The Road to Old Trafford

As most the soccer world was fixated on the road to Germany for the 2006 World Cup, U-15 club teams from around the United States had their eye on a different road that could potentially lead them to the historical grounds of the Manchester United Football Club, Old Trafford. Their ticket? Winning the U.S.A. finals of the Manchester United Premier Cup hosted on the Nike World Campus in Beaverton, Oregon.

During the Memorial Day Weekend, twenty boys and twenty girls U-15 club teams from throughout the U.S.A. battled for the honor to represent their country in the finals. For the boys, it meant a trip to Old Trafford in Manchester, England. For the girls, the finals were an invitation to the prestigious Gothia Cup in Gothenburg, Sweden. The Oregon weather treated its guests to a variety of conditions...Traditional Spring downpours along with gorgeous sunny skies. The impeccably manicured grounds of the Nike World Campus provided excellent conditions throughout the weekend.

Ohio FC Mutiny from Dublin, Ohio won the honor over the Dallas Texans from Dallas, Texas in a penalty kick shootout after regulation play of the qualifying final ended in a 1-1 draw. In the ladies competition, So. Cal United from Thousand Oaks, California topped the Vardar Soccer Club of Rochester Hills, Michigan to earn a trip to Sweden.