Schwan's USA CUP Presented by PUMA • Tournament Edition

"Now, there's no snow in the forecast, is there?" joked Vicky Zamora yesterday morning. She was bundled up in the stadium bleachers to watch her son play for the Rockford Raptors as they took on the Tottenham Hotspur Academy in unusually cool weather.

The matchup was the opening game of the vElite tournament for U16 boys. Raptors coach Paul Roe said the boys were interested in the opportunity to play in the vElite, but at first "they weren't really sure what it meant." When they got here, he said, it sank in.
James Kim photo

Playing Tottenham on the stadium field was a highlight for the team. "It's pretty awesome playing in the stadium," said Raptors player James Kim. But the British team took the Raptors by surprise. "The level of play is so much faster than we were expecting," Kim said.

It was the first time the team has played an international opponent, said teammate Kynan Obee. In addition, the Raptors at the tournament represent a combination of their U15 and U16 teams. Kim said the boys practiced together to get ready for the tournament and have a good chemistry. "It's the best team possible we could bring. It's great; everyone's friends."

Raptors coach Paul Roe wanted to combine the U15 and U16 teams because he felt there were stronger players across the two age groups. "The fifteens are actually off to US Club Soccer Nationals next week," Roe said. The USA CUP comes at the end of the team's spring season, and they would usually be taking some time off now, Roe said, but "you can't turn down opportunities like this."

Although they want to be competitive and win if they can, the boys are keeping a fairly relaxed schedule during the tournament, with maybe one or two light training sessions between games, Roe said. The Raptors will keep the weekend low key off tournament grounds as well. Their parents said they don't have any real plans around town, but the boys would probably head to the Athlete Party later.

With just a five hour drive to Rockford, Ill., Minnesota is not a new destination for the team. Robinson said the boys play occasional games in the state because they compete in the US Youth Soccer Midwest Regional League.

Playing an English team was new, though. "It's a pleasure to play Tottenham," Roe said after the game. "It was exciting." An Englishman himself, Roe felt the cool, wet day was in Tottenham's favor. "This is nice British weather that you put on for them," he said, laughing. Coming from steamy Illinois, he was a little unprepared. "Well, I didn't bring any track suits."

Down 0-3 at the half, the Raptors eventually lost 0-4. Lori Robinson, another Raptor mom, expected the play to pick up in the Raptors' next game. The team often starts slow, but she said they tend to get better as the day goes on. "I know our fifteens get nervous before big games," she said.

The loss didn't seem to faze the boys. Asked if they are having a good time at the tournament, Kim, Obee and teammate Tom Fluegel gave a unanimous "yes."
The Rockford Raptors tied their evening game against the Brooklyn Italians, 1-1. The Raptors take on TSF Academy today in their final pool play game at 10:40 on field U2.
Tottenham Hotspur Academy put forth a strong effort yesterday and ended with a 1-0-1 record for their two pool play games. "We've played very, very well," said Tottenham coach Chris Ramsey.

The Spurs arrived in the Twin Cities Monday and have been training each day since Tuesday for the tournament. "This is the developmental part of our season," Ramsey said. The boys are part of a training program, not a club team, so some of them will not move on next season, he added.

The rest of the weekend will be lighter for Tottenham, with no training, just games. "The boys are still jet-lagged, really," Ramsey said. But it has not been all work for the team. Wednesday night they took the opportunity to go out for a movie. Though it was the release date for Harry Potter: The Half-Blood Prince, the team did not go see the popular British-based film. "It was too long. We couldn't have kept them in their seats," Ramsey said. The coaches planned to relax a little, too. "Some of our coaches are going out on the town tonight in downtown Minneapolis," Ramsey said.

As for the experience at USA CUP, Ramsey said everyone has been welcoming. "We've enjoyed the tournament. It's been very well organized," he said. "So far, so good."