What to Expect at La Copita
Last Friday, it was announced that Houston Dynamo, Austin FC, and FC Dallas would participate in the newly founded ‘La Copita’ preseason tournament this April. USL Championship side San Antonio FC will also be participating in the tournament, with fellow USL club Oklahoma City Energy also taking part in one La Copita match
This Texas-based tournament will be an excellent opportunity for the three MLS clubs to get back into playing rhythm after a long offseason. For the USL clubs, it’ll be the perfect chance to measure their abilities against first-tier teams.
All teams seem to hope to make this new preseason tournament a tradition. Austin FC sporting director Claudio Reyna said, "I’m glad we have been able to organize La Copita, and we’re hopeful it becomes an important part of Austin FC’s preparations each season for years to come."
The tournament will run from March 27-April 10, and teams will compete in a round-robin format, with the winner being determined by a single-group table.
From a fan perspective, this preseason tournament will be an excellent chance to see Austin FC take their first steps as a team. With Austin FC set to make their MLS debut this season, La Copita will act as their dress-rehearsal, and it will be interesting to see how their squad stacks up against tough competition from FC Dallas and the Houston Dynamo.
As for FC Dallas, we’ll get to see how their squad has held up during the offseason after a respectable playoff push in 2020. To recap, FC Dallas knocked out the Portland Timbers on penalties in the first round of the playoffs and eventually fell to the Sounders in the Western Conference Semifinals. Dallas have made strong signings over the transfer window with the likes of Freddy Vargas (loan from Deportivo Lara), Jader Obrian (from Rionegro Aguilas), and Jose Antonio Martinez (from S.D. Eibar) joining their ranks. La Copita will allow these new transfers to gel with the team and rack up minutes before the start of the MLS season.
The Houston Dynamo will use this tournament as an opportunity to integrate their newly-promoted young talents. Juan Castilla (15) and Daniel Rios (17) both signed homegrown contracts during the offseason and will be looking to take their first steps in the pros. The arrival of Fafa Picault and Max Urruti is huge for the Dynamo as well, and these games will be crucial for them to get in sync on attack.
Overall, there’s plenty of reasons to watch this new, exciting preseason tournament, and most matches will be available to stream through the clubs’ websites for free.
After a long offseason, getting some competitive matches is warmly welcomed.
