5-Nation Soccer Tournament at Coliseum

Six of the world’s leading soccer teams will compete in a five-nation, 10-game international tournament to be played at the Coliseum between June 11 and 21, it was announced Monday.

The tournament, to be known as the Los Angeles Gold Cup, will feature two European teams, two from South America and two from Mexico.

The winner will be awarded a $60,000, 18-karat gold trophy which is being cast in Italy, according to the tournament’s promoter, Hugo Bandi.

Representing Europe will be Dundee United of Scotland, finalist in this season’s Union of European Football Associations Cup competition, and A.S. Roma, one of Italy’s soccer powers.

From South America will come Vasco da Gama of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and Rosario Central of Argentina. Mexico will be represented by two of its traditionally strong clubs, Guadalajara and Club America.

The six teams will be divided into two groups of three, Roma, Vasco da Gama and Club America making up one group and Dundee United, Rosario Central and Guadalajara the other.

Each team will meet the others in its group, then the top two finishers in each group will advance to the semifinals, with the winner of Group A playing the second-place team in Group B and vice versa.

International rules will apply, with one exception. Games that are tied after 90 minutes of regulation play will not go to overtime but will immediately be settled by a series of penalty kicks.

The dates for the first-round games are June 11, 14 and 17, with doubleheaders being played on each date. The semifinals will be on June 20 and the third-place and championship games will be played June 21.

Bandi said that the tournament will be played every two years, but its location will not be constant. He said New York could be the host city next time around and added that playing in a European city also is a possibility.