USA CUP WEEKEND

AND OFF WE GO.....ROAD TRIP!

After a long season of soccer our final tournament lay ahead in Blaine, Minnesota. The USA Cup Weekend, an International Tournament. We set off in plenty of time for our 7 hour road trip, with a Chevy Suburban packed to the brim with five 15 year old boys, one could only imagine the conversations that lay ahead. After escaping the Illinois traffic and heading into central Wisconsin we started to feel the hunger pains related to a road trip…first stop was just outside Baraboo, WI, near the famous Wisconsin Dells. We pulled into a Subway for a bite to eat, a quick stretch of the legs and a quick look at the huge green Dinosaur sticking its body out of a gas station. A few more hours in the car and then a final ‘pee-break’ at the ‘Big White Cock’ gas station (one can only imagine the comments from the 15 year old boys when we pulled in here) We were now only a few hours from our destination and soon we would be unloading our gear and checking into Freedom Hall at the University of Minnesota, our home for the next few days…college dorm living, a first for many in the team.

THE WORLDS LARGEST SOCCER COMPLEX

We arrived in Blaine, MN at the Schwan’s Sports and Soccer Complex. The facility has over 50 perfectly manicured soccer fields and boast the record of being the World’s largest Amateur Soccer and Sports Complex on the planet.The places was huge, soccer fields as far as the eye could see and everything awaiting the official kick off the next day.

We checked everyone in and collected our wrist bands, handouts and goodies, we were now set.

BALLS!

USA 1 - SWEDEN 0, norway here we go!

After checking into the dorms with only a few hours left before curfew, the boys were itching to have some fun. The dorms were full of players from Chile, Costa Rica, Brazil, Sweden and Norway and everyone was buzzing around the University complex looking for stuff to do…..the boys played pick up basketball for a while and then BINGO! they bumped into a U16 Girls team from Bergen, Norway….that was it.

To say the boys hit gold was the understatement of the night, a sand volley ball game was to be played between the U15 Galaxy boys and the U16 Norwegian girls team…..to say they boys were in a love at first sight might be putting it mild.

Off to their right the U17 boys from Stockholm, Sweden were all sulking as they had not made the effort to contest the girls.

Technically this went down as a victory to the U15 Galaxy boys as they spent the next 90 minutes in a combination of sand volley ball, testosterone and flirting with their new found female friends from Norway

MONDAY. YOU BASTARD!

Voted the best t-shirt of the weekend

SNAPCHAT and new FRIENDS

It was hard to convince the team that curfew was 10:00 pm, and everyone was not too happy about ending the first night so early, but games were the next day and rest was important. How long into the night Snapchat was firing on everyones cell phones, we have no idea.

SOCCER FRIDAY

The boys were up at the crack of dawn and had to grab an early breakfast, then race off to catch our Yellow school bus and head to our first game. Some are not early risers

READY FOR OUR FIRST GAME OF THE DAY

A GOOD EARLY WARM UP

We arrived early at the soccer complex, eager to make a good impression and have everyone ready for the day ahead. There was plenty of space and time to get a good warm up in, making sure the boys were ready for their first challenge of the tournament.

FIRST GAME UNDER OUR BELTS

After terrific team effort, we ended up victorious with a convincing 2-1 win against the Wisconsin Rapids and the boys were buzzing. Our first scalp in the tournament and an important way to start the weekend. Everyone had a smile on their face and we were walking tall.

2-1 and on top of the world

waiting for our bus

The facility provided Yellow School buses to shuffle us back and forth between games.Plus water and covered areas to wait out of the sun..quality!

I'LL BE BACK!

A quick lunch and bus ride back to the dorms, then a stop off at the movies to watch the new Terminator 5. Keeping the boys hydrated and out of the hot sun was our main goal. Soon we ow deb playing again and hopeful of another victory.

GAME TWO, NOT AS PLANNED

Our second game of the day against UPFA United from Michigan was a kick in the pants and it did not go to plan. We basically had a rotten game, we were outplayed in almost every department and lost a dour game 2-0 and now were hanging by a thread to advance in the tournament.

a silent bus ride home

Hardly a word was spoken on our ride back to the dorms, the boys knew they had not performed and our tournament was hanging all on our next game on Saturday morning. The ride back was very dour and quite, some to exhausted to even look at the camera

WE NEED A PERFORMANCE

WON 1 - LOST 1

We were going to be heading home unless we produced a battling performance and showed some character against a very good St Croix, MN team. We kicked off and took an early lead, started to play with an abundance of confidence and looked comfortable on the ball. We made our opponent look average and were in total command. The score was in our favor as long as we won or tied we would advance, but a second half lapse of concentration and we ended up losing the game 2-1

No need to hold our heads low this time, we battled hard, played some great soccer and showed terrific character, but in the end our opponents quality showed though and we just didn't have that extra bit of luck to push on.

A great final game, maybe not the result we wanted but a proud moment for everyone involved.

Volunteers extraordinaire

Kyle and Mike worked their tails off over the weekend, helping keep the team on course both on and off the field, two great guys with so much positive energy

HAPPIER FACES

Our final bus ride back to the dorms, at least this time around we had some happier faces.

fond memories

Hopefully the weekend provided many fond memories for years to come.

T E A M

TOGETHER - EVERYONE - ACHIEVES - MORE

The amount of effort parents, players and volunteers made to pull off this great soccer weekend was huge. Without all the work behind the scenes, non of this would have happened.

A huge amount of gratitude has to go out to Kyle Berry, our hard working team manager, who without his constant attention to detail, non of this would have happened, we all lucky to have him as an important part of the team….thank you Kyle!

To Mike Dressler for being the go-to guy, checking on stragglers, monitoring the hallways and rooms, laundry man and Starbucks waiter…thank you Mike!

To all the parents, you have raised an amazing group of boys to be so proud of. Thank you all for the support throughout the season, both off and on the field.

But most of all to the U15 Black team boys…..Thank you for making me keep being in love with coaching soccer. You are a team of many characters, with such a great team spirit I am proud to be a part of.

Until next season….

Coach Paul

MONDAY. YOU BASTARDS!

If anyone wishes to purchase a print, please double click the link below:

http://paulstonehouse.pixieset.com/usacupblainemnjuly2015/