JUNE 27-30
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TUES., JUNE 30 | 5:30 PM ET| TAKE ME HOME COUNTRY ROADS
The Winston-Salem Regional was done right at the BB&T Park. The past four days have been full of excitement and have displayed some really great soccer. And better yet, we have crowned 16 champions, 12 which will be headed to Virginia Beach for the National Cup VIII Finals.

Congratulations to all of the champions and a good job to all the teams who participated. We look forward to seeing you all back next year for the 2010 National Cup IX tournament.

The US Club Soccer crew is now off to Washington State for the last regional tournament. Check out the Burlington, WA Headquarters to see who your competition might be in Virginia Beach. But for now, it's time to clean up and head home.

Chad cleaning up at the end of the day- his US Club Soccer apron is in the mail

TUES., JUNE 30 | 8:45 AM ET | LET'S GET READY TO RUMBLE!Trophy Tuesday is among us and what else would be better than to win the championship game and head to Virginia Beach for the 2009 National cup VIII Finals.

The first sets of games are underway and it’s the U-12 girls and boys and the U-14 boys who are battling it out on the pitch to see who will take home the title.

And the winner is... 

Today, the fields also feature some special guests. Referee’s from the U.S. Development Academy came over to BB&T Park to assist in refereeing. These particular referees were helping out at the U.S. Development Academy playoffs that were taking place in Greensboro this weekend. 85 referees from 20 states participated in what was U.S. Soccer’s first Development Academy Playoffs. The tournament hosted over 64 teams competing in under 16 and 18 divisions in order to earn the right to make up the eight sports at the Development Academy Finals Week in Carson, California (ussoccer.com).

Stay tuned for more on the championship games today and continue to check back to the Winston-Salem Regional Headquarters for more information.

MON., JUNE 29 | 7:00 PM ET | WHAT A DAY!
The third day is done and we are only hours away from more championship games. Trophy Tuesday is upon us and the only question that remains is "Who else will be travel down the path to Virginia Beach?"
We have already crowned seven teams and tomorrow will determine the rest.

The U-13 Greensboro Youth Soccer Twisters Gold played their sister team, the GYS Twisters Green. The 5:00 p.m. game ended up being a dual with goals going back and forth. The final score was 4-3, Twisters Gold taking the win.

The final U-13 girls’ round robin game between fellow PPA League members, Central United and Northern Steel was an exciting game as well. Coming into the game, Central United and Northern Steel were tied for head to head points. Goal differential would ultimately have to be the determiner. Central United only needed a tie to become the regional champions- and that's what they got. The final score was 3-3. The game was a battle from the beginning, but Central United will join the U-14 girls Central United Team in Virginia Beach for the National Cup Finals.

Rest up and prepare for another round of team trophies, medals and invitations to the 2009 National Cup VIII Finals in Virginia Beach.

MON., JUNE 29 | 10:30 AM ET| GOOD MORNING SUNSHINE!
Today promises another hot day and some championship games as well!

The U-15 Girls Super Group just finished their championship game. There were two games going on during the 8:00 a.m. time slot that would determine who would be the overall U-15 Girls Super Group champions. On Field Four Northern Steel (Penn.) was going head to head against EUSA Syracuse (N.Y.). EUSA came out on top with a 3-2 win over the opponent. The GYS Twisters (N.C.) and Freestate Fury (M.D.) were also playing a big game next door on field five. Freestate came out the winner of that game with a 3-0 sweep over the Twisters.

Freestate Fury (Red) goes in for a tackle against GYS Twisters (White)

So who ended up being the U-15 Girls Super Group champions? Goal differential had to be the ultimate determiner. In a head to head match up, EUSA Syracuse and Freestate Fury were tied, but goal differential put the Fury at a +4, leaving EUSA with only a +3. After all the calculating was done, Freestate Fury was able to represent the state of Maryland and the Freestate Soccer Club as the Winston-Salem Regional champions and will continue to represent at the National Cup Finals in Virginia Beach.

The U-15 Boys Premier division and the U-16 Boys will also compete in a championship final later today. On the girl's side, the U-13 division as well as the U-14 girls compete to see who will come out on top and take home the title of Winston-Salem Regional champions.
Stay tuned for more scores, pictures and blogs.

SUN., JUNE 28 | 7:00 PM ET| ...AND WE HAVE A WINNER
The day ended on a high note as two teams were crowned champions in the U-11 division. Both the girl’s teams and boy’s teams put up a fight to try and claim the title of Winston-Salem Regional champions but, in the end, only two can be crowned.

