Earlier this month, the Icarus Cup kicked off for the second year in Philadelphia. The partnership between Casa, the largest local league in the country, and Icarus FC, the design company worn on the chest of a large number of lower league sides, has proven to be a match made in heaven. This year’s cup featured seventy teams and 850 players, with entires coming from 12 different states! The tournament featured 165 games of 7-a-side football played across the weekend. I spoke with Charlie Shea, Casa’s Tournament Director, for some feedback on this year’s iteration of the Icarus Cup.

So, we should probably start with the obvious question, how was the tournament play and who won?

We are consistently impressed with the quality of play in the tournament, across our 6 divisions. There was some genuinely excellent football on display at all levels. Winners were Colonial SC of Philadelphia in Abierto - D1, Ben Franklin Bridges of Philadelphia in Abierto - D2, Vidas FC of Philadelphia in Abierto - D3, Nutcrackers of Haverford, PA in Women's & Non-Binary, Elite FC of Fairfax, VA in Mixto - D1, and 89ers of Seattle, WA in Mixto - D2.

Overall thoughts on the Philly soccer scene and Icarus Cup's role in it?

I think the Philadelphia soccer scene is one of the most dynamic grassroot soccer scenes in the nation, and I think the Casa Soccer League is leading the way in re-imagining how 'local' football leagues can look and act. The offerings they have for players are already so robust, 11v11, 7v7, 5v5, pickup, for all genders, year round, and I think the Icarus Cup is a new type of one-weekend tournament that brings a great breath of fresh air into the whole scene.

Did this year’s tournament inspire any plans for next year?

We want to lean into the culture and lifestyle of the event! The soccer is great already, sure there are some things we know we want to evaluate, but now it's time to get creative and think of ways to improve the quality of the tournament experience for our players and spectators. What about live music? How about a FIFA tournament? This brainstorming is really the fun part!

I think the Icarus Cup is only getting started!