International Soccer Invitational Tournament with veteran all-star professional players from US, Russia, Germany, Ukraine, Belarus, Hungary, UK, Lithuania, Korea, Mexico, and Greece, most with National Team, Olympic Team, European and US top club success and accolades. This historical soccer event brings together some of the best players from Europe to play in the 1st International "Cup of Legends
", just outside of Chicago, over the Thanksgiving weekend. The Athletico Center, in Northfield Illinois, will be hosting 8 teams for 12 bracket games, semifinals and championship finals, from the US and Europe, playing over two days, November 26th and 27th, 2016. Professional media, video and VIP attendance will be available. Championship Finals and 3rd place games will be STREAMED LIVE on the internet. Bringing together this group of teams and players from around the world, is tournament director Igor Sklyarov (USSR Olympic Gold Medal Champion from Seoul Korea 1988, Russia National Team player, player for FC Dynamo Moscow, and married to 5-time world champion in gymnastics champion Natalia Yurchenko, Chicago area soccer youth coach and scout). Attending this unique soccer event will be 8 special event soccer teams based from Ukraine, Los Angeles, New York and Chicago with players and guests including:
-Alyaksandr Khatskevich (Belarus National Team head coach and prior National Team player, as well as past player at Dinamo Kiev and Dinamo Minsk)
-Vladimir Bessonov (Ukrainian soccer coach, USSR national team soccer player at 3 FIFA World Cup, Olympics, UEFA Cup Champion, and Ukrainian player of the year, and multiple Premier League club championships in Belarusia and Ukraine)
-Alexei Mikhailichenko (former player for Dinamo Kiev/Ukraine, Sampdoria/Italy, Glasgow Rangers/Scotland, USSR Olympic gold medal champion, National team player for USSR and Ukraine, National team coach for Ukraine as well as Dynamo Kiev coach and sports director)
-Vasyl Rats (National Team player for USSR at 2 World Cups and Euro tournaments, and club player for Dynamo Kiev)
-Dema Kovalenko (retired USA player originally from Ukraine, played at Chicago Fire, DC United and St Pauli/Germany, NCAA National Champion and all-American at Indiana University)
-Anatoli Demianenko (National team player for Ukraine and USSR, Dynamo Kiev player, 3rd all time in USSR with 80 caps and 3 World Cups, 2-time Ukrainian player of the year and Soviet player of the year, past coach at Dynamo Kiev)
-Oleg Salenko (Russian, USSR and Ukrainian National Team player, FIFA World Cup 1994 Golden Boot Top scorer, Dynamo Kiev player)
-Aleksandr Khapsalis (retired Soviet football player of Greek descent, National Team player for Ukraine and USSR, played at Dynamo Kiev and Dynamo Moscow)
Cup of Legends Tournament Management:
-Igor Sklyarov, Tournament Director
-Alex Kharpatin, Tournament Manager
-Aron Grunfeld, Tournament General Sponsor
-Dana Plotkin, Athletico Centre facility Manager
-Yakov Strelchin, Tournament Media Director
-Michael Christov, Tournament and Business Consultant
Cup of Legends Tournament Sponsors:
-Modern Silicone Technologies Inc
-NVC Radio, 1430 am
-Yakov's Studio, Photography and Video
-Yurchenko Gymnastics
-Prime Building Construction
-CITY Club Gymnastics Academy