The boys U-12 teams caused a lot of excitement. GA-SC Bulls took on Cherokee Impact in an intense game that gained momentum as the game progressed. Coming out of halftime, Cherokee Impact was up 1-0. It wasn’t until the last 10 seconds of the second half that the game completely changed course. The Bulls were pushing hard on offense as Cherokee Impact was playing more defensive, trying to keep the lead. The last kick of the game by a Bulls player, Mitchell Myer, took the lead away from Cherokee Impact and took the game into overtime. The Bulls were back in the game.

GA-SC Bulls and Cherokee Impact battle for the ball

After the first halftime, a winner still hadn’t been determined. Intensity grew as both teams were bound and determined to be the winner. Chances were created by both teams but, ultimately, the Bulls came out on top with a goal scored off of a corner. Trey Hammond knocked the ball in the back of the net for a 2-1 win over Cherokee Impact.

The girl’s also gave an exciting performance as the HFC Hurricanes took on Greensboro Youth Soccer. Although Greensboro Youth Soccer was playing up an age group, they put in a hard fight and played some good soccer. HFC Hurricanes came out on top witha 5-0 score and took the championship title.
Unfortunately, the U-11 teams cannot head up to Virginia Beach for the National Cup Finals, but we look forward to seeing them back at the Winston-Salem Regional to defend their titles and continue to improve and develop their skills.

Stay tuned for more scores and updates tomorrow as we narrow down who will go into the championship games. We will also be crowning more champions tomorrow so keep checking back to the Winston-Salem Regional Headquarters for score updates and champion’s pictures.

SUN., JUNE 28 | 3:30 PM ET | U-S-A! U-S-A!
GAME TIME WOO!

The USA vs. Brazil Confederation Cup Final has officially begun. The USA came out of the gates ready to play as they scored the first goal within the first ten minutes. Without letting down, the USA's sencond goal was scored with about 15 minutes left in the first half. What an incredible start to the championship game! KEEP IT UP USA!

Great matches are also being played here at BB&T Park. Not only is the intensity increasing but the creativity is increasing as well. This morning, the U-15 boy's game between Charlotte United FC and SoccerOP showed some skill as a Charlotte United player bicycle kicked the ball from the 18 yard line. The skillful attempt at goal was blocked by the SoccerOP goalie.

The girls also showed some creativity in the match between SoccerOP of Greensboro, N.C. and Century United out of Pitssburgh, Penn.These U-14 girls showed a high level of play and displayed that through their ball control and the goals scored. SoccerOP scored one of their two goals off of a cross. The cross came across the goal and was put into the back of the net with a powerful and directed header. The final score of the game was 4-2 with Century United taking the win.

Games continue at BB&T Park and later on, we'll have our first group of crowned regional champions, the U-11 Girls and Boys. Check back later to see who took the championship title!

SUN., JUNE 28 | 11:30 AM ET| EVERYBODY WANG CHUNG WINSTON-SALEM
Uncle Sam wants YOU to cheer for the USA soccer team today!

Red, White and Blue are the colors for today- not only on many of the team’s jerseys out on the field, but also to represent the US of A as they take on Brazil today in hopes of winning the final game of the FIFA Confederation Cup. The game begins at 2:30 p.m. and will be shown here at BB&T Park for all you those interested in watching the game. Bring your American apparel and come support the United States, however, the vuvuzela horns will be prohibited.

This fan of the Red, White and Blue is ready for the game against Brazil at 2:30 p.m.

The day has already shown who is really going after the championship title. Among those teams is a club that’s doing particularly well coming into the second day of the tournament, Freestate Soccer Alliance from Bowie, M.D. The boys U-12 team, Freestate Diplomats, are holding an undefeated record, beating Northern Steel 5-0 on Saturday and taking a W against SoccerOP this morning with a final score of 3-0.

The U-12 Freestate Diplomats get a pre-game talk before taking on SoccerOP 96

The U-12 girls are blazing the same trail with an undeafeated record for the first two days. Freestate Storm played a tough game against CRSC Carolina Select yesterday, taking a win with a  2-1 score on the first day. This morning told the same story as they defeated Nothern Steel with two goals to one.

Freestate Soccer Alliance is well one their way to sweeping the championships for the U-12 division. Stay tuned to see how they do in their next games and to see who else is fighting for the championship title!

GOOD LUCK IN ALL THE GAMES TODAY AND GO USA!

SAT., JUNE 27 | 5:45 PM ET| THE WATER BOY KNOWS BEST!
The day is winding down, but the action remains. We're on our final set of games for today, but there's much to be said about the intensity and level of play that was been displayed all over BB&T Park.

