July 17, 2012
SUPER 20 FINALS
Fire academy team heads to IMG

TAMPA, Fla. – Sixteen teams from the men’s division and eight teams from the women’s division have advanced to the 2012 Super-20 League North American Finals which opens at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida on Thursday, July 19.

Two-time defending champions the Crew Juniors lead the men’s division, and they are joined by fellow Midwest Division clubs Chicago Fire and Waza FC. The new Mid South Division will have three teams making the trip to Fla. – Alamo SC San Antonio, Texas Football Club, and the Laredo Heat, while host IMG is joined by Tampa Bay United, the VSI Tampa Flames and Orlando City Juniors from the Southeast Division.

First-year program Knoxville Soccer Academy, FASA of the South Atlantic Division and Ottawa Fury of the New England Division will also enjoy the first-class facilities of IMG Academy. The Mid Atlantic Division contingent is made up of three teams, with the Westchester Flames, Ironbound SC, and Potomac SC heading to Florida.

For the first time in the Super-20 League Finals’ existence, a club from Colorado will be in attendance, as the Colorado Rapids U20 women have accepted a bid after a competitive 10-game season in the Rocky Mountain Division. Reading United AC of the Mid Atlantic Division and Triangle FC of the South Atlantic Division were last year’s two finalists and will continue their rivalry this year, as both clubs won their respective divisions.

D.C. United Women and TSF Academy, also of the Mid Atlantic Division, and FASA of the South Atlantic Division will accompany their rivals in Bradenton. Another new program to the Super-20 League is the Midwest Division’s Force Football Club Academy, which did not lose a game and earned a bid as the division winners. The New England Division’s Ottawa Fury will join their men’s squad in making the trip from Ontario.

Teams will check in on Wednesday, July 18 with group play beginning Thursday morning and running through Saturday. There will be four groups of four for the men’s tournament and two groups of four for the women’s, with the draw for each group available below. Each group was drawn randomly, with the provision that two teams from the same qualifying group could not be paired together in the opening round.

The Super-20 League Championship Games will take place on Sunday, July 22 at the IMG Soccer Academy Stadium.



SUPER 20 MEN
Group A
Laredo Heat SC, FASA, IMG, Ironbound SC
Group B
Knoxville Soccer Academy, Ottawa Fury, VSI Tampa Flames, Chicago Fire
Group C
Westchester Flames, Waza FC, Tampa Bay United, Texas Football Club
Group D
Orlando City Youth, Potomac SC, Crew Juniors, Alamo SC San Antonio


SUPER20 WOMEN
Group A
Colorado Rapids, Triangle SC, Force Football Academy, Reading United
Group B
D.C. United Women, TSF Academy, FASA, Ottawa Fury