CHICAGO, July 28 /PRNewswire/ -- The world's No. 1-ranked club Sevilla FC of Spain got a leg up on winning the first-ever annual The Chicago Trophy international soccer tournament with a 1-0 win over Mexico's Club Deportivo Toluca. Italy's Reggina Calcio and Poland's Wisla Krakow drew 1-1. The tournament winner will be decided Sunday as Sevilla squares off against Krakow, and Reggina faces Toluca. Each of the four teams can still win the trophy with a high-scoring win on Sunday.

Sunday, fans can take advantage of a "buy one get one free" promotion; for each ticket purchased, the buyer will receive a ticket free for a friend or relative. Each ticket entitles the ticket-holder to admission to both of the day's games. Anyone who came to Friday's game can come back with their ticket stub on Sunday and get in for $20.

In the Wisla Krakow-Reggina Calcio game, Dariusz Dudka (Krakow) and Nicola Amoruso (Reggina) each scored. Dudka, one of the most feared defenders in the Polish league, is one of the brightest young stars for the Polish National Team. Amoruso finished among the top five scorers in the Italian premier league in the 2006-7 season (Serie A). Sevilla's goal was scored by midfielder Christian Poulsen - 2005 and 2006 Danish player of the year - with an assist from Sergio Paulo Barbosa.

The inaugural edition of the tournament features the world's No. 1-ranked club, 2006 and 2007 European UEFA Cup winners and reigning European UEFA Super Cup Champions Sevilla FC of Spain; Mexico's Club Deportivo Toluca, the 2005 Mexican champions; Wisla Krakow, winner of four Polish championships since 2000 and Reggina Calcio from the Italian Premier Division (Serie A).

Tournament organizer PLATINUM ONE said it was thrilled with the caliber of play and the excitement in the crowd, which officials estimated at 16,000. "It's a good start, and we hope to see even more fans out on Sunday to enjoy the skill and athleticism of these international athletes," said soccer director Eamon McLoughlin. "There was a great atmosphere in the stadium tonight as fans of all four teams responded to the intensity and competitiveness of the games."

Following the final game on Sunday, Garrett Kelleher, executive chairman of Shelbourne Development, the lead sponsor of The Chicago Trophy and developer of the new Chicago Spire, will present the winning team with The Chicago Trophy - a dramatic sculpture designed by world-renowned architect Santiago Calatrava.

"The tournament is still wide open, and with all four teams still in the running to lift The Chicago Trophy, we expect a dramatic and exciting finale to this inaugural staging of the event," said McLoughlin.

The teams are awarded three points for a win and one point for a draw. In a novel feature of the event, teams earn bonus points for scoring goals. Sunday's game schedule

    Sunday, July 29
    ---------------
    3 pm            Club Deportivo Toluca vs. Reggina
    5:15 pm         Wisla Krakow vs. Sevilla

More information about The Chicago Trophy is available at www.thechicagotrophy.com.

Chicago Trophy

Source: The