The U12 Toronto FC Academy team travelled to Vilagarda de Arousa, Spain, to participate in an international tournament against some of the best youth academies in the world.
A total of 20 teams participated in the prestigious Arousa Futebol 7 tournament. TFCA qualified for the tournament after winning the U12 Generation Adidas Cup in Frisco, Texas a few months earlier.
Each match consisted of 7 players on the field per team, with two 30-minute halves. The 7 a side rule is set to help players experience in-game action more often, encouraging more touches on the ball and promoting technical ability as the forefront of development for these young players.
Along with TFCA, Group C consisted of Spanish squads ED Xuventu Oroso, FC Barcelona, and Deportivo La Coruna, as well as Dutch squad AFC Ajax. With Barcelona and Ajax in their group, the young Reds were competing against arguably the two best youth academies in the world.
The team finished with a record of 2-1-1 but was unable to make it out of the group stage. Although they were tied for second in the group with Ajax, their 1-0 loss against them meant the Dutch team was moving on due to the head-to-head tiebreaker.
The game of the tournament for the young Reds came against FC Barcelona. It was a back and forth encounter between the two clubs, in which TFCA led on two occasions. Nearing the end of the match, with the score deadlocked at 2-2, TFCA had a great opportunity to seal the victory but a great save by the Barcelona goalkeeper preserved a tie for the Spanish side.
U12 Toronto FC Academy coach Gianni Cimini spoke about the group’s positive mentality and drive to be successful in the tournament, in light of the fact they were facing some of best youth academies in the world. The young Reds believed and showed that they were there not only for the experience and to compete, but to win. They showed that they were able to compete against some of the best on a technical stand point, displaying a strong possession based style of play throughout the tournament that may have caught some teams off guard.
Although unfortunate not to make it out of the group stage, it was a great opportunity for the Toronto FC Academy to gain experience and show that they are able to compete against some of the top U12 clubs in the world.
Match Scores
2-2 tie vs. FC Barcelona
5-0 win vs. ED Xuventu Oroso
1-0 loss vs. AFC Ajax
4-1 win vs. Deportivo La Coruna
