TUKWILA—Soccer fans eagerly awaiting the 2026 FIFA World Cup will have a chance to satiate their appetite this August 2 with the Green Earth Cup League and Tournament at Valley Ridge Fields in Tukwila.
The event will pit 20 teams against each other, each representing a different country including Korea, China, Vietnam, Mexico, and more, in a round robin-style tournament with cultural celebrations, food, and performances sprinkled without.
“It’ll be a mini-Olympic-type tournament,” said Hwan Choi, President of the Washington Korean Soccer Association, one of the organizations sponsoring the event. “The biggest challenge will just be for each team to play passionately and to play with a smile.”
Choi first started coaching recreational soccer teams nine years ago. What started as a six-person team has now grown to 91-players of all ages.
Choi informed the Lynnwood Times that he will be enforcing no tackle rules at the Green Earth Cup Tournament to ensure amicability in addition to working with local law enforcement for security measures.
The idea stems from a partnership between the Greater Seattle Korean Association and several local soccer clubs. The purpose of the event, says Greater Seattle Korean Association President Won Jun Kim, is to unify the community through sport while celebrating different cultures.
“We had a concept to create an international soccer league and together, in conjunction with my colleague and teammate Hwan Choi, President of the Washington Korean Soccer Association,” said Sam Sim, Vice President of the Seattle Korean Association. “There was a goal initially to unify people and focus on the community as a whole despite your background and differences.”
Sim added that his organization began planning the event around the time of the election when there was noticeable divisiveness in the country.
“When I went to a Slavic church I saw Ukrainians and Russians worshipping together. It was like nothing was happening on the world scene. So could we do the same in a sport setting? There will possible be a Palestinian and an Israeli team, Russian and Ukrainian, but we’re not going to bring it up. We’re just there to have a good time and be united,” said Sim.
The soccer tournament will have a total of 12 different countries represented among its 20+ teams, including open divisions and over 30 divisions. Rounds will be separated into quarter finals, semifinals, and finals with games shortened to 30-minutes per half. The setup allows even the lowest performing teams to still be able to play at least two games.
Games will all take place in a single day, beginning at 7 a.m. through early evening (3 p.m. to 4 p.m.), and utilizing all four fields at Valley Ridge Fields.
Despite each team representing a different ethnic community, Choi said teams will still be able to have up to 30% of its team whatever player they choose to make up for soccer leagues with a gap in participation.
Hwan Choi will be handling the Korean team tryouts, beginning later this week, but other teams will be responsible for conducting their own tryouts, and jersey colors/design.
Though the Washington Korean Soccer Association, and by extension the Green Earth Cup League, have held tournaments and played against various ethnic teams in the past, this will be the first event of its magnitude. The Soccer Association hopes it will become an annual tradition.
The championship team will be presented a cash reward as well as a ceremonious trophy, not unlike the official FIFA World Cup – which will then be passed on to next year’s winning team.
The event will also be family-friendly, offering several attractions for kids including face painting, photo booth, cotton candy machines, and a playground.
Several food trucks, representing a diverse pool of ethnic cuisines, vendor booths, and barbecues will all be representing their countries’ cultures.
The event will also feature celebrity athletes such as Ji So-Yun, with the Seattle Reign FC, and Kim Kee-hee with the Seattle Sounders for meet-and-greet and autographing opportunities.
Greater Seattle Korean Association President Kim expects there to be up to 500 attendees, in-and-out throughout the day.
“We can have peace. We can come together. We don’t always have to fight,” said Sim.
“I think this is a great way to show that we support everybody. As long as they have a healthy community, we want to interact, and we want to work together. Hopefully soccer will bring us together,” added Choi.
The event will be entirely free to attend, supported by retail vendors, league fees, and the Greater Seattle Korean Association’s own funds.
The next steps are to send out invitations to different soccer leagues in the region, and partner with various cities from Tacoma to Everett to get the word out.
Soccer is the world’s number one sport with an estimated 3.5 billion fans worldwide, according to WorldAtlus.
Author: Kienan Briscoe
