PREVIEW:

San Diego County’s been the scene of a lot of big soccer tournaments but it’s doubtful there’s been one with the international flavor of this weekend’s The Beach Soccer Championships event in Oceanside.   

“We’ve got pro teams coming from Japan, Senegal, Brazil and Portugal, among other countries,” said Gino Rossi, managing director of The Beach Soccer Championships series.  “We’re really excited because this means we will have the best players in the world playing at a very high level and people can come see the quality of competition that elevates this to such a great game.”

 

Last year’s tour visit here generated crowds of about 25,000, said Rossi, and he’s expecting more this year. The event will be held in the Oceanside Harbor area near the marina and for those who can’t find parking places the event has arranged for regular bus shuttles from the nearby Oceanside Transit Center.
 

Rossi said there are 316 professional and amateur teams registered for the high-paced, skills-oriented competition.  Teams up to the U9 age group play 6-aside and age groups older than that play 5-aside.  Joe’s Crab Shack, the tour sponsor, will be setting up a beach restaurant to serve food to competitors and spectators, Rossi said. 

 

Registration is closed for this weekend's competition, but Rossi said he is still accepting applications for the May 29-30 Memorial Day tour event at Long Beach.  More information available at www.BeachSoccerUsa.org