NoVa Teammates Take Home Gold in USASA Veterans Cup National Championship

United States Adult Soccer Association’s Veterans Cup, an annual tournament for men and women more than 30 years old, took place in Virginia Beach July 9 through 13. Soccer teams across the country competed in various age divisions for the 2014 national title.

In the Over-55 Men’s Division, four competitors represented Northern Virginia in the winning team, Real Lyold Curmudgeons of North Carolina. Andrew Dunning (Herndon), Chris Smallwood (Centerville), Jean-Michel Coughlin (Leesburg), and Sam Fisher (Oakton) helped lead their team to victory in the Final 4-1 after going undefeated through the group stage and knockout final rounds.  

Representing Northern Virginia in the Over-60 Men’s Division, NC United, also based in North Carolina, were Joel Ross (Herndon) and Horacio Zamora (Annandale). NC United won all four games without conceding a goal but lost the Final to the two-time defending national champions from Texas and Oklahoma 4-2.

All participants from Northern Virginia play weekly in the local Fairfax Over-50 Soccer League (FO5SL), one of the only such soccer organizations in the D.C. metro area. Dunning, Smallwood, Coughlin, and Ross play on the same FO5SL team, the Sparks, which has won all FO5SL league championships since the 2012-13 winter season.