BRADENTON, Fla. (November 8, 2013) - The fourth annual IMG Cup - Boys Invitational has announced an elite field of 76 hand-picked club teams from 10 U.S. states and 10 countries across the U14, U15, U16, U17, U18/19 and Super Group divisions. The IMG Cup – Boys Invitational will take place at IMG Academy, Dec. 18-22, 2013. 

Teams to watch include: 

Tottenham U18 - A member of the Barclay’s U18 Premier League, Tottenham comes to IMG Academy from London for the first time to compete in the Super Group. 

Querétaro F.C. - Based in the city of Querétaro, Mexico, just north of Mexico City, Querétaro is a member of Liga MX, the top tier of Mexican professional soccer. They will field two teams to compete in the U17 and Super Group divisions. 

Cruzeiro U18 - Hailing from Belo Horizonte, Brazil, Cruzeiro U18 is the developmental team for Cruzeiro Esporte Clube, and will compete in the Super Group. Cruzeiro is the ninth largest club in all Brazil.  

Stevenage F.C. U18 - The club is based in Stevenage, Hertfordshire, England and a member of the English football league system’s League One, the third tier of English professional soccer. They will compete in the Super Group division. 

U.S. Soccer U17 Men’s National Team - Led by Head Coach Richie Williams and based at IMG Academy since the program’s founding in 1999, the U.S. U17s have developed many of the top players on the U.S. Soccer Men’s National Team, including the likes of Landon Donovan, Eddie Johnson and DaMarcus Beasley who spearheaded the U.S. effort to qualify for the 2014 World Cup. 

F.C. Nashville - Led by coach and former U.S. Soccer National Team player Desmond Armstrong, FC Nashville will field teams in the U14 and U17 divisions. 

Virginia Legacy - The Virginia Legacy will field four teams in the U15, U16, U17 and U18/19 divisions. Notably, the U16s are currently 7-0 in league play, and were 2013 Jefferson Cup semifinalists. 

San Carlos Park Scorpions - The Scorpions U16s are among the nation’s elite clubs, with three national tournament titles in 2013 (Kelme Cup, Disney President’s Day Shootout and Tampa Bay Labor Day Showcase). 

Santa Clarita Elite - Hailing from southern California, the Santa Clarita Elite won the Las Vegas College Invitational in February in the U15 division, and will be playing up in the U16s for the IMG Cup. 

YESI Rush - Founded by IMG Academy alumnus and former professional player, Happy Hall, YESI is a soccer outreach program aimed at empowering youth in the Bahamas through soccer, and the team, competing in the U14 division, is comprised of the program’s players who maintained the highest grades and kept the most consistent school attendance. 

Atlanta Fire - Competing in the U18 division, the Atlanta Fire won the Disney Showcase in December of last year as a U17 participant. 

The U.S. Youth Soccer Olympic Development Program – Regions I (Northeast), II (Midwest), III (Southeast) and IV (West) teams, are part of a program formed in 1977 to identify a pool of players in each age group from which the National Team is selected for international competition. Within the ODP division, they will face competition from Bermuda FA and Barbados Soccer Academy. 

To see the full field of participating teams, visit the IMG Cup - Boys Invitational website by clicking HERE. 

Four feature games are already scheduled to take place inside the recently completed state-of-the-art 5,000-seat IMG Academy Stadium. On Dec. 19, the IMG Academy U18s take on Tottenham Hotspurs, followed by U.S. Soccer’s U17 Men’s National Team facing off against Stevenage F.C.. On Dec. 20, U.S. Soccer’s U17 Men’s National Team will challenge the Tottenham Hotspurs, followed by the IMG Academy U18s against Cruzeiro of Brazil. 

The event is open to the public and general admission is free, with all-day stadium passes starting as low as $10. For the schedule and to get your tickets now, visit IMG Academy’s website by clicking HERE. 

Media are invited to cover the event, and must visit the IMG Academy Press Room to fill out a credential application by clicking HERE. 

About IMG Academy

IMG Academy is the world-leading provider of integrated academic, athletic and personal development programs. With expert instruction, a proven training methodology, professional-grade facilities and a challenging and motivating learning environment that brings together individuals of all ages and backgrounds, IMG Academy provides the ultimate foundation for future success. 

The Bradenton, Fla.-based campus annually attracts nearly 200,000 athletes, coaches, event participants and spectators from 100 countries. In addition to its boarding preparatory school, IMG Academy offers

sports camps and training programs for adult, collegiate and professional athletes. IMG Academy is also the host venue for countless international amateur and professional sporting events. 

IMG Academy (imgacademy.com) is housed within the IMG Performance (imgperformance.com) division of IMG Worldwide (imgworld.com).