For three years, the soccer tournament Verizon Copa Alianza has reunited hundreds of players of different ages in the San Francisco Bay Area.
During three consecutive weekends, enthusiasts of the “king sport” contend with their corresponding teams to reach a spot in the final. In this year’s 2010 edition, from Aug. 14 to 29, around 120 teams competed from the state of California.
The passion the young people shared for the sport was evident at the Fremont Central Park Sports Complex during the elimination matches on Saturday, Aug. 21.
Some of the players met with their fans, whose unceasing applause celebrated each goal scored by their team. The vast majority received the support of their families, who shared their emotion on the field throughout the tournament. Many of the young players have played soccer for at least six to eight years, and for almost all, the Argentinean Lionel Messi was their favorite professional player.
In the Elite category, composed of 40 teams of young people over 17 years old, the winning team was Necaxa de Salinas, which won a cash prize of $10,000 plus the opportunity to represent San Francisco in a game against the reserves of Chivas de Guadalajara at James Lick High School Stadium in San Jose. That game ended in a clear victory of 6-2 by Necaxa. The second placement in the Elite category of the tournament was awarded to the team Atletico Maya.
The younger players competed in three categories, the U12, U13, and U16 divisions, together with the free category, the U17 division, in which the best team won a prize of $3,000.
The tournament organizer is Alianza de Futbol Hispano, an organization that has worked since 2004 to support and develop amateur Latino soccer in the United States.
“Alianza de Futbol Hispano has grown. More cities and more age groups now participate in this initiative to support the Hispanic community,” said Joaquin Escoto, marketing director of Alianza de Futbol Hispano.
The tournament counts on the help of sponsors like Verizon, Fox Sports in Spanish, Monster Energy, Chevron, Aeromexico, NSCAA, Athletic Weekly Record, and The Messenger.
A springboard for promising young soccer players
Along with this tournament there is another championship, which values the talents of promising young Latin American soccer players. The initiative called “El sueño de tu vida” (“Your life’s dream”) consists of a series of meetings in which talent experts select players from various U.S. cities including Chicago, Phoenix and Miami, and give them an opportunity to play at the professional level. It is a springboard for young talent.
“You sign up for the competition and every half hour names are called until they say yours, and you play together with people you do not know. Two guys are on the field watching your game and taking notes,” said Cristian Gomez, who was participating in the tournament for the first time.
The experts, led by Jorge Dominguez of Chivas de Guadalajara, chose four San Francisco Bay Area young men from each age category. The players selected in the adult categories were Julio Cesar Morales, Luis Alberto Cisneros, Jairo Adrian Magaña and Juan Cabrera. For the U17 category, Jesus Fernando Herrera, Edson Adonis, Jesus Sanchez and Denis Alvarado were the picks.
These young men will go to the next round with the best players from nine other cities participating in the program. The finalist will become a member of the national team “El Sueño de tu vida 2010” which will play a game on Sept. 25 in the Los Angeles. The Fox Sports Television Channel will broadcast the game in Spanish.
In this year’s 2010 edition of Verizon Copa Alianza, the young men from San Francisco counted on a prominent sponsor, Efrain Flores, the current coach of the Mexican national team and vice president of Mexico’s Chivas of Guadalajara. “It took me by surprise when I realized that there are many talented young players with discipline, dedication and passion,” Flores said during his visit.
The tournament attracted a large number of players gathered to test their soccer skills. “About 500 youths were enrolled, although it is likely that the number amounts to those who register the day of the competition,” said Cintya Gonzalez, assistant in the organization “El Sueño de tu Vida 2010,” on the first day of the competition.
Compared to last year, sources from the organization reported a significant increase in the number of registered players. “The success of Alianza hinges on its ability to carry out its promises; about 17 players who were selected for this program are now playing for professional soccer teams in Mexico,” said Joaquin Escoto, marketing director of the Alianza de Futbol Hispano.
Despite the short history of Alianza de Futbol Hispano, the organizers said that 62 Latino amateur players nationwide have received more than 100 invitations from professional teams. “This initiative arises from the need to pave the way for young Hispanic players in an economical way, in order to make it more accessible and possible,” added Gonzalez.
For some participants, the talent level of the other players makes the tournament increasingly competitive. “Many of the participants want to go far in the tournament,” said Jose Aguirre, who has come to the event for three years.
“This is the opportunity to fulfill a dream,” confessed Cristian Gomez, who participated in the tournament for the first time.
For more information on Alianza de Futbol Hispano, visit: www.alianzadefutbol.com
—Translation Javier Arozarena Jr.