The 2015 squad with BarcelonaThe 2015 squad with Barcelona
The 2015 squad with Barcelona
Over the May Day weekend, six youth football squads flew out to Barcelona to represent South Down in the Nations Cup held at the training grounds and stadium of Gimnastic Tarragona.
There were fantastic results all around with the teams coming away with two cups, two plates and two third place finishes including wins against Barcelona Academy in some of the age groups. But most importantly this was a trip that will never be forgotten by both the players and coaches.
The players were chosen from trials and only had 10 hours of training and a few friendlies under their belts to prepare themselves for games against other UK and Ireland regions.
But the one match everyone was looking forward to was the stellar game against Barcelona Academy.
The 2016 squad with Barcelona.The 2016 squad with Barcelona.
The 2016 squad with Barcelona.
Local clubs on their way
Local teams that were represented included: Rathfriland Youth FC, Dunnaman FC, Warrenpoint Town, Camlough FC, Ballyvea FC, Windmill Stars, Rossowen FC, Midway FC, Ashgrove FC, Valley Rangers and Meadowlands FC and they all gave a fantastic account of themselves.
Youngest team goes unbeaten
The 2017 squad were the youngest who travelled out and came away unbeaten in the group stages including an opening 1-0 win against Barcelona. They qualified for the Cup finals and followed up an opening 0-0 draw with hosts Gimnastic with a win against another Spanish opponent in the form of Vendrell meaning the 2017s came away as Cup winners.
The 2013 squad.The 2013 squad.
The 2013 squad.
2016s fantastic third
The 2016 squad also had a great group campaign which included four wins out of five, including another impressive 1-0 win against Barcelona Academy.
The players also qualified for the Cup finals and although they couldn’t repeat Saturday’s result against Barcelona, coupled with a defeat against another Spanish team Sant Pau, they came away with a very respectable third place finish.
Goal crazy 2015s
The 2014 squad with Barcelona.The 2014 squad with Barcelona.
The 2014 squad with Barcelona.
The 2015 squad turned up and went goal crazy in the group stage scoring 17 goals in four group games. They only dropped points to Barcelona in a very tight draw and it was these two teams who contested the Cup in a two-legged game.
With the score 0-0 after the first leg, South Down managed to grab a late winner and hold on to become Cup winners and deservedly so.
Plate final winners
The 2014 squad began their tournament with a hard working 1-1 draw with Sant Pau. This was then followed up by an impressive 3-0 win against West Ireland but a very entertaining defeat against Barcelona along with a loss and a draw against the two teams from Northern Ireland put them into the Plate finals. The squad recomposed themselves and comfortably won both of their final games to lift the Plate trophy.
The 2012 squad.The 2012 squad.
The 2012 squad.
2013s give a great account of themselves
The 2013 squad had a lot of options to call upon each game and they all played their part in making the Cup finals on the Sunday. Three wins and close defeats to Barcelona and Sant Pau completed the group stage but the players went into the finals day knowing what they were up against.
A hard working draw against Barcelona left the final game against Sant Pau a winner takes all. Their Spanish opponents took an early lead and even know the everything and the kitchen sink was thrown at their goal, South Down couldn’t find an equaliser and finished a very respectable third in the tournament.
2012s battle back
The 2012 squad rounded off the weekend and had the three Spanish teams (Gimnastic, Vendrell and Sant Pau) to contend with which unfortunately resulted in defeats.
An encouraging win against West Ireland gave them momentum to battle for a draw against another Sant Pau team. They fought hard for a draw with Vendrell and then hit five against West Ireland to win the Plate trophy.
The 2017 squad.The 2017 squad.
The 2017 squad.
An experience to remember
Conor Fegan, who heads up CF Sports Academy, coordinated the tour as part of the Barcelona Experience was supported by local coaches Ben Ryan, Dylan Morgan Long and Ethan Doyle. It was an experience the players and their families won’t forget.
For many it was playing against the talents of Barcelona.
For others, it was the moment of stepping onto the pitch of a professional Spanish team.
For the coaches, it was bringing local clubs together and to show the talent pool of the South Down area.
If you are interested in hearing more about future Barcelona tournaments or interested in training or coaching sessions, please contact CF Sports Academy via their social media channels.
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