Tomorrow, September 15, was the scheduled draw for the Select World Cup tournament groups. And while we have had a major influx of sign-ups, we are currently only at 3 teams with at least 11 players. Congratulations to Mexico, Algeria and India for showing up. So, do we move forward with a 3-team tournament or postpone it for a bit and wait for more teams?
After careful deliberation, we've decided to postpone the Men's Select World Cup tournament until the early spring. While this may be considered a setback, it does have its advantages.
Advantage 1: More Teams
Playing a 3-team tournament is not ideal. It would limit the number of games not only for the entire tournament but would also limit the number of games for each team. This would not be very conducive in promoting the Select League or our future World Cup tournaments and international play. The added time will allow us to continue to bring in the registrations for a more complete tournament.
Advantage 2: Post FIFA World Cup
FIFA's World Cup tournament in Qatar kicks off this November. This will be huge in drawing more attention to our own tournament. It is believed that this will be a tremendous catalyst in signing up new players and bringing greater anticipation for the Select World Cup.
Advantage 3: Weather
Obviously, we are headed towards the colder weather, so pushing back the tournament even just a month could bring us some very cold and miserable tournament games. Playing in the early spring does just the opposite for us.
Advantage 4: Preparation
Finally, the postponement will allow teams to get some good practices in and help bring about better-quality play on the pitch. It'll also allow us to schedule some international friendlies in order for teams to properly judge how their own preparation is going.
For us on the organization side, it'll allow us more time to find proper sponsors, plan festivities surrounding the tournament and create the best possible event atmosphere.
If you have any questions about the tournament, please reach out to us at theselectleague@gmail.com.
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