Academy
- Thursday April 24th, 2008 @ 10:56
COPA INTERNACIONAL CHAMPIONS – Barca 2008 Part 1
OUR UNDER 13's have just returned from their trip to Barcelona as winners of La Copa Internacional. They flew out on Friday and stayed in La Pineda just south of Barcelona for five days and took part in the La Copa Internacional.
At the request of our hosts Europa SC and the other teams participating - this year the competition was based on a 7-a-side format. In Spain youth teams do not play 11-a-side soccer until they are 14. A squad of 16 players left Dublin to make up two teams, St Pat's Reds and St Pat's Blues.
The squad trained and relaxed in the La Hacienda Hotel in La Pineda on the Friday and Saturday before making the two hour trip to San Cugat just north of Barcelona on the Sunday to play the tournament.
Arriving at the impressive Europa SC Sports complex the participating teams paraded in front of a crowd of over 400 people. Five teams would compete with all the teams playing each other once in a league format with the top two sides contesting a final and the next two the 3rd place play-off. Pats had two teams while FC Barcelona, Europa SC and Zurich FC represented Cataluyna.
Continued in Part 2
