The sixth annual Desert Diamond Cup kicks off Saturday, and this year’s event shouldn’t disappoint.
A record six Major League Soccer teams — New York City FC, New York Red Bulls, Colorado Rapids, Sporting Kansas City, New England Revolution and Houston Dynamo — will take part in Saturday’s tripleheader at Kino North Stadium. They’ll play again Feb. 25.
The Desert Diamond Cup is a win-win for the participating teams and Tucson sports fans. The MLS teams get to train in warm weather, while soccer aficionados get to watch “The Beautiful Game” up close.
“Fans will be 15 to 20 feet away from players like Andrea Pirlo, David Villa and Tim Howard, who have played in World Cups,” said Greg Foster, co-founder and managing partner of FC Tucson, the team that hosts MLS preseason.“This may be their only chance to see this much talent this close.”
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Last year’s Desert Diamond Cup saw fan bases from all teams, creating an atmosphere that one might mistake for a European soccer match.
The New England Revolution beat the Columbus Crew 1-0 in the championship game, with Teal Bunbury delivering the game-winner. Bunbury and Kei Kamara finished the two-week mini-tournament with three goals apiece, most among all players. Bunbury won the Desert Diamond Cup MVP award, while Kamara took home the Copper Boot, given to the top scorer.
This year could be even bigger. Consider: A Desert Friendlies matchup between Seattle and Portland earlier this month drew 4,064 fans — the largest crowd in Kino North Stadium history. A match between the Red Bulls and Timbers a week earlier drew a similarly robust crowd.
MLS preseason promotes the game locally and helps Tucson grow as a sports town, Foster said.
“It creates a national footprint,” he said. “It helps this city get on the sports map as well as fills restaurants and hotels.”
