Thousands of youngsters take to Baltimore for The Southampton Cup 2022

The event saw 241 teams from across the north-east region of the United States of America take part in 401 games in Howard County, Maryland.

Hosted in partnership with Elite Tournaments, 4,338 players competed in front of nearly 9,000 spectators over the course of the weekend.

Tom Grevatt, Coaching Programmes Manager at Southampton, said: “We’ve got an excellent history and reputation for developing players, so this gives an opportunity for players in America to experience The Southampton Way.

Megan Ditchman, Vice President of Marketing and Partnerships at Elite Tournaments, added: “The tournament has been going since 2017, we did miss a year because of COVID so we’ve been running the event for five years.

“You’ll see a pocket of fans for Southampton that have emerged in this space and the tournament is something that teams look forward to every year.”

As well as helping to grow the game in the United States, the event gives players the chance not only to compete in the tournament, but also to earn an exclusive opportunity to come to England and train at Staplewood Campus under the guidance of the club’s renowned Academy staff.

Southampton Football Club’s Global Academy staff members Ed Kilby, Nathan Cornick and Grevatt were on hand selecting players based on club characteristics to come back to England to take part in the player development experience in 2023.

“It’s been fantastic to watch the players,” said Kilby, Football Development Coordinator. “Across the different age groups we’ve seen some really competitive football and I think it’s brilliant for the club to be present here in the States.

This gives an opportunity for players in America to experience the Southampton Way.

Tom Grevatt
Coaching Programmes Manager

“Being able to support local coaches with the interaction we have is important as it showcases that Southampton is here to help the clubs of the future but also the here and now.”

Those selected will be part of a seven-day player development residential programme, with opportunities to take in Premier League training facilities, stadia and coaching.

“Across the last few days we’ve seen lots and lots of different players with different styles of football, so we’ve been spoilt for choice for who to select” said Grevatt.

“The standard has been really good from start-to-finish,” said Cornick, Football and Sports Development Officer. “It’s great to spread the word of The Southampton Way and provide those opportunities for those players.”