUSA |
Over 55 – Luther Division
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| CHAMPIONS: Dynamo |
Second Place: Sina FC |
Over 60 – Martin Division
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| CHAMPIONS: Freddy Fund |
Second Place: Shaheen FC |
Over 60 – Luther Division
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| CHAMPIONS: Seymour FC |
Second Place: Denver Kickers |
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The photos of the winners and our honorable referees can be found on our website: http://soccerinsun.com/kingcup/standings/2018/champs.html
Fortunately, though there were a few cases of poor sportsmanship from a few bad apples, they didn’t ruin the event. Two teams were ejected for fielding ineligible players which were caught via the concerted vigilance tournament participants and the use of ID Scanners. One additional team was disqualified in the semi-finals for playing a previously un-rostered player and then bragging about it on the sidelines. Indiscretions such as these will not be tolerated and you can be assured, the offenders are on notice.
In other Soccer in Sun news, we will be unveiling a new tournament in May 2018 called the Copa De Mayo. This is a 2-day tournament will happen over Cinco de Mayo weekend (May 5-6, 2018) at the Orange County Great Park in Irvine, California. These six beautifully maintained soccer fields, complete with adjoining Championship Stadium, are situated just 30 minutes south of Disneyland, an excellent place to spend a weekend with your teammates and your family!
Our Arizona tournament, the Harvest Cup, will be held at the Francisco Grande Sports Complex in Casa Grande from October 20-22, 2018. We are still polishing up the final details for King Cup 2019, so be sure to follow us on Facebook and subscribe to our Mailing List to be one of the first to know when registration opens for all our events.
Once again, thank you everyone for spending your weekend with Soccer in Sun! We hope you had a thrilling good time and look forward to “kicking it” with you next year.
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