On Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024, NEIU Campus Recreation hosted its tenth annual La Copa Soccer Tournament outside the P.E. Complex. The event followed the annual Golden Eagle 5K Run-Walk. The P.E. Complex hosted the tournament on the south side of campus at Recreation Field.

According to David Canola, Graduate Assistant, organizer and referee of the tournament, there were over 80 players and 100 attendees, making it the biggest La Copa event ever seen on campus in its 10-year history.

The tournament featured eight teams, up from five in its previous years. However, due to unforeseen circumstances, team five was unable to participate, which almost jeopardized the tournament. Thanks to quick thinking by Canola and Campus Recreation Facility Coordinator, Derek Ansong, teams one and five were combined in Bracket A, leaving four teams in Bracket B.

“We had to think fast, because a lot of the players put in a ton of preparation for this tournament and they were very afraid that with team one missing, [they] would put the entire tournament on the chopping block,” said Canola, who officiated the event.

By the end of Bracket A, teams one and seven scored the most points, advancing in the semifinals. Bracket B was stuck in a three-way tie between teams four, six and eight. However, team eight was eliminated due to accumulating the most penalties, allowing teams four and six to face off in the semifinals. In the semifinals, team one edged out team four in a hard-fought and pitched battle between the two teams, securing their spot in the finals. Team six was defeated by team seven, setting the stage for a highly anticipated showdown between teams one and six in the final.

The final between teams one and six was fiercely contested, leaving the game tied after regulation time. The match was decided by penalties, with each team taking three shots. Team one, composed of current students, alumni and staff members, capitalized on a missed shot by team six, securing their victory and becoming the Fall 2024 La Copa Champions.