Whether referred to as soccer, football, le soccer, footy, footer, or fútbol - Squamish's most popular athletic event is back. Soccerfest will take over the town the weekend of Saturday (April 28) and Sunday (April 29), bringing 70 teams from across the province to duke it out on Brennan Park's eight fields.
The annual tournament has been running for over 20 years, and has been organized by the Squamish Soccer Association (SSA) for the past three. According to SSA co-chairman José Oreamuno, Soccerfest is an opportunity for players to compete in a fair, fun environment where nothing but quality soccer rules the day. Over 1,000 players will descend on Squamish for the occasion, though a few teams that normally show won't be making it this time around. Due to a time conflict with provincial playoffs, some squads weren't able to register before the deadline.
"There was a lot of disappointment this year, as teams that participated in previous years couldn't make it because they didn't sign up on time," he said, referring to SSA's strict registration and entry fee deadlines. "But everybody knew the deadlines. It was full a month ago."
The teams will start both days at 8:30 a.m. sharp, and will play until winners are proclaimed round robin-style in both the women's and men's divisions. While top finishers can expect to take home a purse of $1,200, Oreamuno said the rest of the prize money will be determined when they know exactly how many teams show up.
Brennan Park's soccer fields will be going non-stop all weekend, with four smaller fields set aside for the women's leagues and the remaining full size turfs for the men. Women will have seven players per side, and men will play the traditional 11. While the women's games play with a rule variation of no offside, the men will challenge under normal regulations.
"In the open division for both ladies and men it's quite competitive," said Oreamuno, adding that to oversee the high number of players, a slew of refs will be brought in from elsewhere to help manage the weekend.
"At an event this size, where you have 72 games a day, and 140 games per weekend, you need to bring in referees from outside of town," he said.
Spectators can expect to be entertained with more than soccer at Soccerfest, as organizers have booked a DJ to play all afternoon in the beer garden, which will be open from noon - 10 p.m. A full concession and the famous breakfast "eggers" will also be available.
While much of the weekend's buzz will be taking place at Brennan Park, the city of Squamish is certain to feel the effects of the additional business. Over half a dozen hotels were booked solid for the event more than a month ago, and the additional players are expected to drop a pretty penny at local pubs and restaurants.
"It's a lot of business. I can tell you without a word of a lie that this is the biggest event in the community," said Oreamuno.
Entry fee proceeds typically raise between $13,000 and $15,000, which will go to SSA's main fundraising project - an artificial turf field at Brennan Park. The endeavour is expected to cost upwards of $2 million, some of which Oreamuno hopes will be covered by grants.
Soccerfest organizers are still looking for volunteers, call 604-898-5579 to help out.
