Columbia County Cup Tournament Draws Over 2,000 Soccer Players

While two teams were playing, two more were waiting in the wings and warming up in available patches of grass Saturday as part of the Columbia County Cup Soccer Tournament.

The dust barely had time to settle as one match ended, with players leaving the field almost passing the others taking the fields for the new matches to start. By the tournament’s end, more than 222 games will have been played.

More than 2,000 youth soccer players on 130 teams participated in the event, which will end with championship rounds Sunday, according to Andrew Hammer, director of coaching for the Bull Soccer Club, the host club for the event.

There was no shortage of Bulls’ games Saturday afternoon as the Under-16 girls team lost a close one to St. John’s 2-1 as the Under-16 boys Bulls’ team defeated Aiken Football Club 3-1 on a nearby field. The Under 16 boys’ team scored a goal within the final few minutes of the game.

Hammer said the girls’ loss was tough because they rarely lose.

As those two games wound down, the Under-13 girls team took on the South Carolina Surf Soccer Club from Mount Pleasant, S.C. and squeaked past the team 1-0.

Hammer said the event offers a great boost to the local economy with so many teams traveling to the three-day event from various parts of Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina.

This year was better attended than last year’s tournament because of COVID-19, he said.

Charmain Z. Brackett is the Features Editor for The Augusta Press. Reach her at charmain@theaugustapress.com