Top 10 U.S Soccer Cities

1. Overland Park, KS Home to one of the most expensive and unique soccer complexes in the country, as well as a passionate and large base of fans, Overland Park, KS, gets  the top spot on the list of soccer cities. The Overland Park Soccer Complex cost $36 million to construct. It is considered the only complex of its kind in the United States. This 96-acre facility has 12 lighted regulation-size fields, all with synthetic turf. And get this, each field contains a cooling system to control the temperature of the turf. Evaporative cooling fans are located next to players benches, and all fields have electronic video boards to post game results and information. Overland Park will host the 2013 US Youth Soccer National Championship tournament and has hosted the 2010 US Youth Soccer National Championship and the 2012 US Youth Soccer Region II Presidents Cup. 2. Plano, TX Plano, TX, has become a popular place to scout soccer talent. The city has recently produced a long list of college soccer players, and with more than a dozen high-schoolers on a players-to-watch list, there are more stars in the making. What makes Plano one of the best soccer cities in the country is the number of players there are here. More than 11,000 children participate in Plano Youth Soccer. There are also a handful of smaller clubs in the area. The city has several soccer complexes and parks with soccer fields that are well maintained. Among the largest recreational facilities in the city is Russel Creek Park, which can be configured to have 21 soccer fields.   3. San Bernardino, CA City officials estimate that each year about 450,000 people use the soccer fields in San Bernardino, CA. That includes players who come into the city for tournaments. There are more than 40 recreational and travel soccer clubs in San Bernardino and Riverside counties. Many soccer enthusiasts consider San Bernardino to be a giant pool for discovering young soccer talent, and the city is home to several national championship youth teams.   4. Rockhill, SC Recognizing the popularity of soccer in Rock Hill, SC, and the potential to generate revenue by hosting tournaments, city leaders in 2006 opened what has been called one of the premier soccer complexes in the country. Manchester Meadows is a 70-acre park with eight lighted soccer fields including two with synthetic turf and stadium seating. It cost the city of Rock Hill more than $12 million to build the complex.   5. Murfreesboro, TN The city of Murfreesboro, TN, has become a capital of soccer in the south. The city's $12.9 million Richard Siegel Soccer Complex hosts several regional and national events for US Youth Soccer. The complex features 15 fields and a championship showcase stadium. City officials estimated that hosting the US Youth Soccer Southern Regionals in 2011 brought in more than $8 million to the local economy.   6. Chapel Hill, NC Chapel Hill, NC, is home to one of the top-ranked college soccer programs in the country and has a solid base of youth organizations that offer a mix of playing levels. There are more than 5,200 soccer players in the city, which has three main clubs – Rainbow Soccer, Triangle United and the YMCA. Triangle United is the largest of these clubs and has approximately 3,000 players each season. Rainbow Soccer is the oldest soccer club in Chapel Hill. It was formed in 1971 and averages about 1,600 players each year.   7. Appleton, WI Soccer fans in Appleton, WI, are celebrating the achievement of a hometown star who has become the city's first player to go pro. Sara Hagen, who grew up in Appleton and was ranked as one of the top college players in the nation, was recently selected in the first round of the Women's Professional Soccer league draft by the Philadelphia Independence. Hagen is one of many players who've made the move from club to college soccer in Appleton.   8. West Jordan, UT Soccer is serious business in West Jordan, UT. The city is home to strong soccer clubs and one of the top rated sports facilities in the country. The Utah Youth Soccer Complex features 20 fields on 117 acres. West Jordan has hosted many US Youth Soccer tournaments including the Presidents Cup. Soccer fans in West Jordan have only a 30-minute drive to watch Major League Soccer. Real Salt Lake plays at Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, UT. The team averages 17,365 fans per game and won the MLS Cup in 2009. The stadium seats 20,000 for soccer games and opened in 2008.   9. Scottsdale, AZ Soccer players in Scottsdale, AZ, are fortunate to have high-quality playing facilities both inside the city limits and just out of town. Located in the city is the Scottsdale Sports Complex, a 71-acre park with 10 playing fields. Located in Phoenix, just a few miles away, is the Reach 11 Sports Complex, which has 18 regulation sized soccer fields including a state-of-the-art synthetic turf championship field. Both facilities have held soccer tournaments. The Reach 11 Sports Complex hosted the 2011 US Youth Soccer National Championships.   10. Princeton, NJ Princeton is home of some of the best soccer fields in the country. It's where the U.S. Women's National Soccer Team recently held a training camp. The city is a soccer mecca with more than 20 soccer organizations in the area. Some of the best college soccer in the country is played in and around Princeton, home to Princeton University. Soccer teams from Princeton and nearby Rutgers, in Newark, have a fierce rivalry. Princeton University is home of Roberts Stadium, an $8.4 million soccer facility with seating for 3,000 fans. Princeton is also home to one of the top male college soccer players, Antonie Hoppenot.   Read more at Livability.com    

Do you think you have what it takes to secure a scholarship to study & play in the USA, just like Jack? Apply now!