Denver, Colo. has a lot to offer visitors. One such attraction (at least for soccer players) is the Denver Cup, a soccer tournament that will be taking place at the beginning of August. The Denver Cup is a team tournament for U11-U18 boy’s and girl’s teams. This tournament will be hosting a large number of teams from around the country making for elite level competition.

The tournament enjoyed an incredibly successful tournament last year and is looking to build on the momentum. The 2011 Denver Cup attracted over 200 Premier teams from the likes of: Washington, Utah, California, Texas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Missouri, andKansas. 

This year will be even more diverse and competitive. 

The competition will take place at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, the home of the Colorado Rapids. The site is a full 917 acres and offers 24 full-sized fields in order to accommodate the high volume of teams. There will be 22 natural grass fields and two synthetic turf fields, all of which will be fully lit for night games. Overall, teams thinking about attending the Denver Cup can expect a quality competition that will be both competitive and enjoyable. 

The level of competition, however, is not the only reason that this tournament is so attractive. The Denver Cup is an excellent opportunity for players to showcase their talent and be seen by college coaches from all over the country. This tournament attracts college scouts and coaches who are looking for talented players. Coaches committed to attending will even be listed on the Denver Cup website, giving players an idea of potential suitors before they arrive. 

In addition, the tournament will offer out-of-state players the opportunity to visit the Denver area college campuses. For those who wish to play soccer at the collegiate level, this can serve as an informal recruiting trip. 

To ensure the quality and availability of accommodations, the Denver Cup is a “Stay & Play” tournament. This means that all travelling teams must book their accommodations at selected hotels through PSE Tournament Housing. This is meant to make it easy and convenient for teams to book their reservations and also to allow teams to receive special rates at hotels located near the playing fields. 

The Denver Cup will take place August 2-5, 2012. Teams wishing to participate in the Denver Cup must apply online by June 28, 2012. Only a limited number of teams will be allowed to participate, so it’s important to apply early. Out-of-state teams applying can request early acceptance from the tournament director after they have applied and paid. This is meant to allow those teams to make their travel arrangements. 

The tournament will begin at 3 p.m. on Thursday, August 2, for all teams from the Denver area (including Colorado Springs, Boulder, and Fort Collins). All teams not from the Denver metro area must be ready to play early Friday morning (August 3). 

For more information about the Denver Cup, visit the tournament website HERE.