Timur Zhividze will join fellow EPLWA side South Sound FC for the USASA U23 National Championships July 17-19 in Virginia Beach, Virginia. The Shock are annual contenders for the U23 Cup. Timur will be accompanied by Victory owner Barrett Goddard.
“I am excited to go back to Virginia with Timur and help South Sound compete for a national title,” Goddard says. “John Crouch (Shock owner) and I have a similar vision for providing opportunities for players in the northwest at the highest level possible. Joining forces here is an example of that and we are hoping we can win a national title for EPLWA.”
“We have been so close in recent years to winning it all,” says Crouch. “We feel like we are just a player or two away, and perhaps with a stronger squad this year we can get over the hump. Timur is a guy who can help us take that final step.”
Zhividze has been busy with the Victory this year being rivals with the Shock. Now that club’s younger players will be joined by Timur on the same roster for a highly competitive weekend all the way across the other side of the country. Timur is looking forward to the challenges.
“First of all a huge thanks to John Crouch, the owner of South Sound and Adam Becker, the head coach, and their staff, for giving me this great opportunity,” says Zhividze, “and a huge thanks to Barrett Goddard, the Victory owner and Aaron Lewis the head coach of Victory and all the other staff, for connecting me with that team and sending me to play in the tournament with them. (I am) Really looking forward to the tournament and a great opportunity to compete against great players with a great team and represent this community well!”
Tournament schedule here. South Sound U23’s begin play on Friday July 17 at noon EST in the First Stage in Pool “C” against Brooklyn United. They play again six hours later against New Jersey Knights FC. Saturday July 18 at noon (EST) the Shock U23’s play Maricopa FC in their final Pool “C” match. The Winners of Pools A-C plus a wildcard team will play at 6 PM on Saturday in elimination semifinals. On Sunday July 19 at noon (EST) the two semifinal winners will play for the USASA U23 National Title.
