As summer begins to wind down, the La Jolla Nomads soccer program is already looking to its fall schedule, but not without remembering some highlights from recent months.
The boys under-15 team recently traveled to England and Ireland to play in the 2006 Northern Ireland Milk Cup, a prestigious international tournament for boys youth teams.
As one LJNS parent noted, “We knew it would be an uphill challenge playing some of the world’s strongest 1991 academy and club teams with our Nomads BU14 academy team, whose oldest member, by CYSA rules, has an August 1991 birthday.”
One day after arrival, the team played in a one-day tournament organized by their guides, Travel and Play, that featured short games (12-minute halves) against five English academy teams. Given the short format, many games ended 0-0, but the Nomads were excited to defeat Tottenham, 2-0.
After a day touring London, the Nomads returned to the pitch to play a friendly game against Arsenal’s academy team in 30-minute halves and came away with a 2-1 win.
With the exhibitions in hand, the Nomads traveled to Ireland to prepare for Milk Cup action. Throughout the Milk Cup, local boys of around nine years old reportedly approached the teams with requests for autographs.
While the team dropped four games on the trip, the learning experience both on the field and off will likely benefit the members.
On the girls side of the ball, members of the Nomads’ under-14 team recently successfully defended their title at the PQ Premier tournament, winning the GU14 Silver bracket.
With a record of 2-0-1 in bracket play, the team advanced to the semis where it took on the FC Bratz. Playing on turf, in the rain, the GU14 put three into the back of the net to secure a place in the finals with a 3-0 victory.
The championship afternoon brought clear skies and a 2-0 victory over the Brea Blaze, with outstanding play by Monica Reyna, Amelia Hollow, Samantha Rovai and borrowed players Alex Abbott and Jessica Carrillo.
EXTRA KICKS: Participants playing on Friday, Aug. 25, at Steele Canyon Golf Course (12:30 p.m. shotgun) can take part in a fund-raising tournament that will raise money for the Boys U14 Academy team to travel to Frisco, Texas. Fees for the golf event are $135 for single play and $500 for a foursome. Contact Debra Diaz at [email protected] for more information.
The annual Nomads Thanksgiving Tournament, hosted by Demosphere International Inc., will be held this year from Nov. 24-26. First games will begin at 8 a.m. on Friday and the last game will kick off at 2 p.m. on Sunday.