Schwan’s USA CUP Wraps Up After Most Trying Week of Weather in 27 Years

The largest youth soccer tournament in the western hemisphere, Schwan’s USA CUP, will wrap up on Saturday with semi-final and championship games. The tournament, held at the National Sports Center in Blaine, Minn., which boast 48 soccer fields, saw 942 teams competing this year representing 20 different states and 17 countries.

But this year’s USA CUP Weekend and the week-long tournament, Schawn’s USA CUP, faced its most trying stretch of weather in its 27 year history. There were four suspensions of play during the tournament – two for lightning and two for high heat index. No games were cancelled and suspended games were rescheduled.

Barclay Kruse, Media Director for the National Sports Center, has been with the tournament since 1991. He said the NSC staff is always prepared for a storm or hot temperatures. But this year’s weather that saw torrential rain with lightning followed by high heat and record humidity levels that seemed to continue to loop around the region again and again caused Kruse to say, “It was like Groundhog Day.”

“Between significant lightning delays, huge amounts of rainfall, and then the record levels of heat and humidity, this is unique. This is the most challenging weather we’ve ever had to face,” said Kruse.

The tournament started with a bang on Friday morning. Unfortunately the bang was lighting which was followed by heavy rains that lasted several hours. Then after things started to clear the rain came again causing a 5.5 hour delay on Friday.

Saturday schedules had to be changed when the tournament went to “red flag” conditions, meaning games are shortened because of the heat and a mandatory 2 minute break took place in the middle of each half.

On Sunday afternoon the Schwan’s USA Cup had play suspended for the first time in its 27 year history due to “black flag” heat conditions. The heat index in that time period was near 120°F.

Monday there were no games but when the USA CUP started on Tuesday it was again greeted by several hours of torrential rain and lightning only to be followed by suspension of play in the late afternoon, again for reasons of high heat and humidity.

Kruse, who says the NSC employs a meteorologist during the tournament, believed conditions were ripe for heat delays on Tuesday afternoon. So it was vital for them to get games underway as soon as possible after the rain delay.

“We had people out there with squeegees and brooms trying to get the water off the field to get the games going again,” said Kruse. “After a point there’s only so much you can do.”

On Wednesday, conditions were very hot but the humidity levels dropped. “It’s extraordinary how nice it is to return to just a plain old brutally hot day,” said Kruse on Wednesday.

Kruse said often times games were started an hour earlier in the morning to avoid the hot afternoons and others were rescheduled later in the day. Between the schedule changes and the NSC staff having to do even more work than normal with the storms and rain, it affected things that most people wouldn’t consider.

“On Tuesday before the storm, Brandon Radeke (NSC facility manager) and his crew were running around taking down all the field manager tents so they don’t get blown away. We were told we could have 60 to 70 mph winds. So they were basically taking down everything on campus that could blow away and that had to be done in about 15 minutes. Afterwards, they had to set them all up again. That’s a lot of work in a short amount of time, ” said Kruse.

Kruse also told the story of players who were staying in dorms at the campus of the University of Minnesota, about 20 miles from the NSC. When the games were moved up it meant most of those who had morning games missed breakfast which was served at the campus. “Moving the games up was the right decision,” said Kruse. “But now we have all these kids here saying, where do we eat?”

“We have a terrific infrastructure here at the NSC. We’ve actually managed things very well considering all the factors and all the extra work. I’m very proud of our staff,” said Kruse.

Schwan’s USA CUP concludes Saturday with semifinals in the morning and championship games in the afternoon. With the weather of the past week it seems only fitting that today’s finals just might have more interruptions. Thunderstorms and high heat and humidity are all in the forecast again today.

Here is the schedule of championship games in the top division of each age group:
(For exact times or possible schedule changes along with teams who are playing go here)

Girls
11: 1:00 p.m., Field F1
12: 3:00 p.m., Field J1
13: 3:00 p.m., Field A1
14: 3:00 p.m., Field U1
15: 1:00 p.m., Field A3
16: 5:00 p.m., Field D2
17: 5:00 p.m., Field U2
19: 5:00 p.m., Field U1

Boys
11: 3:00 p.m., Field F1
12: 1:00 p.m., Field U2
13: 5:00 p.m., Field H4
14: 5:00 p.m., Field H3
15: 5:00 p.m., Field D4
16: 1:00 p.m., Field A2
17: 3:00 p.m., Field U2
19: 1:00 p.m., Field U1