5/22/07 -- BUCKS SHOWDOWN WITH FIRE FREE TO THE PUBLIC THANKS TO CANTON SOCCER CLUB
Canton, MI (May 22, 2007)- The 2006 North American champion Michigan Bucks have announced today that the organizers of the 25th Annual Canton Cup Soccer Classic have bought all tickets to the Bucks/Chicago Fire Premier showdown this Saturday, May 26 (5:00 PM kickoff) so that all participants of its 511 team tournament will have the ability to see top level soccer at no charge. According to Bucks owner Dan Duggan, "In my twelve years in this league I have never heard of such an act of generosity as was brought to me this week by tournament director John Vaughn. In order to celebrate their 25th year in style, they wanted a top level game to really give the younger kids something to aspire to. They couldn’t have asked for anything better, as these two teams have combined to send the most players to Major League Soccer (MLS) over the past six years than any other two PDL clubs." Added Duggan, "and the winner of this match will be in the driver’s seat to secure the final spot in the 2007 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, representing the Great Lakes Division." The CFP have had the Bucks number over the past few seasons, but when they met in the Central Conference Final Four in Des Moines, IA last July, the Bucks blasted their rivals 4-1 as they began their quest for their first ever Premier Development League (PDL) championship.
With thousands of young soccer fans swarming the home site of the Canton Cup tournament at Independence Park, seating for this epic battle will be limited and fans are encouraged to bring their own chairs as well. Since the organizers have purchased the entire gate, there will be no need for a ticket, as the general public will gain free access to the high profile match. "The Cup Committee wanted to do something special this year and we wanted it to tie into the progress we have made over the past 25 years with Canton Youth Soccer. We could think of no better way to do this than to attract two of the top clubs in North America (including the defending champions from right here in our own back yard) and make it available to soccer fans of all ages for free. This is our way of saying thank you for being a part of this year’s tournament," continued Vaughn.
The Bucks come into Saturday’s match with a record of 2-0-0, having shut out both of its first two opponents. Chicago presently sits with a record of 1-0-1, and has two more matches before they get to Canton on Saturday afternoon. The US Open Cup representative from the Great Lakes Division will be the team with the best record after its four pre-determined Open Cup qualifying matches. The Fire Premier are the minor league affiliate of MLS Chicago Fire, as the Bucks are to the Columbus Crew. The Fire Premier have had a record 36 former players selected in the MLS draft, while the Bucks have had a respectable 19 former members drafted as well. The Bucks will finish Open Cup qualifying with a road game on Memorial Day against the Indiana Invaders in South Bend before returning home for their huge match on Wednesday, May 30 in Berkley against MLS Columbus Crew. Tickets for the Crew game are $15 all ages, general admission the day of the game, but you can save $5 per ticket presale. All $10 tickets can be purchased at the Canton Cup tournament, on line or at one of nine Bucks local ticket outlets throughout Metro Detroit.
For more information on discounted Crew tickets and directions to Independence Park in Canton, please visit the team web site at www.buckssoccer.com.
