Representing the United States, the Disney Soccer Showcase All-Stars finished fourth at Chelsea Academy’s inaugural youth cup near London over the weekend.  The tournament featured top youth clubs from England, Germany, Holland, Russia, Argentina, Korea and Lebanon.  The Disney All-Stars, comprised of the top 18 U.S. players, were selected at America’s most prestigious youth soccer tournament, the Disney Soccer Showcase, presented by Chelsea FC, in December 2007.  The U.S. All-Star team finished the tournament with a record of 2-1-2, with victories over FC Tolyatti of Russia and Bayern Munich of Germany.

Chelsea strives to grow the sport of soccer in America at the grassroots level, through commitments such as official partnerships with some of the top youth clubs in the nation. This past spring, they partnered with Raleigh-based youth club Capital Area Soccer League (CASL), which brought to the U.S. official Chelsea coaching manuals, player and coach exchanges, and clinics aimed to foster an open dialogue between the sport in the UK and the U.S. With the partnership of Disney and adidas, the inaugural cup was able to profile the future of U.S. soccer talent utilizing the tournament as its stage.