The second annual Lancaster Unity Cup soccer tournament will get under way this Saturday, July 27, with 14 teams competing for the trophy and a $1,000 grand prize.
Sponsored by the Lancaster Recreation Commission, the Unity Cup is a World Cup-style event featuring teams made up primarily of local immigrant and refugee players.
Games will take place every Saturday over next eight weeks at the Lancaster Township Community Park, 1221 Millersville Pike.
Things will get off to a festive start at 9 a.m. Saturday with an opening ceremony and a scrimmage with the Rec’s under-19 team.
That will be followed by the first two games at 10 a.m. A community fair will be set up along the sidelines with food, vendors and activities.
Teams will play every Saturday thereafter, starting at 9 a.m., leading up to the semi-final and championship games on Sept. 14.
That day falls during the opening weekend of Lancaster’s Welcoming Week, which runs Sept. 13-22. The two semi-finals will be at 10 a.m., followed by the finals at 11:30 a.m.
The teams are as follows:
- Bosnia & Herzegovina
- Colombia
- Congo
- Ecuador
- Egypt
- Guatemala
- Inter American
- Nepal
- Somalia
- Mexas
- Mexico
- Myanmar
- Peru
- West Africa
For a full schedule and other details, visit the Unity Cup page on the Lancaster Rec’s website.
“I like playing in the tournament because it allows me the opportunity to engage with my friends and make new ones,” Team Ecuador Captain Xavier Molina said.
“Playing soccer has always brought a sense of belonging, no matter where you’re from,” he said. “It keeps you active, it forms lasting friendships and above all, brings joy.”
The Unity Cup’s lead sponsor is Lupton Law, an immigration law firm with five office locations, including Lancaster. United Way of Lancaster County is among the “sideline sponsors.”
The 2023 Unity Cup took place last fall at Roberto Clemente Field in Lancaster, with 16 teams. West Africa won and Afghanistan took second place.
