Sueno MLS '08 draws over 3,500 players
Chivas USA tryout spots already filled; FCD spots nearly complete
Aspiring young players looking to fulfill their dreams are encouraged to register for either the Los Angeles, CA or Dallas, TX open tryouts as soon as possible at the event's official website, www.SuenoMLS.com as the waiting list will be available for those who are not able to register for the initial spots. Last year's winner, Jorge Flores, registered for Sueño MLS via the waiting list and subsequently became the ultimate winner of the event.
Sueño MLS - Built by The Home Depot was officially launched on Sunday, Jan. 27 at approximately 12:30 p.m. ET with a nationally televised announcement on Univision's top-rated weekly sports magazine show, República Deportiva. Sueño MLS is a six-week quest to find the best undiscovered, young soccer player in the nation. This February and March, the program returns to Los Angeles as Chivas USA searches for another undiscovered star. Simultaneously, Sueño MLS will take place in Dallas, providing an opportunity for a new set of hopefuls to showcase their talent in an effort to earn their way onto the FC Dallas roster.
Sueño MLS kicks-off the weekend of Friday, Feb. 15 with four days of open tryouts at the Bell Gardens Sport Center, home to Chivas USA's academy and youth teams, in the city of Bell Gardens, Calif. A week later, beginning on Feb. 22, the FC Dallas tryouts will be staged at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Tex.
The coaching staff for each MLS club will invite 60 players per city back to a second tryout on Saturday, March 1. After the round of 60, "The Final 18" of each team will be selected and subsequently compete on March 8-9 and March 15 for a chance to train with the respective MLS team, and possibly earn a roster spot.
Sueño MLS will continue to be showcased on República Deportiva this Sunday at 11 a.m. ET (10:00 a.m. CT; 12 Noon PT) with special appearance by the reining Sueño MLS winner Jorge Flores, who last year entered the competition as a 17-year old high-school senior and part time church cleaner from Anaheim, CA before being discovered. Flores not only earned a spot and played with Chivas USA's senior team, but he was later called up to the United States Under-20 National Team. He recently served as captain of the United States U-20 National Team when it competed in the Copa Chivas tournament in Guadalajara, Mexico.
SUEÑO MLS PLAYER REGISTRATION FACTS:
• As of Thursday afternoon approximately 2,000 people have registered for the Chivas USA tryout and more than 1,500 have registered for the FC Dallas tryout
• The average Sueño MLS participant age is 19 years old
• 39 states and 17 countries are represented by those currently registered for one of the two Sueño MLS tryouts with registrations coming in from Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Egypt, El Salvador, Ivory Coast, Germany and Mexico.
SUEÑO MLS KEY DATES:
• February 15 - 18 (President's Weekend) -- Open Tryouts @ Chivas USA
• February 22 - 25 -- Open Tryouts @ FC Dallas
• March 1 -- Training for 60 Finalists (both cities)
• March 8 -9 -- Training for "The Final 18" (both cities)
• March 15 -- "Final 18" Trial Game (both cities)
• March 17 - 23 -- Two-week trial with Chivas USA and FC Dallas
• March 30 -- Announcement of winners on República Deportiva
