The wait is over for hundreds of aspiring young soccer standouts as registration opens for Sueño MLS 2013 – Presented by Allstate, the premier, nationally televised search for the best undiscovered soccer talent in North America.
Starting today at 2 p.m. ET, hopefuls will be able to register at www.SuenoMLS.com for an opportunity to participate in one of the three open tryouts. The competition will be chronicled in a unique “reality show within a show” format by Univision Network’s popular weekly sports entertainment program “República Deportiva” (Sports Republic). Co-hosted by legendary sportscasters Fernando Fiore and Félix Fernández,“República Deportiva” airs every Sunday at 12 p.m. ET.
Now in its seventh year, Sueño MLS 2013 – Presented by Allstatewill be staged by three Major League Soccer teams, including first-time host Colorado Rapids, as well as returning hosts D.C. United and LA Galaxy. Up to 500 tryout spots will be made available in each city on a first come, first served basis. In past years, spots have filled up in only a few hours following the start of registration. A waiting list will be available.
In each city, field players will be battling for one of five invitations to a week-long trial with their respective youth development host club and an invitation to the exciting four-day National Finals that will be held in the greater Los Angeles area and be hosted by Sueño MLS Ambassador and Colombian soccer great, Carlos “El Pibe” Valderrama. The finals will include training sessions, scrimmages, guest celebrity scouts and an opportunity to meet some of the League’s biggest stars. The Sueño MLS 2013 – Presented by Allstate winner will be crowned on Sunday, May 12, live on República Deportiva (see calendar below for more information).
In addition, the Allstate “Good Hands®” top goalkeeper award - El Portero Allstate - will be presented for the third consecutive year. One goalkeeper at each of the three local tryouts will be selected as a local goalkeeper finalist and will compete in the National Finals for the opportunity to be named El Portero Allstate and train with an MLS team. El Portero Allstate will be selected in conjunction with the winner ofSueño MLS 2013 – Presented by Allstate, and will be mentored by Mexican goalkeeping legend and Republica Deportiva co-host, Felix Fernandez.
“Allstate is excited to once again be the presenting sponsor of Sueño MLS and be part of the search for the best undiscovered soccer talent,” said Pam Hollander, Allstate’s senior director of sponsorship marketing. “We look forward to honoring the winner of El Portero Allstate as well, as ‘protection is our game,’ and goalkeepers know that concept well!”
Since its inception in 2007, Sueño MLS has given thousands of talented young athletes an opportunity to showcase their skills and impress scouts. The inaugural winner, forward Jorge Villafaña (formerly Jorge Flores), of Anaheim, Calif., is now in his seventh season with MLS’s Chivas USA. The 2008 FC Dallas Sueño MLS winner, Gabriel Funes Mori, played with the FC Dallas Juniors U-18 team before moving to Argentina’s legendary team River Plate, where he plays alongside his twin brother Ramiro Jose, a Dallas Sueño MLS finalist that same year.
MLS partners participating in Sueño MLS 2013 – Presented by Allstateinclude adidas, Gatorade, Pepsi and Volkswagen.
Photos, b-roll and logo from Sueño MLS – Presented by Allstate are available for download at: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/j8prkzyruckgzuv/so9rP-R1J7
2013 TIMELINE
March 24 Live announcement on Univision Network’s República Deportiva
April 13-14 Local market tryouts in the Washington D.C. area, hosted by D.C. United
April 20-21 Local market tryouts in the Denver area, hosted by Colorado Rapids
April 27-28 Local market tryouts in Los Angeles area, hosted by LA Galaxy
May 9-12 National Finals at The Home Depot Center in the Los Angeles area
May 12 Live announcement of winner on República Deportiva
PARTICIPANT ELIGIBILITY:
Eligible players must be males between the ages of 14 and 18 years old (born between May 14, 1995 – April 13, 1999) with appropriate identification and have retained their amateur status. Current collegiate student-athletes will not be permitted to attend the National Finals in Carson, Calif. Sueño MLS participants will be responsible for all personal expenses associated with the local market tryout, including travel to local tryouts, lodging, food, soccer equipment (shoes, training gear, etc.), etc. Program sponsors will cover all expenses for eighteen (18) participants selected to attend the National Finals in Carson, Calif. For more information, please visit www.SuenoMLS.com. Participation in the event is free. Players may not register for more than one city.
