A strong field of 32 players from 10 states competed in the 2023 U.S. FISTF International Open event. The Maryland tournament organized by Paul Eyes is known as the “Holiday Silver”—a prestigious event in the U.S. table soccer calendar.
Play began on Friday with a friendly Travelers Cup featuring 16 players from out of state. Michael Tillman (Minnesota) defeated Benny Nuger (Virginia) in the final match.
Saturday saw the main event take place at the Long Reach Community Center in Columbia, MD. A key match up was a semifinal clash between Daniel Cranston and Christian Filippella, the U.S. National Team captain and World Cup semifinalist. Cranston recorded an impressive 2-0 victory. He took his fine form into the final where he defeated Tillman 5-0. In the Veterans final, Alex Batacchi (Florida) defeated Gregg Deinhart (Virginia) on shots.
In the U20 event, Chris Belcher defeated Mason Lilly 2-1 (OT). In the final of a very competitive Mary Jane (consolation) tournament, Scott McCaulley (Outer Banks) edged out Jonathan Smith (BUSL95) on shots.
Sunday play was highlighted by a Team Event. Maryland retained the team title, defeating Tampa Bay Mountaineers in a tight final. Play concluded with an FA Cup-style knockout individual event. Cranston defeated Tillman in the final to secure his sweep of the weekend.
