BARÇA ACADEMY’S LARGEST LAS AMERICAS CUP IN HISTORY KICKS OFF

Cap Cana, Dominican Republic .- With the partaking of more than 600 athletes, 54 teams and enthusiastic parents of the players, the third version of the Las Americas soccer Cup of the Barcelona Academy was inaugurated at the facilities of the Los Establos polo fields at Cap Cana in the Dominican Republic.

Eight countries, 14 Barça Academy and Camps meet from this Friday December 14 until Sunday 16 in search of regional supremacy in its different categories.

The patron of the Barça Academy Las Americas Cupe tournament is the former Barcelona Club Soccer player Juliano Belletti.

This version becomes the largest in history in the Americas and is projected for upcoming celebrations a marked increase in athletes and teams, as has been happening since the first version, when they started 26 teams.

The tournament, sponsored by Scotiabank, will have 6 competition categories for the first time.

It is an ideal scenario for the dispute of a new Barça Academy Las Americas Cup, the tournament that brings together the players of football schools that FC Barcelona has spread throughout the Americas.

As is tradition, 3 teams from Barça Escola will come from Barcelona to play in this competition.

Enthusiastic players between the ages of 6 and 18 decorate the fields and fill Capcana with color.

With the addition of three new categories, those of Initiation, Cadet and Juvenile, the tournament receives a special touch, because competitive first age athletes are of great appeal and bring together the whole family.

In addition, for the first time the competition has the support of a main sponsor, Scotiabank.

On this occasion there is  representation of eight different countries, teams arrived from Canada, the United States (San Diego, Chicago, Columbus, the Barça Academy Pro New York and the Barça Academy Camps West Coast), Costa Rica, Guatemala, Mexico (Puebla), Colombia (Bogotá, Cali, Medellín), Barcelona and the Dominican Republic.

All of them are divided into 7 categories of initiation football (born in 2012-2011), with 5 participating teams; Training (2010-2009) with 9; Precompetition (2008-2007), with 17 teams; Competition (2006-2005), with 13; and already the football 11 sets Cadet (2004-2003), with 5 participants; and Juvenil (2002- 2001-2000), where 5 other teams will play, including the locals of Punta Cana FC and Cibao FC.

In addition to the competition, the young athletes who take part in the Barça Academy Las Americas Cup will enjoy different parallel actions organized for them within the facilities of Los Establos, such as Pro Evolution Soccer 19 tournaments, the Gatorade Bottle Challenge, Gatorade Soccer Ping Pong and a target shooting, in addition to other actions promoted by Nike and Scotiabank.

While the visitors of FC Barcelona and the former player, Juliano Belletti, will be able to travel in Audi cars to enjoy both the tournament and the different places offered by the location.