In addition to all of the games today going on, there will be a PDL game tonight bringing bordering rivals Carolina Dynamo and Virginia Legacy to the stadium field at BB&T Park. Both teams are comprised primarily of Elite College Players from schools like Wake Forest, UNC, Elon, William & Mary, UVA, VCU and more. The game will be starting at 5:30 p.m, and as a special offer to those attending the tournament today, tickets will dicscounted to $5.00. So, after the tournament, why not head over and cool off while you watch premier student athletes play the game that you both love.

And now, a friendly reminder from the stars of the 1998 classic film, The Waterboy, Bobby Boucher and Coach Klein:

Coach Klein: Gatorade not only quenches your thirst better, it tastes better too.
Bobby Boucher: No, you people are drinkin the wrong water.
Coach Klein: Gatorade.
Bobby Boucher: H2O.
Coach Klein: Gatorade.
Bobby Boucher: H2O.

Which ever you prefer, water or Gatorade, make sure you're drinking fluids out there, because it is HOT! Don't let dehydration sneak up on you.

Which do you think is better?

Make sure you stop by Fine Designs on your way out to grab your official tournament gear (snag a tie-dyed t-shirt, those are going fast!), and swing by the PDL game and experience a high level of soccer played by outstanding student atheltes.

As always, keep checking back to the Winston-Salem Regional Headquarters to stay up to date on scores and other tournament news.

SAT., JUNE 27 | 1:45 PM ET | HOT! HOT! HOT!
C&C Music factory came out with a classic Jock Jams tune in 1990 called "Gonna Make You Sweat" which is the official theme song today’s round of games. With the day bringing 92 degree weather, there's not much you can do besides sweat. Just as the sun is heating up North Carolina, the competition is heating up as well.

With eight states represented here at the Winston-Salem, N.C. Regional, ranging from Pennsylvania and New York to Georgia and Tennessee, the competition is bound to be intense. The 9:30 a.m. had a fair share of close games including the U-15 Boys Premier game between the Erie Admirals and SoccerOP 93 with a 1-1 final score. The U-16 Boys teams North Star and Freestate Arsenal also fought it out in the heat and ended in a 1-1 tie.

This father-son combo managed to find some shade in this 92 degree weather

The heat is definitely becoming a significant factor in today’s games. As the sun goes down, however, stick around BB&T Park for the PDL (Premier Development League) game between the local Carolina Dynamo and Virginia Legacy. The game will begin at 5:30 p.m. on field one at BB&T Park. Tickets can be purchased at the gate or in the breezeway in the main club house at the soccer park.

Keep checking back for more information on that game tonight and the remaining games going on today.

Sunrise over BB&T Park

Grab some breakfast and grab your gear because today is going to be packed with competition as today is the first round of the National Cup VIII Winston-Salem Regional Tournament (say that 5 times fast).

BB&T Park is packed with attractions for you to enjoy over the next four days. Fine Designs will be on site with official tournament gear to have custom printed with various stickers. Visit Winston-Salem will also have a tent at the complex where you can find some good eats and other attractions around the area. Concessions will be around all day and so will the sun, so make sure you go by and grab some water and Gatorade to stay hydrated.

To find out more information on the tournament and the other events that will be taking place at BB&T Park throughout the next four days, switch your radio dial to 99.3FM as you enter the park. You'll find out information on the tournament taking place this weekend here at BB&T Park as well as the other National Cup VIII regional tournaments going on across the country.

For score updates, pictures and blogs, keep checking back to the Winston-Salem Regional Headquarters. Good luck to all the teams today and the rest of the weekend! Stay cool.

FRI., JUNE 26| 8:45 PM ET | WELCOME TO WINSTON-SALEM 
With a slogan like "You're Something Special in Winston-Salem," what better place to be then the BB&T park playing in the 2009 National Cup VIII Winston Salem Regional Tournament.

WELCOME TO WINSTON SALEM! We’ve been awaiting your arrival and preparing the fields for the four days of competition. We’ve got teams coming from all over the East Coast, including New York and Pennsylvania, to compete in this regions tournament.

Welcome to BB&T Park, host of the 2009 National Cup VIII Winston-Salem Regional Tournament

Whether you’re accustomed to the Southern heat and humidity or not, get ready to SWEAT! This weekend is sure to bring great weather and competitive soccer as all teams will be competing for the title of Region E champions and a chance to head to Virginia Beach for the National Cup VIII Finals.

We’ve got a lot of fun things going on this week so make sure you keep checking back to the Winston-Salem Regional Headquarters for more information, score updates, pictures and blogs.

Rest up and see you in the morning!