High school soccer champions may meet

In virtually every high school sport every year, there's talk at the end of the season about how exciting a plus-one game would be between the 5A and 4A state champions.

Fans would've flocked to see a super championship in football last year between Timpview and Alta, and they would've done the same to see a plus-one game between unlikely boys basketball champions West Jordan and West.

When it comes to high school soccer, Real Salt Lake president Bill Manning is actively trying to make the tournament of champions concept a reality. Rio Tinto Stadium recently made a pitch to the Utah High School Activities Association executive committee about hosting a girls soccer Tournament of Champions this October for the Class 5A, 4A, 3A and 2A state champions.

An East Coaster who's seen these formats succeed back home, Manning is pushing to make them a reality here in Utah. He wants Rio Tinto Stadium to become the mecca for soccer in Utah, and he believes this is the next step.

The stadium already hosted the 5A and 4A boys soccer championship games last spring, and it is scheduled to host all four girls title games on Oct. 23 and 24. For more than two decades, soccer never really had a place it could call its own. Now it does with Rio Tinto Stadium.

Even if the UHSAA doesn't approve the proposal, Manning's vision for youth soccer in Utah is promising. Financially, Rio Tinto Stadium would benefit minimally by hosting Tournament of Champions, but that's not the point according to Manning. He's committed to growing soccer in Utah.

It's why the stadium has hosted a handful of regular season prep soccer games, in addition to hosting championship games and pursuing a Tournament of Champions. On an even bigger scale, Manning has a vision to improve the recruiting opportunities for soccer players — particularly boys — in Utah.

Manning hopes to someday have Rio Tinto Stadium host high school all-star games pitting Utah teams against all-star teams from Arizona, Colorado and other nearby states. He believes with the vast contact Real Salt Lake's coaching staff has with college coaches nationally, if RSL puts together a quality event it will entice several dozen college coaches to attend the all-star matches.

Manning believes the event will open more eyes to the quality of soccer in Utah.

That's his grand scheme, but first he wants to start small with a Tournament of Champions. If approved, Rio Tinto Stadium would host the semifinals on Oct. 28, which would include 5A vs. 2A and 4A vs. 3A. The winners would meet three days later in the super state championship.

e-mail: jedward@desnews.com