Elite Soccer Players Compete at Disney in Top Youth Tournament in the Nation

Filed in: Disney Soccer, ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, Youth Sports

ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex to host more than 630 teams from Dec. 27 to Jan. 3; Nation’s top college coaches in attendance to scout

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (Dec. 24, 2012) – America’s best youth soccer clubs, featuring some of the country’s elite players, will take the field during Disney’s Soccer Showcase presented by A.S. Roma through Jan. 3, 2013 at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex.

Rated as the country’s top youth soccer tournament by a Soccer America survey, this year’s showcase features more than 630 boys and girls teams from 37 states and five countries, including New Zealand, Brazil and Japan.

Among the teams participating, two flights of competition will be from the United States Soccer Federation’s (USSF) Olympic Development academies, and JFA Academy Fukushima from Japan is returning to defend its two-straight U17 girls championship titles. New to this year’s tournament is US Youth Soccer (USYS) U15-18 National League boys competition.

The eight-day event is expected to draw nearly 30,000 athletes, college coaches and fans to the complex, making it the leading college recruiting event in the country. About 800 college coaches, including Anson Dorrance, head coach of the 2012 NCAA Women’s Soccer National Championship winner University of North Carolina, and Assistant Coach Tim Wassell of the women’s championship runner-up Penn State University soccer program, will be in attendance to scout. Among the schools attending are 50 programs that competed in the 2012 NCAA men’s or women’s soccer national championship tournaments.

Disney’s Soccer Showcase began in 2000 with 68 teams and eight fields and has now grown to accommodate 636 teams on 17 fields.

For a list of teams and complete schedule, visit www.espnwwos.com.