The U.S. Virgin Islands Soccer Federation is gearing up for several events involving its senior and junior national teams over the next several months.
Yet USVISF officials aren’t forgetting the federation’s territorial clubs, and have something in the works for them as well.
Earlier this week, federation officials announced the formation of the USVISF President’s Cup, a winner-takes-all tournament that will serve as a tune-up of sorts for the clubs involved in the upcoming Premier League season — and even some future teams for the territory’s club league.
“It’s something new that we’re now implementing, and it’s going to be open,” Dante Nicholas, the USVISF’s assistant technical director and media manager, said Wednesday in an exclusive interview with The Daily News.
“It’s not replacing anything; what we view it as is as an introduction to the Premier League that we have every year. It’s really a ‘pre-tournament’ that’s going to allow the teams to get prepared and actually give the community itself an insight into what’s coming before we actually start the Premier League.”
The tournament — scheduled to begin the weekend of March 16 — could have as many as a dozen teams entered, according to USVISF officials. Many of those teams will come from the Premier League ranks, and will be joined by “guest” teams for the single-elimination tournament.
The President’s Cup tournament will play its early-round games at the Bethlehem Soccer Complex on St. Croix and Ivanna Eudora Kean High School’s field on St. Thomas, with the championship match at the Bethlehem Soccer Complex.
“We have nine football clubs in the Virgin Islands (Premier League), so we’ve opened it up for guest teams to join,” USVISF general secretary Firas Idheileh said.
“We have two guest teams confirmed for the tournament, but not all of the club teams have confirmed for the tournament. We’re not quite sure who’s going to participate quite yet.”
Idheileh said the team registration deadline for the President’s Cup tournament is Friday, March 1, with the team roster submission deadline set for Saturday, March 9. The team entry fee is $100, with registration forms available from the USVISF by email at usvisoccer@gmail.com or calling 340-719-9707.
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