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2010 PRE-ACADEMY I - CHAMPIONS OF THE MUNDIALITO IN BARCELONA, SPAIN!!

04/26/2019, 12:30pm PDT
By TFA

CONGRATULATIONS GOES OUT TO OUR 2010 PRE-ACADEMY I TEAM FOR AN UNBELIEVABLE ACCOMPLISHMENT OUT AT THE MUNDIALITO TOURNAMENT HOSTED IN BARCELONA, SPAIN.

THE TEAM FACED TREMENDOUS ODDS AGAINST SINCE THE RULES OF THE FIELD, SYSTEMS OF PLAY AS WELL AS THE OFF-SIDE RULE ARE ALL VERY DIFFERENT THAN THEY ARE IN THE US. 

ALTHOUGH THE TEAM LOST THEIR FIRST GAME IN BRACKET PLAY, IT TURNS OUT THAT THIS WAS THE WAKE UP CALL THEY NEEDED IN ORDER TO START TO ADJUST TO ALL THE RULES & SYSTEMS THEY'D BE FACING FROM THIS POINT FORWARD. LITTLE BY LITTLE COACH RIDER WAS ABLE TO HONE IN ON THE OPPONENTS SYSTEMS OF PLAY AND ADJUST ACCORDINGLY.  FORTUNATELY THE TEAM ADVANCED INTO THE KNOCK OUT ROUNDS AS THE THIRD AND FINAL WILD CARD WHERE THEY WERE NOW MUCH BETTER PREPARED TO FACE THE CHALLENGES FROM THE BIG CATALUNYAN  CLUBS IN ATTENDANCE.

FROM THIS POINT ON, THEY WON THEIR THE NEXT THREE GAMES (Rnd of 16, Qrtrs & semi's) AND NOW WERE ON A ROLL HEADING INTO THE FINAL.

THE MATCH WAS PLAYED AT A BLISTERING PACE WITH BOTH SIDES UNWILLING TO GIVE UP A GOAL EARLY. THE BOYS ALSO HAD TO PLAY IN FRONT OF A VERY PRO-CATALUNYAN FAN BASE SINCE NONE OF THE LOCAL CLUBS WANTED AN AMERICAN TEAM TO COME INTO THEIR HOUSE AND TAKE THE CHAMPIONSHIP CUP HOME TO AMERICA. DESPITE ALL OF THE PRESSURES THEY FACED, EVENTUALLY OUR BOYS CAME AWAY WITH THE VICTORY!

THE FINAL SCORE: 2-0 FOR TFA!  

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