Official Press Release

On Wednesday, April 10, 2013 the WCP Cup held its Men's Quarterfinal games at the Credit Union EventPlex.  Results are:

7:00 pm -France 6 v. Nigeria 6 (France wins 4-2 in shootouts)
8:00 pm -Afghanistan 5 v. Serbia 1
9:00 pm -Jamaica 3 v. Ireland 1
10:00 pm -Poland 4 v. Sudan 1

The WCP Cup Semifinal games for both Men and Women will take place on Friday, April 12, 2013 with the following games:

  6:30 pm -Women: Scotland v. Poland
  7:30 pm -Men: France v. Afghanistan
  8:30 pm -Women: Ukraine v. Germany
  9:30 pm -Men: Jamaica v. Poland

In addition, the WCP Cup Organizing Committee would like to comment on the circumstances of the game between Team Poland and Team Sudan which has been getting some social media discussion as well as media attention.

During the middle of the second half there was a scuffle between the two teams that resulted from a hard tackle followed by an equally hard retaliation.  Various players from both benches came together with a little pushing and shoving.  While there were individuals from both teams that were involved in the scuffle, there were also a significant number of players and coaches from both teams that kept cool heads and assisted in defusing the situation.  As a result of the scuffle, the referee analyzed the situation and ejected four players (two from each team) from the game.

The WCP Cup Organizing Committee would like to be clear that while a scuffle like this is not a typical occurrence and not what the WCP Cup multicultural sporting event likes to see, it was by no means an event that went beyond the normal scuffles that happen in all levels of competitive sporting events (soccer, hockey, basketball, co-ed touch football, etc.).  The referee dealt with the situation, applied the laws of the game and the game resumed play.

The game resumed play and approximately 15 minutes later, an entirely separate incident occurred that was not associated with the previous scuffle.  Another hard tackle occurred by a Team Sudan player against a Team Poland player.  As a result of the tackle, the referee game the Team Sudan player a red card and ejected him from the game.  As a result of the ejection, the Team Sudan player struck the referee.

At the time the referee was struck, there was only a short amount of time left in the game and as a result, a decision by the officiating crew was made to end the game.  Prior to this decision, the Team Sudan player left the field of play (which is required as a result of an ejection).

The WCP Cup Organizing Committee would like to be clear that the incident where the referee was struck was not associated with the previous team scuffle.  When the game was ended, both teams very admirably separated themselves in order to make sure further incidents did not occur. Both teams eventually made their way back to their respective dressing rooms without incident. The fans and cultural communities for both Team Poland as well as Team Sudan, while stunned by the way the game ended, remained respectful and positive and stayed true to the WCP Cup vision that all cultural groups can come together in a respectful and peaceful way.

The WCP Cup Organizing Committee takes the position that the striking by a player of an official is outside of the scope of the game and as such, the local authorities were contacted by the WCP Cup Organizing Committee.  The player who struck the referee had already left the Team Sudan dressing room prior to Team Sudan as a whole returning following the game being called and as such was not able to be interviewed by the local authorities upon their arrival.  The WCP Cup Organizing Committee has cooperated with local authorities and will continue to cooperate in the future if so requested.

The WCP Cup Organizing Committee would like to thank the various members of both Team Poland and Team Sudan who assisted in calming the situation down and making sure that further incidents did not result.  The WCP Cup Discipline Committee will review the five ejections and will deal with those situations as is deemed appropriate.

Yours truly,
The WCP Cup Organizing Committee

Regarding the Sudan-Poland Quarterfinal Chaos

I haven't been doing any posting this tournament for my own reasons, but I will address last night's brawl.

So what happened? (Anyone who has a different viewpoint, feel free to voice it) Poland and Sudan met last year in the quarterfinals, and it was a scrappy game. This year was quite similar. This year's quarterfinal had a lot of emotions running high, as the Poland fans were out in full force with songs and chants, while the Sudan fans were as passionate as ever. At midway through the second half, Poland was up 3-1, and that's when the game really took a turn for the worst. A very hard slide tackle on a Polish player in front of the Poland bench set off their team, who proceeded to shove the Sudan player out of the way. This set off the Sudan team, who rushed over to defend their player. Both teams then started pushing back and forth, and then the chaos started. Refs being pushed, punches being thrown, I was even told there was flying ninja kick. I'm surprised no one walked away with worse injuries. The coaches, the referees, and the players were all involved in some way. The Sudan coach was livid at the referee, and had to have his team hold him back. Multiple players on both teams were extremely angry, and have to have their calm players settle everyone down. Eventually, both teams went back to their benches. The referee gave two red cards to Poland, and two red cards to Sudan. The ejected players made their way out, and the ref decided to resume the game at that point. Bad idea. Tensions were sky-high, and with about four minutes left, it was clear that this game wasn't going to end quietly. Poland scored one more goal to make it 4-1, and it didn't take long before another Sudan player put in an extremely hard tackle on a Polish player. It was inevitable. The ref, in an effort to assert his authority, held up a third Sudan red card. At midfield, and not a millisecond later, the Sudan player knocked the referee out cold. Officials and volunteers rushed to his side, and the crowd was on its feet. Fans were screaming at Sudan, and fans were getting into arguments in the crowd. Sudan left the field soon after, escorted by volunteers and security. Fans booed Sudan to their dressing room. They were yelling at the players, antagonizing them, and understandably some Sudan players yelled back and got into tussles with obnoxious fans. It was then clear that Sudan had gone from tournament darling to scourge of soccer...quite the turnaround. Once Sudan was in, Poland left the field to their dressing room for a very quiet victory celebration. Police were called, and were reviewing pictures and video to determine what the next steps will be. It was very unfortunate, because soccer fans at the facility received a great night of soccer that ended with nothing soccer-related whatsoever.

Poland and Sudan played a very good game for the most part, but it devolved into mockery of a soccer game. It was a shameful way to end the night. Fans also have to take accountability for their actions, and there were many awful comments directed at both teams. Not just in the last quarterfinal, but in all the games. This tournament is supposed to be a multicultural celebration of soccer, and on an Anti-Bullying day like yesterday, it devolved into a disgrace. So what happens next? Long-term suspensions will happen, but for who? These are the questions the organizing commitee will be dealing with for awhile, and rest assured that disciplinary action will be taken.

Last night was, and always will be, a bad mark on the tournament. But all is not lost. It's up to the fans, the remaining teams, the volunteers, and the cultural communities to bring the respect back to the remainder of this tournament. Be supportive of all the teams, regardless of their skin color,  their language, or their skill. Hatefulness has no place in this tournament. For years, the WCP Cup has brought cultures together fantastically. I've met tons of great people from different communities, and I've had a blast sitting in the stands surrounded by fans of different countries. This tournament is an amazing event. Last night is over, so let's make the best of the remainder of this tournament. It won't be forgotten, but we need to learn from this. Cheer loud for the team you support, talk to the people beside you, and have some fun. Don't forget what this tournament is about, and do your part to make it great.