Carolina Challenge Cup 2010: Toronto FC Returns

Charleston, SC — The seventh edition of the Carolina Challenge Cup kicks off Saturday, March 13 at Blackbaud Stadium with a doubleheader.

The round robin opener sees Major League Soccer Champions Real Salt Lake against MLS’s most successful franchise DC United at 5 pm, followed by Toronto FC versus tournament host, the Charleston Battery at 7:15 pm.

Real Salt Lake
The defending MLS champs enter this year’s tournament looking to repeat their success of 2009 when they won the Carolina Challenge Cup at the first time of asking. Head coach Jason Kreis led Salt Lake to its first-post season playoff appearance in 2008 and in 2009 he coached the team to its first MLS Cup championship. He is the youngest coach in MLS history to win the MLS Cup.

Real Salt Lake’s roster includes two players who have a chance to earn a spot on the US men’s national team roster for next summer’s FIFA World Cup. Midfielder Kyle Beckerman has made 10 appearances for the US and forward Robbie Findley started for the US in last week’s 2-1 loss versus the Netherlands.

DC United
United returns to the Carolina Challenge Cup for a fifth appearance; DC participated from 2004 – 2006 and then again in 2009 but somewhat surprisingly has yet to lift the trophy.

DC United is the most successful professional soccer organization in the US. United is a four-time MLS Cup Champion (1996, 1997, 1999 and 2004) and winners of the 1996 and 2008 U.S. Open Cup, the 1998 CONCACAF Champions Cup, the 1998 Interamerican Cup and the 1997, 1999, 2006 and 2007 MLS Supporters Shield.

Toronto FC
This is the fourth consecutive year that TFC will have visited Charleston for its pre-season. After a third stellar season at the turnstiles that saw anther 15 consecutive sell-outs Toronto FC just missed the MLS post-season finishing in 5th position in the Eastern Standings, one point outside the playoffs.

Toronto signed its first designated player towards the end of the 2009 season signing Canadian national team midfielder Julian DeGuzman to a three-year contract. DeGuzman has played 42 times for Canada and arrived in Toronto from Spanish La Liga side, Deportivo La Coruña.

Toronto have also made a coaching change during the off-season bringing in 2007 MLS Coach of the Year, Preki. Preki spent the last three seasons as the head coach with Chivas USA.

Preki is the only player to be awarded the MLS MVP Award and the MLS Scoring Champion twice, winning both in 1997 and 2003. He still holds the record for all-time league leader in points scored (270 on 79 goals and 112 assists, plus an additional 25 points on 10 goals and 5 assists in the playoffs). Preki played his last competitive game at the age of 42.

The Reds’ first match in the tournament will be against the hosts Charleston Battery on Saturday at 7:15 pm (live video and blog on the TorontoFC website).

Carolina Challenge Cup Schedule
Saturday, March 13
Real Salt Lake vs DC United – 5:00 pm
Toronto FC vs Charleston Battery – 7:15 pm

Wednesday, March 17
Charleston Battery vs Real Salt Lake – 5:00 p.m.
Toronto FC vs DC United – 7:15 pm

Saturday, March 20
Toronto FC vs Real Salt Lake – 5:00 pm
Charleston Battery vs DC United – 7:15 pm

Carolina Challenge Cup and MLS success
There is a remarkable correlation between success in the Carolina Challenge Cup and success in Major League Soccer. Each year aside from 2008, the winner of the Carolina Challenge Cup has gone on to win either that season’s MLS Supporters Shield (regular season champions) or MLS Cup.

Despite not creating an MLS champion in 2008 two of that years participants came very close to winning a major trophy as the Charleston Battery lost to DC United in the final of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup and the New York Red Bulls lost to the Columbus Crew in the MLS Cup final.

Carolina Challenge Cup past winners
2004 – Columbus Crew (MLS)
2005 – San Jose Earthquakes (MLS)
2006 – Houston Dynamo (MLS)
2007 – Houston Dynamo (MLS)
2008 – San Jose Earthquakes (MLS)
2009 – Real Salt Lake (MLS)