And finally came the day we’ve been waiting for, to compete in a tournament in the United States as the official B1 USA team. And last weekend, this dream came true.
On September 5 and 6, under a blazing sun, our B1 USA teams participated in their first tournament of the season in Fort Myers. We take advantage of this first tournament to put the VEO Camera to the test.
It is a first in South West Florida that such technology is used and we will be able to utilize those footages for the benefit of our players.
Publix Labor Day cup in Fort Myers
A lot of quality teams showed up at this tournament from Miami but also from the rest of the east coast. We are proud and thank our players for their efforts, and the way they put their hearts out on the field.
For our younger boys of U10 and U11 it was a tough competition but they managed to mark their presence.
The U10 boys played against CSVYS Venice, Cape Coral Arsenal, and Hollywood Wildcats. For its part, the U11 boys played against CSBRS Braden River, Florida Gulf Coast Lions, and Coral Springs United. The goal could not be achieved, but they worked hard.
Our U12 boys had to play two games within 3 hours this last Sunday. The second game was thrilling as they have had the ticket for the final.
They gave everything they had and missed a good chance but ended up losing in a close game. They played respectively against Weston FC, CSVYS Venice, and Elite Black.
Discover more photos of U12 team at our gallery thanks to Gina Guri’s photos!
The U13 team ended up in the final after their rivals withdrew for having ineligible players. They confronted Cape Arsenal which is really competitive but as much as they wanted the win, the game was cut short when thunder began to strike, leaving the score at 0-0. They played against CSCCS Cape Coral and Cape Coral Arsenal.
Our U10 Girls was a pleasure to watch. It was also a rough competition with physical teams and some quality plays and performances. They played against Sunrise Prime Elite and two times against CSCCS Cape Coral SA.
Furthermore, our U12 Girls which were placed in the top bracket and had a whole different team from last year also had a hard time finding the bottom of the net.
The girls played against CSBRS Braden River SC, against West Florida Flames, and CSCCS Cape Coral SA.
Thanks to the VEO footage that we took from the teams and our observations during the games we detected some fields of improvement we will be focusing on in the next weeks.
Our B1 USA Soccer Academy co-founder, John Robinson was satisfied with this first participation and happy to see the teams play with the new equipment:
“We are happy that the B1 Soccer Academy has been able to participate in the first tournament of the season. This marks the start of a new season and coming wonders. It is the beginning of a promising future.”
Clearwater Labor Day tournament
The B1 U13 Girls team also had the chance to defend their colors at the Clearwater Labor Day tournament. Despite their small roster of only 12 players as well as three guests’ players, they battled and did their best against top competition.
They first played against West Florida Flames (1-3 loss). Then the next game against our local rivals Florida West FC was nothing less than an emotional thrill ride.
Our girls started off strong and focused and took the lead of 2-1, but later on cramps and injuries led them to concede 3 goals which led to a score of 2-4.
Still, a great experience for all new B1 Players. And looking forward to seeing them participate in the next tournaments coming up in September and October. Keep it up!
