Volkswagen Gives Young Soccer Players a Shot at the International Stage With Junior Masters Soccer Tournament

Once in a Lifetime Opportunity for Youth Soccer Players to Represent U.S. Leading up to Prestigious 2010 World Cup

HERNDON, Va., July 20 -- Volkswagen of America, the official automotive partner of Major League Soccer, today launched the Volkswagen Junior Masters, a 20-country, international youth soccer tournament. Created by Volkswagen AG, the international competition is the first of its kind in the U.S. One team will have the honor of representing the U.S. (and will enjoy an all expenses paid trip) at the Volkswagen Junior World Master Finals in May 2010 prior to the FIFA World Cup in South Africa. The Volkswagen Junior Masters tournament runs from today through October 2009 and builds upon the company's global commitment to the sport.

"As a long-time global supporter of soccer, Volkswagen is taking its U.S. soccer presence to new heights by giving young soccer players the chance to compete on the world stage," said Tim Ellis, Vice President of Marketing for Volkswagen of America, Inc. "The Volkswagen Junior Masters extends our growing commitment to soccer in the U.S. and complements our existing U.S. soccer initiatives including our sponsorship of MLS, D.C. United and The Footballers' Clubhaus youth soccer tour."

The Volkswagen Junior Masters kicks off with preliminary tournaments across the East Coast beginning July 18 in Fort Dix, NJ and continuing on to: Downingtown, PA; Winston Salem, NC; Lancaster, PA; Richmond, VA; and, Parsippany, NJ on October 11. Twelve total teams from the preliminary tournaments will be invited to compete in the U.S. finals in Washington, D.C. on October 17 - 18. All youth soccer clubs and school teams that meet the specified age requirements are eligible to participate in the Volkswagen Junior Masters. The winning U.S. team will then go on to compete in the Volkswagen Junior World Master Finals against 19 other teams in Cape Town, South Africa May 26 - 30, 2010.

"Major League Soccer is proud to partner with Volkswagen on a tournament like the Junior Masters that encourages fun and competitive soccer, especially among younger players," said Kathy Carter, executive vice president of Soccer United Marketing, MLS' marketing arm. "We look forward to the various competitions that lay ahead and to the excitement that this event will generate among soccer fans across the United States and internationally."

"I am delighted that Volkswagen has demonstrated such a profound commitment to developing America's young soccer players through initiatives like the Junior Masters Tournament," said John Harkes, ESPN soccer analyst and former MLS star who is the official spokesperson for the Volkswagen Junior Masters in the U.S. "Volkswagen, through the Junior Masters Tournament, has created the opportunity of a lifetime for budding young soccer players everywhere."

Globally, Volkswagen has been a long time supporter of soccer. The brand is the title sponsor of Volkswagen arena in Wolfsburg and owns the VFL Wolfsburg football club at its global headquarters. In the U.S., Volkswagen of America is the official automotive partner of Major League Soccer and is a sponsor of D.C. United. The brand also recently launched the Footballers' Clubhaus presented by Volkswagen and MLS, a 19-city mobile marketing tour showcasing Volkswagen's product family at local youth soccer tournaments.

For more information on Volkswagen, visit media.vw.com. For more information on the Volkswagen Junior Masters, visit http://www.vw.com/vw-junior-masters-soccer/en/us/.

Volkswagen of America, Inc.

Founded in 1955, Volkswagen of America, Inc. is headquartered in Herndon, Virginia. It is a subsidiary of Volkswagen AG, headquartered in Wolfsburg, Germany. Volkswagen is one of the world's largest producers of passenger cars and Europe's largest automaker. Volkswagen sells the Rabbit, New Beetle, New Beetle convertible, GTI, Jetta, Jetta SportWagen, GLI, Eos, Passat, Passat wagon, CC, Tiguan, Touareg 2 and Routan through approximately 600 independent U.S. dealers. All 2009 Volkswagens come standard-equipped with Electronic Stabilization Program. This is important because the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has called ESC the most effective new vehicle safety technology since the safety belt. Visit Volkswagen of America online at vw.com or media.vw.com to learn more.

About Major League Soccer

Headquartered in New York City, Major League Soccer is the top-flight professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. MLS features many stars from the U.S., Canada, and around the world. MLS kicked off its 14th season on March 19, and will feature 15 teams each playing 30 regular season matches. They include Chicago Fire, Colorado Rapids, Chivas USA, Columbus Crew, D.C. United, FC Dallas, Houston Dynamo, Kansas City Wizards, Los Angeles Galaxy, New York Red Bulls, New England Revolution, Real Salt Lake, San Jose Earthquakes, Toronto FC and, in its inaugural season, Seattle Sounders FC. The Philadelphia Union will debut in 2010, while expansion teams in Vancouver and Portland will debut in 2011. For more information about MLS, log on to the League's official website at www.MLSnet.com.