CASA presents Youth Soccer Classic Dec. 16
The best of South Florida’s local soccer talent will be on full display at the Caribbean Americas Soccer Association’s Youth Soccer Classic, set for December 16th to 20th, at the Lauderhill Sports Park.
The best and brightest local U20 teams will face off against squads from the Caribbean. Jamaica, Haiti and Barbados will all be sending their top performing players and likely candidates for next year’s national team selection. The Jamaican contingent will be full of MVPs from the recently completed schoolboy Manning and Dacosta Cups. This year also marks a triumphant return for Team Haiti, who was not able to attend last year’s competition.
Based on this year’s strong performances, it’s Team Jamaica and Haiti that may be the likely contenders for the final, says CASA president Richard Campbell. “They are our number one seed teams.”
But South Florida’s own soccer talent, says Campbell, cannot be dismissed, which such strong performances from Plantation U20, Coral Springs U20, CASA U20, and Miami United U20. “Our local teams will definitely be giving them a challenge,” including returning champions, Miramar U20.
In the end, the tournament is a win-win for both Florida and the Caribbean sides, as the tournament will be used as a fruitful scouting grounds for Caribbean soccer officials to find talented Caribbean-American players to play for their national teams. Last year, three players joined the Jamaican U20 national team, noted Campbell. Scouts from University and semi-pro teams will also be attending to check out both the local and Caribbean players
This cross fertilization of talents between the Caribbean and the Diaspora, says Campbell, is what CASA is all about, “giving a chance for the young players to learn from one another, and how to compete with a broad spectrum of styles.”
The first round of matches begin Wednesday, December 16, starting 5 p.m., and the final is scheduled for Sunday, December 20, at 5 p.m.
