The real issue regarding a pre-season tourney like the Viking Cup is not if you win it. It is to get your team ready for the season. It's for the players to bond, the new players to mesh and the team to play a lot of soccer to get them ready. Great play against good cross-state competition.
If 1-2, 3-5 or however many players are missing, you will not totally accomplish this.
You do not see High School AAU Basketball having a tourney at the start of HS Basketball season, nor do you have HS traveling baseball Clubs teams playing at the start of HS season, or swimming etc... only soccer.
As I have said before, High School only needs 4 months, if Club can't do theirs in 8 months, well this should be addressed. Club's cannot get enough of your time and your money.
