Int’l Champions Cup Organizers Trying To Find Right Format For Future Editions

The Int’l Champions Cup is in its third year and this year has seen its format changed for a third consecutive time. “We are still finding our way as it relates to the overall format,” said Jon Sheiman, COO of tournament organizer Relevent Sports, a division of RSE Ventures. Unlike the two previous editions, the ’15 version will not feature a championship game. It consists of 17 matches, with the participating five int’l teams playing four matches each, while the three MLS sides play only two. To make sure the U.S. clubs still have a chance to take home the title, tournament organizers decided to include their in-season MLS results. With no championship game this year, the winner is the team with the most points at the end of the competition. Sheiman told SBD Global during the Chelsea vs. Paris St. Germain matchup in Charlotte that the tournament’s format is dictated by what is available to organizers. “We are a little hamstrung by scheduling,” he said. “You have to be flexible in terms of what teams need.” Relevent’s main objective was to bring in as many champions as possible. And with six current champions participating in the tournament, Sheiman believes his company succeeded on that front. For Relevent it is more important to bring in teams that fans want to see than to have a standardized tournament format. However, Sheiman admitted in a perfect world the ICC would have a true championship game. Miami’s Sun Life Stadium, which hosted the championship games in ’13 and ’14, is currently undergoing a renovation. With the stadium being owned by RSE Ventures co-Founder & Chair Stephen Ross, Sheiman pointed to Miami as the natural place to stage a final, adding, "We’ll continue to modify [the tournament] to make it better."

RETURN OF MLS CLUBS: After a year without any domestic clubs, organizers decided to include three MLS teams this year -- L.A. Galaxy, San Jose Earthquakes and N.Y. Red Bulls. Sheiman said that it is tough for MLS clubs as they have to fit in the ICC games between their regular season and U.S. Open Cup matches. But he added that it makes a lot of sense to include MLS sides in the competition considering the majority of the games are played on American soil. Accommodating the needs of the MLS teams was one of the reasons why organizers abandoned their original tournament format. “Initially we’ve laid out the tournament as a two groups of four tournament with MLS teams playing three games in the middle of the season,” Sheiman said. He added that Relevent would like to work more closely with the league to make it easier for teams to participate in the ICC. “We are not at the point yet, but hopefully we get there.” MLS declined a request for comment.

FILLING UP THE STANDS: Following Sunday's match between Portuguese side Benfica and the Red Bulls, which drew 18,096 spectators, there are only five games remaining in the North American leg of the ICC. The tournament's first 12 games have attracted more than 425,000 spectators, including a record-setting crowd of 93,226 for the match between Barcelona and L.A. Galaxy at the Rose Bowl. "We are pretty pleased with the numbers," Sheiman said. Organizers are expecting sellout crowds for the Chelsea-Barcelona game at FedEx Field on Tuesday and for Wednesday's ManU-Paris St. Germain matchup at Chicago's Soldier Field.