The Desert Showcase (formerly the Desert Cup, the Desert Diamond Cup, the Mobile Mini Sun Cup, and the Visit Tucson Sun Cup), is a preseason soccer tournament hosted by Phoenix Rising FC of the USL Championship and FC Tucson of USL League Two. The tournament is sponsored by the Tucson Convention and Visitors Bureau, known as Visit Tucson.
Beginning in 2011, the inaugural Desert Cup featured two Major League Soccer (MLS) clubs, Sporting Kansas City and New York Red Bulls. In the years since, the number of participating MLS clubs has continued to grow, with the 2018 Mobile Mini Sun Cup featuring eleven MLS clubs ‒ nearly half of the league's total membership.
History The first edition of the tournament, held at Hi Corbett Field, a former baseball spring training stadium saw sellout crowds with international stars such as Thierry Henry, Rafael Márquez, and Omar Bravo playing.
The second edition was held from February 22 through March 3, paralleling several other preseason tournaments ahead of the 2012 American outdoor domestic league seasons. Three new clubs competed in the 2012 edition of the tournament: defending MLS Cup champions LA Galaxy, Real Salt Lake, and the New England Revolution joined the New York Red Bulls, who returned for their second Desert Cup appearance. The 2012 Desert Diamond Cup moved to Kino Veterans Memorial Stadium and saw clubs play a total of four matches each.
Phoenix Rising FC purchased FC Tucson on October 11, 2017. On December 5, Phoenix Rising FC and FC Tucson announced that they would co-host the tournament and that it would be renamed the Mobile Mini Sun Cup, with Mobile Mini as sponsor. Games will be played at North Stadium at the Kino Sports Complex as well as Phoenix Rising Soccer Complex. A record 11 teams will participate in the 2018 tournament.
In 2020, the tournament will be renamed the Visit Tucson Sun Cup and will host Sporting Kansas City, Real Salt Lake, New York Red Bulls, Houston Dynamo and Columbus Crew SC along with Phoenix Rising FC.
Sponsors Desert Diamond Casinos & Entertainment (2012–2017) Mobile Mini Storage Solutions (2018–2019) Visit Tucson (2020–present)
Results Year 1st place 2nd place 3rd place 4th place 2011 Sporting Kansas City New York Red Bulls FC Tucson Arizona Sahuaros 2012 LA Galaxy New England Revolution Real Salt Lake New York Red Bulls 2013 Seattle Sounders FC Real Salt Lake New England Revolution New York Red Bulls 2014 Chicago Fire Chivas USA Real Salt Lake New England Revolution 2015 Real Salt Lake Colorado Rapids Sporting Kansas City Seattle Sounders FC 2016 New England Revolution Columbus Crew SC Sporting Kansas CityHouston Dynamo (tied) 2017 Houston Dynamo Colorado Rapids New England Revolution Sporting Kansas City 2018 New England Revolution Houston Dynamo Portland Timbers Sporting Kansas City 2019 FC Dallas Portland Timbers New York Red Bulls Real Salt Lake 2020 Columbus Crew SC Phoenix Rising FC New York Red Bulls Houston Dynamo 2021 Real Salt Lake LA Galaxy Colorado Rapids Sporting Kansas City
TeamWinsRunners-upYears wonYears runner-up Real Salt Lake21 2015, 2021 2013New England Revolution21 2016, 2018 2012 Houston Dynamo11 2017 2018 LA Galaxy11 2012 2021 Columbus Crew SC11 2020 2016 FC Dallas10 2019 Chicago Fire10 2014 Seattle Sounders FC10 2013 Sporting Kansas City10 2011 Colorado Rapids02 2015, 2017 Phoenix Rising FC01 2020 Portland Timbers01 2019 Chivas USA01 2014 New York Red Bulls01 2011
See also Carolina Challenge Cup – A preseason soccer tournament held in Charleston, South Carolina hosted by USL Pro side, Charleston Battery. Walt Disney World Pro Soccer Classic – Held at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at the Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando, Florida. The tournament is hosted also by MLS side, Orlando City. Hawaiian Islands Invitational – 2012 event, also a property of ESPN and featuring teams from Australia, Japan, and South Korea
References
External links Phoenix Rising FC & FC Tucson - Tournament Hosts Facebook Page