| Desert Showcase | |
| Founded: | 2011 |
| Number Of Teams: | Varies |
| Current Champions: | (2nd title) |
| Most Successful Club: | (2 titles) |
| Current: | 2022 Desert Showcase |
The Desert Showcase (formerly the Desert Cup, the Desert Diamond Cup, the Mobile Mini Sun Cup, and the Visit Tucson Sun Cup), is a preseason soccer tournament hosted by Phoenix Rising FC of the USL Championship and FC Tucson of USL League One. The tournament is sponsored by the Tucson Convention and Visitors Bureau, known as Visit Tucson.
Beginning in 2011, the inaugural Desert Cup featured two Major League Soccer (MLS) clubs, Sporting Kansas City and New York Red Bulls. In the years since, the number of participating MLS clubs has continued to grow, with the 2018 Mobile Mini Sun Cup featuring eleven MLS clubs ‒ nearly half of the league's total membership.
The first edition of the tournament, held at Hi Corbett Field, a former baseball spring training stadium saw sellout crowds[1] with international stars such as Thierry Henry, Rafael Márquez, and Omar Bravo playing.
The second edition was held from February 22 through March 3, paralleling several other preseason tournaments ahead of the 2012 American outdoor domestic league seasons.[2] Three new clubs competed in the 2012 edition of the tournament: defending MLS Cup champions LA Galaxy, Real Salt Lake, and the New England Revolution joined the New York Red Bulls, who returned for their second Desert Cup appearance. The 2012 Desert Diamond Cup moved to Kino Veterans Memorial Stadium and saw clubs play a total of four matches each.[3]
Phoenix Rising FC purchased FC Tucson on October 11, 2017.[4] On December 5, Phoenix Rising FC and FC Tucson announced that they would co-host the tournament and that it would be renamed the Mobile Mini Sun Cup, with Mobile Mini as sponsor. Games will be played at North Stadium at the Kino Sports Complex as well as Phoenix Rising Soccer Complex. A record 11 teams will participate in the 2018 tournament.[5] [6]
In 2020, the tournament will be renamed the Visit Tucson Sun Cup and will host Sporting Kansas City, Real Salt Lake, New York Red Bulls, Houston Dynamo and Columbus Crew SC along with Phoenix Rising FC.[7] [8]
| Team | Wins | Runners-up | Years won | Years runner-up | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Real Salt Lake | 2 | 1 | 2015, 2021 | 2013 | |
| New England Revolution | 2 | 1 | 2016, 2018 | 2012 | |
| Houston Dynamo | 1 | 1 | 2017 | 2018 | |
| LA Galaxy | 1 | 1 | 2012 | 2021 | |
| Columbus Crew SC | 1 | 1 | 2020 | 2016 | |
| FC Dallas | 1 | 0 | 2019 | ||
| Chicago Fire | 1 | 0 | 2014 | ||
| Seattle Sounders FC | 1 | 0 | 2013 | ||
| Sporting Kansas City | 1 | 0 | 2011 | ||
| Colorado Rapids | 0 | 2 | 2015, 2017 | ||
| Phoenix Rising FC | 0 | 1 | 2020 | ||
| Portland Timbers | 0 | 1 | 2019 | ||
| Chivas USA | 0 | 1 | 2014 | ||
| New York Red Bulls | 0 | 1 | 2011 |