The ECNL hosted the inaugural ECNL International IberCup at WRAL Soccer Park in Raleigh, North Carolina during Labor Day weekend, and saw 160 teams from 13 different countries attend the event compete in a four-day tournament that was a celebration of soccer and all of the cultures that fuel the beautiful game.
The ECNL International IberCup not only brought together teams from all over the world, but also put together a competition seen unlike anywhere else. The tournament featured multiple mini-games a day of 7v7 play, with new competition rules including an offside line, rolling subs, no heading and more. The result was more touches, more passes, more goals, more gameplay, and overall, more exciting soccer.
During the course of the four-day event, teams competed in multiple group stage games before teams advanced into a single-elimination knockout bracket. The tournament started high, and then as the event wore on, excitement continued to build until the championship matches on Day 4.
At the conclusion of the event, four teams earned trophies for their play:
U11 Gold - Kashima Antlers (Japan)
U11 Silver - The Swag Academy (USA)
U12 Gold - SE Palmeiras (Brazil)
U12 Silver - Revolution FC (Brazil)
Along with the standout play on the pitch, the ECNL International IberCup also hosted an International Coaches Night, where academy coaches from Everton FC, Gremio, Benfica and Athletic Bilbao held a roundtable discussion about their experiences coaching in Europe, playing internationally in the United States, and more. Ahead of the roundtable, legendary coach Luis Dias gave a presentation about his experiences leading the Sporting CP academy, coaching Christian Ronaldo and more.
The inaugural ECNL International IberCup was an incredible four-day event for players, parents, coaches, clubs and more. It was a celebration of soccer as a global game, and brought together athletes who never would have had the opportunity to play together and create lifelong memories.
Relive all the action from this amazing event with ECNL All-Access at the ECNL International IberCup.
