Oldest Ongoing Soccer Tournament In The U.S. To Celebrate Its 100th Anniversary With 2024 Amateur Cup Championship

CHICAGO, IL, UNITED STATES, May 22, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ — The competition to compete and win the Fitz Marth Cup, awarded to the winner of the National Amateur Cup Soccer Tournament, will occur July 25-28, 2024 in DeKalb, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. The competition is held under the auspices of the USASA (United States Adult Soccer Association), the preeminent amateur soccer association in the United States with over 220,000 members. The winner of the title of National Amateur Cup Champion is the top distinction that an elite amateur soccer club can earn in the United States. The amateur soccer club, SC MesoAmerica of Los Angeles, was the 2023 champion.

In 2024, The National Amateur Cup Soccer Tournament brings together four elite amateur teams from throughout the United States to compete, in the semifinal and final games. The tournament will feature 4 days of men’s and women’s semifinal matches, leading to the final. Teams qualify to compete in the semifinals after first winning their own State’s or region’s championship. Unlike other amateur competitions in the U.S., the National Amateur Cup tournament is open to any amateur adult team in the U.S., that enters and competes in one of the regional qualifying events.

Said John Motta, President of USASA, “We’re pleased to celebrate 100 years of amateur soccer in the United States with this prestigious tournament. It is a testament to the longevity and growing popularity of the sport in America.”

DeKalb Illinois, where the National Amateur Cup soccer tournament is being held, returns the national championship to its home, Chicago, Illinois, the site of the first amateur soccer championship competition, which was held in 1924. The local USASA club, Dekalb County United, will serve as the host organization.

The winner of the Fitz Marth Cup also receives a place in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup competition. Another historic tournament, the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup competition is conducted on a single-game, knockout basis and open to professional and amateur teams affiliated with U.S. Soccer.

In addition to the competition on the field, the 100th-anniversary celebration will include a variety of festivities, according to USASA Executive Director Bruce Bode. He said, “We are planning fan zones and special guest appearances. We will also highlight the history of this tournament during the build up to and at the finals. We want to create an unforgettable experience for players, fans and families, and create an environment for attracting and welcoming many new fans to the U.S. soccer community.”