Victor Espinoza, right, of Oxnard, cools off a soccer player with a spray bottle of water following his game during the one day Soccerfest, which kicks off the six day AYSO 35th National Games Tournament on Tuesday, July 25, 2023, at the Great Park in Irvine. During Soccerfest players from each participating team are evenly distributed among teams in their division during games for the day. A total of 328 teams and 4400 players from around the country will then be competing in the six day tournament which begins on Wednesday. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Parents watch from the shade of the sidelines as their children play in the one day Soccerfest which kicks off the six day AYSO 35th National Games Tournament on Tuesday, July 25, 2023, at the Great Park in Irvine. During Soccerfest players from each participating team are evenly distributed among teams in their division during games for the day. A total of 328 teams and 4400 players from around the country will then be competing in the six day tournament which begins on Wednesday. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Players go after the ball in the 10U division during the one day Soccerfest which kicks off the six day AYSO 35th National Games Tournament on Tuesday, July 25, 2023, at the Great Park in Irvine. During Soccerfest players from each participating team are evenly distributed among teams in their division during games for the day. A total of 328 teams and 4400 players from around the country will then be competing in the six day tournament which begins on Wednesday. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Parents take photos of their soccer players following their game during the one day Soccerfest, which kicks off the six day AYSO 35th National Games Tournament on Tuesday, July 25, 2023, at the Great Park in Irvine. During Soccerfest players from each participating team are evenly distributed among teams in their division during games for the day. A total of 328 teams and 4400 players from around the country will then be competing in the six day tournament which begins on Wednesday. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
With the Great Park Balloon as a backdrop, soccer players warm up as they kick the ball around before the start of their game in the12U division during the one day Soccerfest which kicks off the six day AYSO 35th National Games Tournament on Tuesday, July 25, 2023, at the Great Park in Irvine. During Soccerfest players from each participating team are evenly distributed among teams in their division during games for the day. A total of 328 teams and 4400 players from around the country will then be competing in the six day tournament which begins on Wednesday. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Players go after the ball in the12U division during the one day Soccerfest which kicks off the six day AYSO 35th National Games Tournament on Tuesday, July 25, 2023, at the Great Park in Irvine. During Soccerfest players from each participating team are evenly distributed among teams in their division during games for the day. A total of 328 teams and 4400 players from around the country will then be competing in the six day tournament which begins on Wednesday. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
With the Great Park Balloon as a backdrop, players go after the ball in the12U division during the one day Soccerfest which kicks off the six day AYSO 35th National Games Tournament on Tuesday, July 25, 2023, at the Great Park in Irvine. During Soccerfest players from each participating team are evenly distributed among teams in their division during games for the day. A total of 328 teams and 4400 players from around the country will then be competing in the six day tournament which begins on Wednesday. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A soccer family moves their pop-up shade between games during the one day Soccerfest, which kicks off the six day AYSO 35th National Games Tournament on Tuesday, July 25, 2023, at the Great Park in Irvine. During Soccerfest players from each participating team are evenly distributed among teams in their division during games for the day. A total of 328 teams and 4400 players from around the country will then be competing in the six day tournament which begins on Wednesday. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Players go after the ball in the12U division during the one day Soccerfest which kicks off the six day AYSO 35th National Games Tournament on Tuesday, July 25, 2023, at the Great Park in Irvine. During Soccerfest players from each participating team are evenly distributed among teams in their division during games for the day. A total of 328 teams and 4400 players from around the country will then be competing in the six day tournament which begins on Wednesday. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Soccer fans sit in the shade of a tree as they wait for the next game to begin during the one day Soccerfest, which kicks off the six day AYSO 35th National Games Tournament on Tuesday, July 25, 2023, at the Great Park in Irvine. During Soccerfest players from each participating team are evenly distributed among teams in their division during games for the day. A total of 328 teams and 4400 players from around the country will then be competing in the six day tournament which begins on Wednesday. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Before the competition gets really serious, the hundreds of young soccer players visiting Irvine this week mingled on Tuesday, July 25, for a day of play that was more about getting to know each other than racking up scores.
The American Youth Soccer Organization’s Southern California Section 11 is hosting the AYSO’s 35th National Games Tournament at the Great Park – it was supposed to be played in 2021, but got delayed by the pandemic.
Starting on Wednesday and running through Sunday, more than 1,300 games are expected to be played in the tournament, which has attracted 329 teams with about 4,400 players from across the country.
But on Tuesday, the players participated in Soccerfest, an AYSO tradition in which players are mingled among teams so they play a day of games with children their own age from other communities.
On Monday night, the opening ceremonies were held at the Dignity Health Sports Parks in Carson, home of the LA Galaxy.
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