Puerto Rico Hosting A Concacaf/Fifa Sanctioned Tournament.

[yankiboy]

Puerto Rico has been working with the Dominican Republic, Haiti and other neighbors in order to increase the cooperation so that each neighbor can help itself and their neighbors improve football in their country.

Although it is only a Youth Tournament, every step for Puerto Rico is crucial as the county attempts to improve it's soccer program an develop it's credibility amongst it's CONCACAF neighbors. This tournament is a small but still very significant step in undoing the damage done by the corrupt officials that were running the Puerto Rican Federation before FIFA and CONCACAF took contro of the federation and cleaned house several years ago.

I am really glad to see this. It would not have been possible without cooperation between neighbors.

Here are some links.


http://www.concacaf.com/view_article.asp?id=3099

http://www.fedefutbolpr.com/fpf.htm

[Canadian_Supporter]

I remember a few years back Puerto Rico hosted a tournament with Tampa Bay and a few other club teams (perhaps a club from the former USSR).

[yankiboy]

I remember a few years back Puerto Rico hosted a tournament with Tampa Bay and a few other club teams (perhaps a club from the former USSR).

You, my fine Candian friend have an incredibly good memory!

The tournament was Copa Puerto Rico 2000. The club former USSR club that you recall was FC Dinamo Minsk (Belarus). The Tampa Bay Mutiny and the Costa Rican U-23 team also participated.

The Puerto Rican Federation is working very hard to attempt to stage other tournaments that will allow the Sr. Puerto Rican National Team to play in some sort of tournaments in the future. The Sr. Team basically never plays any friendlies. All of its games have been limited to WC or Digicel/Gold Cup Qualifiers.

[MoRado]

thats very good, i hope the best for PR!
"q se junten los boricuas"

[Reycd]

I think that is great, lets improve the futbol of our Carribean neighbors any way we can, Im sure P.Rico can be a good team if they get their act together as they already produce great athletes.. would be a a little interesting to have a mini-rivalry between the US and P.Rico in years to come..

[DaMunk]

From the VI Daily News:

http://www.virginislandsdailynews.com/index.pl/article_sports?id=7026460

[yankiboy]

Thanks a lot for the UVI link DaMunk. I never would have known about that one.

[yankiboy]

I think that is great, lets improve the futbol of our Carribean neighbors any way we can, Im sure P.Rico can be a good team if they get their act together as they already produce great athletes.. would be a a little interesting to have a mini-rivalry between the US and P.Rico in years to come..

Thanks for the kind words but for real, after Puerto Rico waxed our Yanki @sses in Men's Olympics Basketball in Athens last year :(, boxing and with next year's planned Baseball Classic (World Cup)--I don't think that we really need any more US-PR sports rivalries. :)

But I would love to see my adopted country actually make it out of the first round of Digicel/Gold Cup qualification, that would be a nice first step. Hey, a Digicel/Gold Cup or WCQ win would be nice--even if they were in the first round. I'd be thrilled to see that.

[yankiboy]

thats very good, i hope the best for PR!
"q se junten los boricuas"

Muchisima gracias 'mano. Poco a poco...

Mad luv back at my Big Tico, Morado. Little by little, with a lot of hard work, PR will improve. The Puerto Rican people are crazy about sports. The PR Fedaration is moving in the right direction. Even having the US 2nd division pro team the Islanders is a step in the right direction. Every postive step is crucial to the program's development and vital to getting the FIFA aid that will--along with private and public funding---allow PR to move forward.

[Canadian_Supporter]

The tournament was Copa Puerto Rico 2000. The club former USSR club that you recall was FC Dinamo Minsk (Belarus). The Tampa Bay Mutiny and the Costa Rican U-23 team also participated.


It is sad some of the soccer things I remember. :( :)

[Valdo_8]

Wow, that would be great if they coordinated their efforts to improve the soccer in that area. It would not only be good for them, but for the U.S too. Probably more talent feeding in the MLS, more competive games between the caribbean, and World Cup qualifying can have more competive matches/upsets. I know soccer lives in the caribbean, atleast for Haiti in that matter where a nation would disarm there guns to watch the Brazilians play against their national team. (That's hot, a soccer team with that much influence) Hope you luck P.R, keep the ball rolling.