Some of our players thoughts …
“This week has been the most amazing week of my life. Our academy formed a team of players from different teams within our club to play in one of the biggest youth tournaments in the world: the MIC (Mediterranean International Cup). We all came to Spain in September from different parts of the world for this program: Me (USA) Sam (Ireland) Cleevan (Kuwait) David (Ukraine) Juan Pablo (Mexico) Daniel (Venezuela) Matteo (Norway) Kane (Bermuda) Miraash (Maldives) Marco (Italy) Adrian (Switzerland) Jaime (Colombia) Robert (Australia) Gary (Indonesia) Antonio (Bermuda). Only a few of us had played together in Cornellá before this tournament. Having trained only 4 times as a team, we came into the tournament not knowing how to expect. After all, we had never played altogether as a team and we barely knew each other as players. Our two amazing coaches, Paco and Markel, had a tough situation in their hands: How do we give a good image of our academy and our players in a tournament as important as the MIC never having played together? In the group stage, it took us 2 games (which we lost) to really learn how to combine with one another and play as a team. After that, having being knocked out of the tournament, we entered the consolation tournament. We wanted to play as many matches as possible and go as far as we can. We ended up winning the tournament; being the ones who had played the most out of anyone in the tournament in any category: 8×50 minute matches in 5 days. Throughout the entire tournament we were like a family, everybody supporting and motivating one another no matter what the situation, with passionate coaches to guide us along the way. We all pushed each other to give our very best and never gave up. Both as individuals and as a team we have achieved things that we wouldn’t ever even dreamed of achieving in this tournament. The moments I have had in the past few days will stay with me forever as some of the happiest times in my life. Thank you Edu for making it possible for us to play in this tournament, to all of my teammates for all you have done for me and to Paco and Markel for all you have done to the team.”
