Big Name Clubs Join Dallas Cup Field

Big Name Clubs Join Dallas Cup Field
January 6, 2012
On Thursday, Dallas Cup officials announced the addition of major international clubs Manchester United, Paris Saint-Germain, and Boca Juniors to the Gordon Jago Super Group at Dallas Cup XXXIII. The trio of storied academies joins last year's co-champions Tigres (Mexico) and Eintracht Frankfurt (Germany) as the five confirmed teams for the elite youth tournament.
 
The SuperGroup is a U19 event at the Dallas Cup, which also features a lower-tier U19 age group, plus many others down to U13.
 
dallas cup 2012 logoDallas Cup 2012
Dallas Cup was started in 1980 and is the oldest international youth soccer tournament in the United States. The alumni list for the renowned annual event boasts world stars Raul, Wayne Rooney, and David Beckham, as well as U.S. stars Landon Donovan, Clint Dempsey, and Omar Gonzalez.
 
The Dallas Cup Super Group is the invitation-only U19 bracket that has hosted top clubs like Arsenal, FC Barcelona, and Liverpool in past installments.
 
The 2012 tournament will be Manchester United's second trip to the prestigious tourney. The first came in 2006, when Giuseppe Rossi, Jonny Evans, and Darren Gibson led the English academy to a fourth place finish that included a 3-2 victory over Real Madrid in front of 17,000 fans in FC Dallas Park on opening night.
 
"We will be bringing a team that have been together for a while, a majority of which were involved in winning the Youth Cup last season," Manchester United reserve manager Warren Joyce said in the release. "It is good experience for the lads to play teams from different cultures and it is a great opportunity for us all."

Joining the English Youth Cup champions is the current French U19 and U17 titleholders, Paris Saint-Germain, which is making its debut appearance in Texas. 

"It is an honor for Paris Saint-Germain to participate in such a renowned and prestigious tournament in the U.S.," PSG's Director of International Development Sebastien Wasels said. "We are grateful for Nike and the Dallas Cup organization for their invitation and we look forward to demonstrating the quality of our academy program during the competition."
 
Famous South American club Boca Juniors rounds out the three new additions to this year's tournament. The powerhouse from Argentina claims one of the most famous academies in the world that is responsible for cultivating many of the stars of the current Argentina national team.
 
The remaining seven teams for the Super Group will be announced in the coming weeks. Dallas Cup XXXIII will be held April 1-8, 2012.

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