autoevolution
 

VW to Hold Youth Soccer Tournament in the US

The German car manufacturer who is the official automotive partner of Major League Soccer just thought of another way to promote soccer in the US. Volkswagen tries to accomplish this with their newly launched Volkswagen Junior Masters youth soccer tournament.

The competition will gather youth soccer talents from 20 countries and the winning team will represent the US at the Volkswagen Junior World Masters Finals in May 2010, just before the FIFA 2010 World Cup in South Africa kicks off.

As a long-time global supporter of soccer, Volkswagen is taking its U.S. soccer presence to new heights by giving young soccer players the chance to compete on the world stage," said Tim Ellis, Vice President of Marketing for Volkswagen of America, Inc. "The Volkswagen Junior Masters extends our growing commitment to soccer in the U.S. and complements our existing U.S. soccer initiatives including our sponsorship of MLS, D.C. United and The Footballers' Clubhaus youth soccer tour."

The VW Junior Masters will run its course from July 20 to October 18, 2009. The preliminary rounds will gather twelve teams which will be invited to compete in the US finals in Washington, D.C. on October 17- 18. All youth teams that meet the required age are eligible to take part in the event.

Major League Soccer is proud to partner with Volkswagen on a tournament like the Junior Masters that encourages fun and competitive soccer, especially among younger players," said Kathy Carter, executive vice president of Soccer United Marketing, MLS' marketing division. "We look forward to the various competitions that lay ahead and to the excitement that this event will generate among soccer fans across the United States and internationally."

"I am delighted that Volkswagen has demonstrated such a profound commitment to developing America's young soccer players through initiatives like the Junior Masters Tournament," said John Harkes, ESPN soccer analyst and former MLS star who is the official spokesperson for the Volkswagen Junior Masters in the U.S.
If you liked the article, please follow us:  Google News icon Google News Youtube Instagram X (Twitter)
 

Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?

You will only receive our top stories