The G16 champions from USA: "A wonderful experience"
Elite Development Academy won the G16 category in Cancun. In the summer, they're heading to Gothenburg.
The players in the team are really happy to get the chance to play in the Gothia Cup in Sweden.
– The opportunity for the players and families to experience both sport and culture; of the locals and the other teams, is really an incredible opportunity that we’re excited about, says the team manager Chris Hackett.
He's very happy about their trip to Mexico in January.
– The Gothia Cup Cancun was really a wonderful experience for our Girls 08 team that participated. Conceptually, it was well thought out and ran pretty smooth for the first year. Any problems that we encountered were adjust for very quickly by the people running the tournament. Very impressive. Overall, it was a fantastic experience for the girls when you combine the Gothia Cup with the Mayan and Mexican culture and the location. The airport pick ups and drop offs and bus travel to the pitches turned out to be a great idea because it made it simple for teams and parents to get where they needed to be. Overall, it was well done and I would recommend the trip to anyone thinking of attending, says Chris Hackett.
Elite Development Academy defeated Club Amigas Pioneras A 2007 from Mexico with 1-0 in the G16 final. They were really happy after the final whistle. They even wanted to celebrate more.
– Due to this being the inaugural year for the Gothia Cup Cancun, it was a little unorganized for the winning teams as there was not enough time to celebrate at the pitch properly or an area designated for medals, trophies and pictures. We had to get back to the bus and return to the hotel. We did celebrate that evening at the hotel by going to the pool but were kicked out of the pool because it closed at 6 pm. So in future years, that can be improved but it did not diminish the winning and joy that we experienced. We appreciated the opportunity to play in the stadium and everyone was very helpful.
They didn't just win medals and a trophy. The Americans also won participation in the Gothia Cup in Gothenburg this summer.
– That's a great prize for winning the Gothia Cup Cancun. We've already registered for the Gothia Cup in Sweden and are looking forward to that experience. I don't think that we would be going this year if it wasn't for the little bit of help that we received by winning the Gothia Cup Cancun. I think that was a great idea and it helped us with our decision to attend the Gothia Cup in Sweden.
What have you heard about the Gothia Cup in Gothenburg and how will it be to participate, you think? Are the girls excited?
– We’ve heard that the Gothia Cup in Sweden is much larger than Cancun and the quality of teams is incredible so we’re looking forward to experiencing that along with the benefit of traveling to Sweden to experience the people and their culture. The opportunity for the players and families to experience both sport and culture; of the locals and the other teams, is really an incredible opportunity that we’re excited about, says Chris Hackett.
