(Nov. 8, 2005) -- As we at US Club Soccer begin to look towards next year, we wanted to inform you of tentative dates and locations for the 2006 National Cup V Regionals and Finals.  Since we are still in the process of signing facility contracts and surveying all of our options, we are not prepared to announce venues in all cases, but we do expect the dates and general locations to be firm.

Seven 2006 National Cup V Regionals are scheduled to be held Memorial Day weekend through the July Fourth holiday weekend as teams from across the country vie to reach the 2006 National Cup V Finals.

Boys and girls’ U12-U17 age groups will be contested at the 2006 National Cup V, which is open exclusively to US Club Soccer members.  As in previous years, a team may choose to attend any 2006 National Cup V Regional, and is not limited to the ones in its USSF Region.

2006 National Cup V Tentative Regional Dates & Locations

Region A: May 27-29 in LaGrangeville, N.Y.
For the third consecutive year LaGrangeville, N.Y.’s Stringham Park will host the opening National Cup regional competition in a three-day event over Memorial Day weekend.  Seven fields will be utilized at Stringham Park, which is located near Poughkeepsie, N.Y., and an additional four fields will be utilized at Vassar College.

Region B: June 24-27 in Ft. Dix, N.J.
After holding a successful 2005 regional in Ft. Dix, N.J., the Region B tournament will return to central New Jersey in 2006.  Ft. Dix Soccer Fields, which has 12 available fields, will host the regional.  Additional fields will be utilized at a nearby venue.

Region C: June 17-20 in Jacksonville, Fla.
Region C competition will be held at the Patton Park Fields in Jacksonville, Fla.  In 2005, the National Cup IV Boys U12-U14 and Girls U12-U15 Finals were successfully staged at this facility featuring six quality fields.

Region D: July 1-4 in Rockford, Ill.
National Cup action returns to Rockford, Ill. for the first time in three summers in 2006.  Games will be contested at the Sportscore Two Complex, composed of 19 fields, in northern Illinois.

Region E: June 17-20 in Southern California
Region E competition will be held in Southern California on the dates above.  The exact venues are still being finalized and will be announced shortly.

Region F: June 10-13 in Las Vegas, Nev.
2006 will mark the third straight year Las Vegas will host a National Cup Regional.  Matches will be contested at the Bettye Wilson Soccer Complex, consisting of 12 fields.  Additional fields will likely be utilized at a nearby venue.

Region G: July 1-4 in Boise, Idaho
Boise, Idaho’s Boise Capitals Soccer Complex will host National Cup Region V action for the third consecutive year in 2006.  At least 14 fields will be utilized at the Boise Capitals Soccer Complex, which is capable of expanding to include even more fields.  In 2005, nearly 200 teams competed in the Region G tournament making it the largest National Cup IV Regional.

Tentative Dates & Locations of 2006 National Cup V Finals
Winners from each Regional will advance to the 2006 National Cup V Finals.  As we seek to maximize our members’ exposure to college scouts, the Boys U15-U17 Finals and Girls U15-U17 Finals will once again be held in conjunction with the Score at the Shore Showcase, one of the highest attended college showcase events in the country.  The Girls U15-U17 National Cup V Finals will take place July 21-24, 2006 in Greensboro, N.C. while the Boys U15-U17 National Cup V Finals will be held a weekend later, July 28-31, 2006, also in Greensboro, N.C.  The Boys and Girls U12-U14 National Cup V Finals will be contested July 20-23, 2006 with their venue still being finalized.

Application Information
Applications for the 2006 National Cup V competition will be available online at www.usclubsoccer.org in late November.  The deadline to return completed applications along with the $695 competition fee is April 10, 2006.  After April 10, applications will be accepted on a space available basis with an additional $100 surcharge fee.  Each 2006 National Cup V Regional closes three weeks prior to the event’s kickoff and each regional schedule will be available two weeks prior to the event’s start.

Multiple Divisions of Competition
As occurred last year, all teams applying for the 2006 National Cup V will do so at the Premier level.  A tournament committee, consisting of soccer-knowledgeable, neutral, club soccer coaches, will review all the applications and select teams to be promoted into a Super Cup division.  This assures a high level of competition for the top clubs as well as the other entrants.

Refunds
Also as in 2005, any team who applies for a 2006 National Cup V Regional and subsequently wins its state cup and chooses to attend its USYS Regional instead of the US Club Soccer Regional will be granted a refund of its National Cup V entry fee as long as a refund request is received within seven days of the team winning its state cup.

Finalized locations and dates of the 2006 National Cup V Regionals and Finals will be publicized shortly on the US Club Soccer website.  Applications for the 2006 National Cup V will be available in late November.  Continue to visit www.usclubsoccer.org for updates on the 2006 National Cup V.