Hmong Team Wins Shwans USA Cup
Proudly wearing their traditional Hmong costumes, players and their parents from St. Paul’s United Express attended the Shwans’s USA Cup opening ceremonies with great awe.
They were going to enter one of the largest soccer tournaments in the world with over 13,000 participants and 841 teams coming from all over the world to converge in the National Sports Center in Blaine, MN during the week of July 17-25.
According to the tournament’s director, Terry Vogt, the USA Cup is the largest soccer tournament in the Western Hemisphere and has been one of Minnesota’s largest draws for tourism since its inception 25 years ago.
With dozens of nationalities being represented at the USA Cup, the colorful assortment of Hmong textiles was a fresh addition to the international soccer community.
On the soccer field, this relatively unknown bunch would cause quite the international stir.
Split into two different teams (Under 12 and Under 11), United Express faced teams from Canada, Mexico and Brazil along with a number of top flight teams from the United States.
After a grueling week of soccer, both teams would find themselves at the champion’s circle hoisting the prestigious USA Cup above their heads. Not only did the teams win, they dominated the field.
“The boys practiced really hard over the summer,” Explained Paj Xyeem Xiong, coach of the U-12 team. “Winning the USA Cup fulfilled our goals for this year!”
A long time coach for youth soccer, Xiong decided to take the reigns of the Hmong soccer club after watching a tournament in which the team suffered a loss.
“Even though it wasn’t my team, I felt really bad for our Hmong kids,” Xiong explains. “That’s when I decided I would help this team become a winner.”
The first step in rebuilding the team was to organize the parents.
“One of the biggest differences between Hmong parents and other parents is punctuality,” illustrates Xiong. “There would be games when we’d be at half-time when some parents would eventually show up with their kids. That kind of thing just didn’t happen when I was coaching other teams.”
Team manager Chong Neng Thao confirms how important it was to get the parents on the same page.
“We had talented kids, but if the coaches and the parents aren’t there to support them, how can they expect to compete against other teams who have that support system?”
The formula began to take shape over the summer as the teams began to rack up local tournament wins. Once the team began winning, parents began to take the soccer club more seriously, showing excitement and dedication towards their kids.
En route to their USA Cup, the team fought hard to earn the respect of other teams and nations. On one occasion, a referee from England ripped off his officials badge and gave it to one of the United players out of respect for their team.
Not all was smooth on the diplomatic side, however. After defeating Brazil 3-0 in the semi-finals, the Brazilian coaches refused to line up for the traditional handshake.
“The coaches were upset over some calls from the referees, which they complained about the entire game,” Recalls Coach Xiong. “But overall, most teams displayed great sportsmanship throughout the tournament.”
At the finals, the team faced Minnesota Thunder Academy, a team compiled of elite youth sponsored by the Minnesota Thunder professional soccer team. Impressively, St. Paul United overtook the powerhouse 3-1.
After winning the USA Cup, coaches, parents and the players are expecting big things to come. Their first goal is to make the ‘premier’ league this upcoming season. If they are able to win that league, the will qualify to play regional teams and eventually national teams.
“If we can get there, people from all over the soccer world will know who the Hmong are,” Expressed an excited Thao. “We do have high expectations!”
St. Paul United Express is a 501c3 non-profit organization. To find out how you can contribute or join them, please call the Club’s Director, Tay Vang at 651-442-3380