Festival of soccer underway as TST brings teams from around the world to Cary to compete for $1M
CARY, N.C. (WTVD) -- Matches are underway in Cary as men and women compete for a chance to win $1 million.
The Soccer Tournament (TST) is in its second year at WakeMed Soccer Park, and this year brings with it more pomp and circumstance than ever before.
Forty-eight men's teams and eight women's teams from around the world have come to Cary to play in the tournament.
Those teams have brought with them food, drink and more! For example, Manchester City brought its newly acquired Premiere League Championship trophy. People waited in line Wednesday for a chance to snap a picture with the world-famous trophy.
That's just one of the booths in the fan area offering entertainment outside the pitch.
"It's amazing. It's so fun to see all these young stars and old stars to have the game," Ayush Lanka said.
"And to see them play on fields that we used to play on for club teams. So it's kind of cool," Baran Narravula said.
WATCH | Former UNC soccer star Jamie Watson talks with Travon Miles about TST
Two local soccer clubs will be in the tournament. The women's NC Courage team is joining the tournament for the first time, and the men's North Carolina Football Club is returning for a second time.
Many of those on the men's team are former Carolina RailHawks players and they've been training for weeks.
"To have the opportunity to play against such high level athletes, whether they're indoor players, pro soccer players, former pros, aspiring pros (is great)," North Carolina Football Club TST General Manger and Player Nick Platter said.
Ten international teams are traveling to Cary to compete in the men's division. An addition five are coming for the women's division.
Some big names are entered to play in the tournament -- including celebrities like ESPN's Pat McAfee, David Beckham's son Cruz Beckham. There are teams consisting of international soccer superstars like Sergio Aguero, and even some NFL stars like Chad "Ochocinco" Johnson and J.J. Watt.
How the games work
The tournament games will be a bit different than the soccer most people have seen. TST will be 7 on 7 instead of the usual 11 on 11. The games consist of two 20-minute halves and then an untimed extra period that only ends when one of the teams reach a target score.
The target score will be one goal more than the leading team has at the end of regulation. So if regulation ends with a 2-1 score, the teams play an untimed period until one of them reaches 3 goals.
However, another quirk of the rules says that after 10 minutes in the untimed extra period, one player will be removed from each team. And that will continue every 10 minutes until a team reaches the target score.
Local revenue
The Triangle area is going to score a good deal of revenue from the tournament, as visitors are checking into hotels and will be dining out at restaurants.
The event is expected to bring in $15 million.
"I think we are both surprised and excited that Cary has been the leader is bringing this event to the area," said Jocelyn O'Sullivan with the Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance.
