(March 12, 2007) - Last Easter history was made when CASL and Southern California Blues SC won the inaugural US Club Soccer Champions Cup for boys and girls, respectively.  The Champions Cup pits the country’s top clubs against each other in U13, U15 and U17/U18 age groups to determine a true national club champion.  While individual teams are recognized for winning their age group, the winner of the Champions Cup is the club who accumulates the most placement points over all three age groups.

The inaugural 2006 Champions Cup was staged April 13-16 at Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex outside of Orlando, Fla. and CASL insured itself of the boys’ title by placing all three of its teams in first-place title matches.  Its U13 and U17 teams won their age groups and its U15 side finished second as the North Carolina-based club claimed the Champions Cup.  (Complete 2006 Champions Cup final standings)

Drama reigned in the girls’ competition, which came down to the last match of the event.  Three clubs: CASL, FC DELCO and the Southern California Blues; entered the final day of Champions Cup play in contention for the girls’ championship as each club earned berths into two first-place matches plus a third-place match.

After the Blues earned first-place in the U17 bracket, second-place in the U13 age group and third-place in the U15 division, they had to sweat out the girls’ U15 title match between CASL and FC DELCO.  CASL, who had first place U13 and fourth place U17 finishes to their credit, could have taken the Champions Cup crown by defeating FC DELCO’s U15s.

In a scoreless match that required overtime, FC DELCO clinched the U15 championship tilt on a set piece to give the Southern California Blues the inaugural girls’ Champions Cup title.  (Complete 2006 Champions Cup final standings)

The excitement and the competitiveness of the Champions Cup return to Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex over the 2007 Easter weekend, April 5-8.  Once again, eight of the country’s elite boys’ clubs and girls’ clubs will assemble to determine the nation’s top club on the field.  The 2007 tournament field consists of (view the competition schedule):

Boys
Atlanta Concorde Fire (GA), CASL (NC), Colorado Rush (CO), Internationals SC (OH), Los Angeles FC (CA), PA Classics (PA), San Juan SC (CA), and Scott Gallagher SC (MO).

Girls
Albertson SC (NY), CASL (NC), Colorado Rush (CO), FC DELCO (PA), Internationals SC (OH), Los Angeles FC (CA), San Juan SC (CA), and Weston Fury SC (FL).

“U.S. Club Soccer has done another great job of putting together a very strong field of competition and clubs,” said CASL Director of Coaching Jay Howell.  “It will be great to see how we’re going to be able to compete against some of the better clubs and some of the best clubs in the country.”

See for yourself how the 2007 Champions Cup unfolds by continuing to visit www.usclubsoccer.org.