SUEÑO MLS PAST WINNERS:
Year Name Home Town Position Host Team
2007 Jorge [Flores] Villafaña Anaheim, Calif. Forward Chivas USA
2008 Gabriel Funes Mori Arlington, Texas Forward FC Dallas
2008 Briant Reyes Downey, Calif. Midfielder Chivas USA
2009 Alberto Lopez Aurora, Ill. Midfielder Chicago Fire
2010 Nelson Castro Houston, Texas Defender Houston Dynamo
2011 Birnis Adames Camden, N.J. Forward Philadelphia Union
2012 Armando Flores Anaheim, Calif. Forward Chivas USA
*Co-winners in 2008
ABOUT MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER
Headquartered in New York City, Major League Soccer is the top-flight professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. MLS features many stars from the U.S., Canada, and around the world. Major League Soccer’s 18th season will feature 19 clubs each playing 34 regular-season matches. Those clubs include the Chicago Fire; Chivas USA; Colorado Rapids; Columbus Crew; D.C. United; FC Dallas; Houston Dynamo; 2012 MLS Cup champion LA Galaxy; Montreal Impact; New York Red Bulls; New England Revolution; Philadelphia Union; Portland Timbers; Real Salt Lake; San Jose Earthquakes; Seattle Sounders FC; Sporting Kansas City; Toronto FC and Vancouver Whitecaps FC. For more information about MLS, log on to the league’s official website at www.MLSsoccer.com.
ABOUT ALLSTATE
The Allstate Corporation (NYSE: ALL) is the nation’s largest publicly held personal lines insurer, serving approximately 16 million households through its Allstate, Encompass, Esurance and Answer Financial brand names and Allstate Financial business segment. Allstate branded insurance products (auto, home, life and retirement) and services are offered through Allstate agencies, independent agencies, and Allstate exclusive financial representatives, as well as via www.allstate.com, www.allstate.com/financial and 1-800 Allstate®, and are widely known through the slogan “You’re In Good Hands With Allstate®.” As part of Allstate’s commitment to strengthen local communities, The Allstate Foundation, Allstate employees, agency owners and the corporation provided $29 million in 2012 to thousands of nonprofit organizations and important causes across the United States.
ABOUT UNIVISION COMMUNICATIONS INC.
Univision Communications Inc. (UCI) is the leading media company serving Hispanic America. Its assets include Univision Network, one of the top five networks in the U.S. regardless of language and the most-watched Spanish-language broadcast television network in the country reaching 96% of U.S. Hispanic households; UniMás, a leading Spanish-language broadcast television network reaching 89% of U.S. Hispanic households; Univision Cable Networks, including Galavisión, the country’s leading Spanish-language cable network, as well as Univision tlnovelas, a 24-hour cable network dedicated to novelas, Univision Deportes Network, a 24-hour cable network dedicated to sports, ForoTV, a 24-hour Spanish-language cable network dedicated to news, and an additional suite of six cable offerings - De Película, De Película Clásico, Bandamax, Ritmoson, Telehit and Distrito Comedia; UVideos, the first bilingual digital network serving Hispanic America; Univision Studios, which produces and co-produces reality shows, dramatic series and other programming formats for the Company’s platforms; Univision Television Group, which owns and/or operates 62 television stations in major U.S. Hispanic markets and Puerto Rico; Univision Radio, the leading Hispanic radio group which owns and/or operates 69 radio stations in 16 of the top 25 U.S. Hispanic markets and Puerto Rico; Univision Interactive, a network of products and offerings including Univision.com, which continues to be the No. 1 most-visited Spanish-language website among U.S. online Hispanics, Univision Móvil, a longstanding industry-leader with unique, relevant mobile products and services, and Univision Partner Group, a specialized advertising and publisher network. Headquartered in New York City, UCI has television network operations in Miami and television and radio stations and sales offices in major cities throughout the United States. For more information, please visit Univision.net
