Sueno MLS tryouts draw record response

More than 1,000 players have registered for this weekend’s Sueno MLS tryouts at the Bell Gardens Sports Complex hoping to win the grand prize in next month’s finals -- a chance at a professional soccer contract.

Saturday’s session will run from 9 a.m. to about 6 p.m. and Sunday tryouts will be from 10 a.m. to about 1 p.m. Both sessions are open to the public.

Although the pre-registration for this year’s event is the largest in the program’s six-year history, organizers will also accept walk-up competitors beginning Saturday at 8 a.m. To participate, contestants must be males born between May 14, 1994 and April 13, 1998. Participation is free.

Local-market tryouts have already been held in Dallas and Seattle. Five players from each city, including Los Angeles, will advance to a four-day final trial at the Home Depot Center next month. The event winner will be announced May 13.

Sueno MLS debuted in 2007 and the first edition was won by Anaheim high schooler Jorge Villafana, who now plays for Chivas USA and was a member of the U.S. national U-23 team that participated in the Olympic trials.

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