by Teri Vogt, Schwan's USA CUP Tournament Director
I recently was at the NSCAA - National Soccer Coaches Convention - and ran across the daughter of a coach who has been bringing teams to USA CUP for many many years - Florin Marton. Originally from Romania, he moved to Minnesota and now coaches college and club teams in West Virginia. He has been responsible for bringing teams from Romania, Minnesota and now his own daughter's team from West Virginia. What a history many like him have with this event. He and I were all about memory lane but our nostalgia was even surpassed by his daughter's love of the event. We both walked away feeling proud and happy to be a part of USA CUP. I asked Nicole to write down her thoughts on the tournament, which she so kindly did. Thanks Nicole. Your dad and I promise to work hard to make it a great experience again this summer!
Teri Vogt and Nicole Marton talking at the NSCAA convention in St. Louis
Nicole Marton - a player's view of USA CUP
I've attended the Schwan’s USA CUP for the past three summers, and so far the feeling is unmatchable. In my mind, it's almost like everything I do within the months before the tournament is all in preparation for the time of my life that one week. Honestly, that's what the USA Cup is to me--a heaven on earth. I tell any player who has never been there or who is interested in possibly going that they will love it, because I know that's how I feel. The atmosphere is literally out of this world. There's soccer all around, fields tended to the highest of standards, stores, and teams from all over the world. I've met players from Canada, Mexico, Brazil, and teams from every corner of the country. It's almost impossible not to walk around the complex in awe.
For my team, it's not only a time to have amazing fun playing the sport we love; it is a great way to bond. We get one solid week of constant competition in which we have to pull together and give everything we've got in the pursuit of that ultimate glory, the ultimate goal—to be able to hold the game ball or the championship trophy up in the air and scream "We Are the Champions" (usually way off tone) at the top of our lungs.
I've been there to experience that thrill. It was my first USA Cup ever. I was 12 years old playing on a team of 16 year olds, so I had an even bigger challenge as a player. Our goal set by our coach was not to win, since obviously it was out first time and we didn’t know what to expect, but that made us want it even more. We won every single game before we had to play a team from Mexico. I felt like I was in my own personal World Cup competition. We went into the game thinking “Oh my God, an international team!” Honestly, this was the turning point in our mindset. We ended up winning, and I even scored! We started thinking that maybe, just maybe, we could win this whole thing. So, we continued, spirits high, until we faced Brazil in the championship game. We were all a bundle of nerves. Wasn’t Brazil the capitol of skill in the women’s soccer world? We knew it was, but we left it all on the field that game. I don’t think I’ve ever seen teams bond the way they do at the USA Cup, and bond we did! We came out of the game, sweating our hearts out and screaming our lungs out! We were the champions! 3-1 in a game we were never 100% sure was ours to win, but we did it. We came through, and it was that unmistakable feeling of triumph and glory that sets the USA Cup apart from all the rest.
I would encourage any serious,competitive team to attend the USA Cup because it is an experience like no other. Every year, it is the highlight of my year and the memory that sticks with me for the next 365 days before I get to experience it again. The feeling never gets old as many times as you go, and it is essentially a week in the long year you have to see to believe. The USA Cup is my favorite place in the world, and the place teams can come together and shine.
Nicole Marton
Captain of the U15 Lady Stingers
