CARSON, Calif. (Wednesday, April 11, 2012) – The LA Galaxy announced today that the club will host the inaugural LA Galaxy Sand Soccer Showcase from June 29-July 1 in Hermosa Beach, Calif. The first beach soccer tournament of its kind to be held in Hermosa Beach and the only one of its kind in the Los Angeles-area, the Sand Soccer Showcase promises to be one of the premier beach soccer tournaments in all of Southern California this summer.
The tournament will be governed by the National Governing Body of Sand Soccer and hosted by the Galaxy and Soccer in the Sand, a San Diego-based group that hosts more than a dozen similar tournaments nationwide. All games will be played in accordance with official FIFA Beach Soccer rules and regulations on a field that is 25 yards wide and 35 yards long. Teams will be comprised of four field players and a goalkeeper using a specially designed beach soccer ball. Each game will be divided into three, 11-minute periods with short stoppages between periods.
“The LA Galaxy are excited to host our first-ever beach soccer event and to kick off what promises to be an exciting summer of soccer,” Galaxy Vice President Chris Klein said. “Being a professional soccer team in Southern California, there is no better way to celebrate the culture of soccer in this region than by hosting this tournament.”
All teams that register will be guaranteed to play a minimum of three games on Saturday June 30, with the potential to advance to the play-through stages on Sunday and a shot at a divisional title. There will also be an Adult Co-ed division, as well as Men’s Open and Women’s Open divisions which will feature cash prizes for the winning teams. Additionally, the winning teams from the Boys and Girls U-14, U-16 and U-18 brackets, as well as the Adult Co-ed, Men’s Open and Women’s Open winners will be awarded berths in the Beach Soccer National Championships, which will be held in Clearwater, Fla. in December 2012.
“The City of Hermosa Beach is very pleased to have the Galaxy in our community and we are excited about the opportunity to partner with them, on a flagship event for their club, fans, and of course the residents of Hermosa Beach,” said Patrick “Kit” Bobko, the Mayor Pro Tempore for the City of Hermosa Beach. “Having worked with the Galaxy on past events and seeing the successes that they have had, we are very much looking forward to what the inaugural Sand Soccer Showcase will add to our community during the holiday weekend this summer.”
Registration for the LA Galaxy Sand Soccer Showcase costs $445 per team, which includes all tournament fees, a commemorative gift for each player and eight tickets to the Galaxy game against in-stadium rivals, Chivas USA, on Saturday, July 21 at The Home Depot Center. Additionally, U.S. Beach Soccer Team head coach Eddie Soto, who is also the head coach of the Galaxy Academy U-18 team, will be in attendance throughout the tournament, looking to identify the future stars of U.S. Beach Soccer. All entered participants also are granted access to participate in a free beach soccer clinic, which will be held on Friday June 29, just north of the pier in Hermosa Beach. Two Galaxy players will be in attendance to participate in the clinic and sign autographs for kids from 7-8:30 p.m.
The Galaxy are back in action on Saturday, April 14 when they host the Portland Timbers at The Home Depot Center. That game, which is presented by Barry’s Tickets, kicks off at 7:30 p.m. (PT) and tickets are on sale now starting at just $30. For more information about this game or to purchase tickets for all Galaxy home games, please visit www.lagalaxy.com/tickets.
