SAN FRANCISCO,
April 1 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ -- Alianza de Futbol Hispano, the
nation's leading organization dedicated to the development and support of
amateur Hispanic soccer, today officially announced the 2009 Verizon Wireless
Copa Alianza tournament schedule. The
Verizon Wireless Copa Alianza, entering its sixth consecutive season, is the
largest and most prestigious national Hispanic amateur soccer tournament in the
United States, and showcases the top adult, Hispanic amateur teams in the
nation. The series of premier local
tournaments is scheduled to take place from April through October in ten cities
throughout the country, kicking off in Phoenix, Arizona on April 11th (see
schedule below).
In addition to
the ten host cities, seven other separate "satellite" markets will
also host qualifying tournaments that will feed teams into various local
Verizon Wireless Copa Alianza tournaments.
These satellite
venues include two Texas markets, San Antonio and Midland; two California
cities, San Diego and Bakersfield; two locations in New Mexico, Albuquerque and
Santa Fe; and one city in Wisconsin, Milwaukee.
"In just
six years, the Verizon Wireless Copa Alianza has expanded its presence from
four to seventeen of the top Hispanic markets in the country," said Brad
Rothenberg, Co-Founder and President of Alianza. "During this short time,
the tournament has not only increased its footprint across the nation, but it
has also developed into the preeminent Hispanic amateur tournament in the
United States. Working together with Verizon Wireless, we look to raise the bar
even higher for competing teams in years to come."
A total of more
than 448 teams and 9,000 players will be competing in the Verizon Wireless Copa
Alianza local tournaments in 2009. Each local tournament will take place over
three consecutive weekends, and at the conclusion of each one, the Verizon
Wireless Copa Alianza city champion will compete against a professional Mexican
Primera Division A team (reserve club) or a reserve MLS club in front of their
hometown fans. Participating Mexican
clubs this year will include Chivas Tapatio, America, and Atlas, among others.
More than $70,000 in prize money and awards will be offered in 2009 throughout
the series of tournaments. Total attendance throughout all the local
tournaments is expected to top 150,000.
Alianza de
Futbol's 2009 lineup of national sponsors include Verizon Wireless, Sears, and
Fox Sports en Espanol.
VERIZON WIRELESS
COPA ALIANZA 2009 CALENDAR
CITY DATE CITY
DATE
Phoenix, AZ April 11-26 Chicago, IL
June 27 - July 12
Houston, TX April 25 - May 10 Denver, CO July 18- August 2
Dallas, TX May 9 - 24 Los Angeles, CA
August 8 - August 23
Atlanta, GA May 23- June 7 San Francisco, CA August 22 - September 6
New York, NY
June 6 - June 21 El Paso, TX September 19 - October 4
About Alianza de
Futbol Hispano
Founded in 2004,
Alianza de Futbol Hispano is the leading, national organization dedicated to
the support and development of amateur, Hispanic soccer in the United States.
Through its sponsored local, regional and national tournaments, the
organization brings together and showcases the talents of Hispanic amateur
players nationwide. Alianza and its corporate partners reach out to a growing
community of hundreds of thousands of Hispanic soccer players and their
families. The 2008 edition of the Alianza tournament had a total attendance of
more than 115,000. For more information, visit www.alianzadefutbol.com or call
1-866-538-4955.
SOURCE Alianza de Futbol Hispano
