Newbury Park soccer team playing in AYSO National Games in Chicago
By Stephen Dorman sdorman@theacorn.com

Having spent the first half of the week soaking up the sights and sounds of Chicago, a group of soccer All-Stars from Newbury Park hits the field today for a pair of matches in the American Youth Soccer Organization National Games 2006.

The U-12 team from District 42 in Newbury Park, recently named the AYSO's 2005 Region of the Year, was invited to the prestigious tournament after being selected in a random drawing by the national AYSO organization, head coach Ralph Glass said.

"It's not like a Little League World Series where you have to win each region in order to get to this point," Glass said. "It's a random selection from all over the country."

This year 24 teams will compete in the 12-and-under age bracket. There are six other California squads in Newbury Park's division.

The tournament is being held at the Libertyville Township Soccer Complex and the Vernon Hills Athletic Complex in Chicago, Ill.

Most of the Newbury Park players flew into the Windy City on Sunday, while the rest of the squad arrived the following afternoon.

"Some of the guys wanted to stay behind and watch the World Cup," the coach said.

All told, there are 36 players and family members on the trip. And like the recently completed World Cup in Germany, loyalties to many nations are represented in the Newbury Park group. "I have two English families

who've been rooting for England," Glass said. "I've got two Italian families who have been super excited. We've got Brazilians . . .

"It's a soccer group," he said. "They've been born and raised to love the sport."

Glass said this particular collection of players has competed together since November in a variety of All-Star competitions.

The opportunity to test their skills against some of the best teams nationwide will be an excellent barometer for the skill level of the league and local youth soccer in general, he said.

"We've been in the finals of every tournament we've en

tered," Glass said. "It's a pretty strong team and I hope that we do well. It'll be interesting to see how we stack up against the nation.

"Because it's a random draw," he said, "overall we should have a much better picture of how we are against the country."

The tournament will last throughout the weekend with the finals held Sunday. Most of the group will return to the West Coast the following day.

"The kids are really excited," Glass said. "They're a great group and are so tight. It'll be a lot of fun. They're amped. They're ready to go."