ATLANTA, GEORGIA—The inaugural UPSL Champions Cup will be held in Querétaro, Mexico, from November 3 to 6 and is proudly sponsored by the United Premier Soccer League. The competition will be the first of its sort at the semi-pro level in North America, featuring clubs from both the United States and Mexico.
In the UPSL Champions Cup, the top four UPSL teams square off against the top four UPSL MX teams. There will be two groups of eight teams, each containing two teams from Mexico and two from the US. The tournament final, which will take place on Sunday, November 6, will feature the group winners.
According to Leonel Lopez, the founder, and president of the UPSL, “The UPSL has a long history of players, coaches, and owners from Mexican ancestry. The UPSL has long aimed to increase its presence in Mexico and provide players participating in Latin America with more options.
The UPSL Champions Cup will assist in constructing this bridge and give these athletes a global stage on which to compete in addition to the 2020 introduction of UPSL MX. The Champions Cup will provide Mexico’s clubs, which are extremely well-run and have been competing at a high level, with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Representing the United States:
Foro 360 (Dallas, TX)
Davis Legacy (Davis, CA)
Chicago Nation FC (Chicago, IL)
UDA Soccer (Las Cruces, NM)
Representing Mexico:
Deportivo Teziutlan (Teziutaln, Puebla)
FC Penamiller (Penamiller, Queretaro)
Altiplano FC (Apan, Hidalgo)
Marineros FC (Piedras Negras, Veracruz)
Foro 360 of Dallas, Texas, the 2021 UPSL Fall Season National Champions, and Deportivo Teziutlan of Teziutlan, Puebla, the recently crowned UPSL MX National Champions, will compete in the tournament. Owner of Foro Sports Club, Bob Peinado, discusses the excitement surrounding the inaugural Champions Cup competition. “It’s a fantastic opportunity for our young, talented players and is consistent with our mission to produce top-tier professionals.
The UPSL is giving teams at this level a chance to play for an international title for the first time and compete for a national championship. The Champions Cup offers a unique chance for many of these first and second-generation Mexican-Americans because many of our staff members and players, like myself, are of Mexican origin. To travel to Mexico and compete against these elite teams validates the effort we put in back home and is a worthwhile experience.
For soccer clubs looking for an alternative to the country’s present lower-tier system, UPSL MX offers a fiercely competitive playing field. Forty clubs competed in two divisions last season. Under the aegis of the UPSL brand, the UPSL MX is run by UPSL MX Commissioner Israel Valenciano.
“Having a tournament of this kind in Mexico is a wonderful pleasure,” commissioner Israel Valenciano says. We anticipate our first Champions Cup event with great eagerness and open arms. We are eager to find out who will win the UPSL Champions Cup for the first time.
On Thursday, November 3rd, the Champions Cup’s opening game will occur. The Champions Cup Final will take place on Sunday, November 6, three days after that. Through VYRE Network, games will be televised live with commentary in both English and Spanish. You can access VYRE by downloading the free VYRE Network app from their website at www.vyre.tv or Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire, Android, iPhone, or your Smart TV.
