Visit Tucson Sun Cup

The Visit Tucson Sun Cup (formerly the Desert Cup, the Desert Diamond Cup and the Mobile Mini Sun Cup, is a preseason soccer tournament hosted by Phoenix Rising FC of the USL Championship and FC Tucson of USL League One. The tournament is sponsored by the Tucson Convention and Visitors Bureau, known as Visit Tucson.

Visit Tucson Sun Cup
Founded2011
Number of teamsVaries
Current championsColumbus Crew SC
(1st title)
Most successful club(s)New England Revolution
(2 titles)
2020 Visit Tucson Sun Cup

Beginning in 2011, the inaugural Desert Cup featured two Major League Soccer (MLS) clubs, Sporting Kansas City and New York Red Bulls. In the years since, the number of participating MLS clubs has continued to grow, with the 2018 Mobile Mini Sun Cup featuring eleven MLS clubs ‒ nearly half of the league's total membership.

History

The first edition of the tournament, held at Hi Corbett Field, a former baseball spring training stadium saw sellout crowds[1] with international stars such as Thierry Henry, Rafael Márquez, and Omar Bravo playing.

The second edition was held from February 22 through March 3, paralleling several other preseason tournaments ahead of the 2012 American outdoor domestic league seasons.[2] Three new clubs competed in the 2012 edition of the tournament: defending MLS Cup champions LA Galaxy, Real Salt Lake, and the New England Revolution joined the New York Red Bulls, who returned for their second Desert Cup appearance. The 2012 Desert Diamond Cup moved to Kino Veterans Memorial Stadium and saw clubs play a total of four matches each.[3]

Phoenix Rising FC purchased FC Tucson on October 11, 2017.[4] On December 5, Phoenix Rising FC and FC Tucson announced that they would co-host the tournament and that it would be renamed the Mobile Mini Sun Cup, with Mobile Mini as sponsor. Games will be played at North Stadium at the Kino Sports Complex as well as Phoenix Rising Soccer Complex. A record 11 teams will participate in the 2018 tournament.[5][6]

In 2020, the tournament will be renamed the Visit Tucson Sun Cup and will host Sporting Kansas City, Real Salt Lake, New York Red Bulls, Houston Dynamo and Columbus Crew SC along with Phoenix Rising FC.[7][8]

Sponsors

Results
Year 1st Place 2nd Place 3rd Place 4th Place
2011 Sporting Kansas City New York Red Bulls FC Tucson Arizona Sahuaros
2012 Los Angeles Galaxy New England Revolution Real Salt Lake New York Red Bulls
2013 Seattle Sounders Real Salt Lake New England Revolution New York Red Bulls
2014 Chicago Fire Chivas USA Real Salt Lake New England Revolution
2015 Real Salt Lake Colorado Rapids Sporting Kansas City Seattle Sounders FC
2016 New England Revolution Columbus Crew SC Sporting Kansas City
Houston Dynamo (tied)
2017 Houston Dynamo Colorado Rapids New England Revolution Sporting Kansas City
2018 New England Revolution Houston Dynamo Portland Timbers Sporting Kansas City
2019 FC Dallas Portland Timbers New York Red Bulls Real Salt Lake
2020 Columbus Crew SC Phoenix Rising FC New York Red Bulls Houston Dynamo


Team Wins Runners-up Years won Years runner-up
New England Revolution 2 1 2016, 2018 2012
Houston Dynamo 1 1 2017 2018
Real Salt Lake 1 1 2015 2013
Columbus Crew SC 1 1 2020 2016
FC Dallas 1 0 2019
Chicago Fire 1 0 2014
Seattle Sounders 1 0 2013
Los Angeles Galaxy 1 0 2012
Sporting Kansas City 1 0 2011
Colorado Rapids 0 2 2015, 2017
Portland Timbers 0 1 2019
Chivas USA 0 1 2014
New York Red Bulls 0 1 2011
Phoenix Rising FC 0 1 2020

See also

References
  1. Ryan Finley Arizona Daily Star. "MLS in Tucson: Soccer proves to be major hit". Arizona Daily Star.
  2. Knapp, Jake (September 29, 2011). "FC Tucson, MLS announce 2012 Desert Cup". KGUN9.com. Archived from the original on May 17, 2012. Retrieved November 26, 2011.
  3. "Four MLS teams to compete in Tucson Desert Diamond Cup". MLSsoccer.com.
  4. "'It's going to elevate everything:' FC Tucson sold to Phoenix Rising FC". Arizona Daily Star. October 11, 2017. Retrieved October 11, 2017.
  5. "Phoenix Rising FC and FC Tucson Debut 2018 Mobile Mini Sun Cup". Phoenix Rising FC. December 5, 2017. Retrieved December 5, 2017.
  6. "FC Tucson Debuts 2018 Mobile Mini Sun Cup". Paul Cicala. KVOA.com. December 5, 2017. Retrieved December 5, 2017.
  7. "Sun Cup Preseason Tournament Rebranded to Visit Tucson Sun Cup". FC Tucson Communications. December 20, 2019. Retrieved December 20, 2019.
  8. "2020 Visit Tucson Sun Cup Participants and Dates Set". Phoenix Rising Communications. December 20, 2019. Retrieved December 20, 2019.
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