CHESTER, Pa. (August 24, 2021) – Army-Navy Cup X Presented by Leidos returns to Subaru Park for its 10th anniversary on Saturday, October 9, where the rival academies will kick off at 7:00 p.m.
“Philadelphia Union and Subaru Park are honored and privileged to host the 10th anniversary match between Army West Point and Navy for Army-Navy Cup X,” said Tim McDermott, Philadelphia Union President. “We have been fortunate enough to provide a home for the rivalry match between these two prestigious academies since the beginning and are humbled by the courageous student-athletes that have played in our stadium throughout the years, including some who came from our own Union Academy. As we prepare to celebrate the 10th anniversary, we look back and see the growth of what has become a celebrated tradition and look forward to the future of many more years of this partnership to come.”
“I’d like to thank the Philadelphia Union and Host Committee for the opportunity to return to Subaru Park for the 10th Anniversary of the Army-Navy Cup,” said Mike Buddie, Army West Point Director of Athletics. “We are honored and humbled to have been a part of the tremendous growth of this match over the last nine years. The Army-Navy Cup is one of the most dynamic soccer experiences in the country and has been an incredible event for our coaches, cadet-athletes, fans, and alumni. It is one that our men’s soccer program, athletic department, and academy hold in very high regard.”
The Black Knights enter the matchup after finishing the 2020-21 season with an overall record of 3-3-1. The Cadets are coming off their best showing of the spring, a 2-0 victory in the ninth annual Army-Navy Cup. A Second Team All-Patriot League selection and Junior midfielder, Oscar Pereira, led the team with eight total points on the year and added a goal and assist in the win over the Midshipmen. Pereira will be joined on the pitch by fellow seniors Chris DeBruyne and Jake Burgess, who each found the back of the net in the abbreviated 2021 spring season. Goalkeeper and senior captain Jacob Suppiah will also return to help the Black Knights in their attempt to repeat as Army-Navy Cup champions, after anchoring the defensive unit for Army a season ago, starting six games and making seven saves.
“Army-Navy Cup is one of the most celebrated experiences of our Midshipmen’s time at Annapolis and we all look forward to this wonderful event with great anticipation each season,” said Chet Gladchuk, Director of Athletics at the U.S. Naval Academy. “Through the years, the opportunity to play in such an extraordinary environment, with so many fans in the stands at Subaru Park has been something our players and staff feel is one of the absolute highlights of every season and one of the more memorable moments in their time here at Navy. We plan on being a part of this enduring tradition for a long time to come.”
Navy has already had a strong start to their 2021 campaign. Led by Head Coach Tim O'Donohue, who returns for his sixth season at the helm of the Navy men's soccer program, having led the Midshipmen to winning records in each of the last two years, the Midshipmen were picked to finish fourth in the Patriot League regular-season standings in its annual preseason poll, that also included a first-place vote. Senior Matt Nocita and sophomore David Jackson were named to the Patriot League All-League team, while Nocita also earned the Patriot League Preseason Defensive Player of the Year. Joining Nocita among the top returning players for Navy this season are fellow seniors Jacob Williams and Tyler Collins, who both joined Nocita in being First-Team All Patriot League selections. Rounding out the top returning players for Navy in 2021 is the trio of Cristian Coelho, Sidney Paris, and Joe Alex. Coelho and Paris are set to anchor the midfield for Navy while Alex will captain the Midshipmen in 2021. In goal, Navy returns the trio of Tyler Fahning, Thomas Pearson and Nick Sigman, all of whom are expected to compete for a starting position through the preseason.
In addition to its returning starters and letter winners, Navy boasts a strong 10-member recruiting class that was ranked as the 25th-best men's soccer recruiting class in the nation by Top Drawer Soccer, the highest such ranking for a recruiting class in program history.
Army Navy Cup X is presented by Leidos and made possible with the support from the following sponsors: Visit Delco, Energy Transfer, Sunoco, Steamfitters Local Union 420, Holman Automotive, IBEW Local 98, Eastern Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters, U.S. Army Recruiting, U.S. Navy Recruiting, TD Bank, Monroe Energy and Tozour Energy Systems.
The Philadelphia Union has played host to Army-Navy Cup since its inaugural match in 2012, with Army currently leading the series at 4-2-3. The debut edition in 2012 ended in a draw, as did the 2017 match. Navy won in both 2013 and 2014, while Army took the victory in 2015, 2016 and 2018. In 2019, the match ended in a 1-1 draw in double overtime. In the last match played between the two academies, Army retained the Cup behind a 2-0 win. In nine editions of the Army-Navy Cup, the Black Knights lead the series at 4-2-3.
