Major League Soccer Kicks Off The 2011 Budweiser Cup

Tournament Expands to 19 Cities and Winning Team Travels to Argentina to Represent the U.S. in the Global Beer Champions Tournament

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Major League Soccer

May 03, 2011, 06:00 ET

LOS ANGELES, May 3, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Budweiser and Major League Soccer (MLS), the top-flight professional soccer league in the United States and Canada, is offering amateur players the chance to live their soccer dreams in the Budweiser Cup. Teams will compete in six-a-side matches throughout Southern California, Arizona, and Las Vegas for a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Argentina to play against winning squads from around the world.

The 2011 Budweiser Cup expanded from 16 to 19 cities and began in Santa Ana, Calif., on Saturday, April 30, and concludes in Las Vegas, Nev. on Sunday, May 29. Each local tournament will host up to 64 teams, with two finalists from each city receiving cash prizes and a spot in the championship on Saturday, June 11, prior to the LA Galaxy vs. Toronto FC game at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif. The championship team will receive a trip to Argentina to represent the United States in the Global Beer Champions tournament held at the legendary LA BOMBONERA stadium.

In addition to playing on the same field as the best footballers in the world, participants in the international finals will experience the comforts that go along with being soccer superstars, including round-trip airfare to Argentina, first-class hotel accommodations and tickets to two matches to the biggest soccer tournament in South America.

"Major League Soccer is proud to present the 2011 Budweiser Cup and continue the six-a-side tradition that attracts soccer enthusiasts worldwide," said David Wright, Vice President of Partnership Marketing for Soccer United Marketing, MLS' marketing arm.

"By partnering with Major League Soccer to present the Budweiser Cup, we have the opportunity to provide soccer's passionate fans and amateur players a chance to compete in and experience one of the world's premier soccer events in person," said Mark Wright, vice president, media, sports & entertainment marketing, Anheuser-Busch. "The tournament also reinforces Budweiser's commitment to advancing the sport of soccer by bringing the nation's top amateur players to the global stage to compete against teams from across the world."

Registration for the local tournaments is open until a capacity of 64 teams has been reached for each tournament. Teams interested in participating in the tournament can register by calling 1-800-609-3414 or by visiting www.MLSCopaBudweiser.com. The registration fee is $100 per team, and all players will receive an adidas soccer jersey. Local tournament prizes include $1,000 for first place teams and $500 for second place teams, as well as trophies and medals.

Major League Soccer will donate a percentage of the registration fees to local Hispanic charities in each tournament city that are currently working with Anheuser-Busch and its local wholesalers.

Budweiser is an official sponsor of Major League Soccer and the Global Beer Champions tournament. For the second consecutive year, PRIMETIME Sports and Entertainment, a leading sports marketing company, will be managing and producing the Budweiser Cup tournament.

About Major League Soccer

Headquartered in New York City, Major League Soccer is the top-flight professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. MLS features many stars from the U.S., Canada, and around the world. Major League Soccer's 16th season, which will feature 18 clubs each playing 34 regular season matches, kicked off on Tuesday, March 15, 2011. The 18 clubs are: Chicago Fire; Chivas USA; 2010 MLS Cup champion Colorado Rapids; Columbus Crew; D.C. United; FC Dallas; Houston Dynamo; LA Galaxy; New York Red Bulls; New England Revolution; Philadelphia Union; Real Salt Lake; San Jose Earthquakes; Seattle Sounders FC; Sporting Kansas City; Toronto FC; and, in their inaugural seasons, Portland Timbers and Vancouver Whitecaps. An expansion team in Montreal will debut in 2012. For more information about MLS, log on to the League's official website at www.MLSsoccer.com.

About Anheuser-Busch

Based in St. Louis, Anheuser-Busch is the leading American brewer, holding a 48.3 percent share of U.S. beer sales to retailers. The company brews the world's largest-selling beers, Budweiser and Bud Light. Anheuser-Busch also owns a 50 percent share in Grupo Modelo, Mexico's leading brewer. Anheuser-Busch is a major manufacturer of aluminum cans and has been a leading aluminum recycler for more than 30 years. The company is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Anheuser-Busch InBev, the leading global brewer, and continues to operate under the Anheuser-Busch name and logo. For more information, visit www.anheuser-busch.com.

About PRIMETIME Sports and Entertainment

PRIMETIME Sports and Entertainment is a leading sports and entertainment marketing company with proven expertise in marketing, event management, athlete and celebrity marketing and content development. Some of PRIMETIME'S projects encompass Budweiser Cup, Sueno MLS, Socio MLS, Romario vs. Campos Farewell match, record-breaking 100-Hour Chivas Game, Chivas-at-the-Park, Lowe's Freestyle Soccer Tour, Reto Final and Road to Glory, among many others. For more information, visit www.ptimegroup.com.

SOURCE Major League Soccer