The U8 and U10 football teams set off in the CDSC team buses at 7:00 in the morning to take part in a top-class football tournament at PREM International School. Still tired but full of anticipation, 21 players and 4 coaches, together with a bunch of dedicated parents, set off.
On arrival, it quickly became clear that this was going to be an eventful day for the CDSC kids. The football tournament was top-class. It included youth teams from Chiang Mai United, Rising Stars Football Academy and other well-known football academies from Chiang Mai and the surrounding area.
It was hardly surprising that these teams were more than superior to our players. Our U10s had a particularly tough time and were unable to win any of their three games. Nevertheless, there were happy faces throughout and the CDSC kids enjoyed their day in the company of friends and parents. It is fair to say that all the U10 kids who came along gave their all, which is something we are all very proud of. Giving up was never an option.
The U8s started the tournament at 8.30 a.m. and it was clear to see that the players were nervous. There was a lot of respect for the supposedly better teams.
However, it soon became clear that they had nothing to hide and were able to achieve a clear 3:0 victory in their first match against PREM International School Team 2 thanks to their fighting spirit and superior play. In the 2nd preliminary round match, however, they suffered a clear defeat with great disappointment to Elite Football Academy. The 3rd and final preliminary round match was against Team 2 of the Rising Stars Football Academy, which ended 1:1 after a tough battle.
The 1:1 was enough to take them to the semi-finals. Their opponents were none other than the U8 Alpine International Tournament winners – Team 1 from Rising Stars Football Academy. To everyone’s surprise, the CDSC’s U8 kickers pulled off an unchallenged 2:0 victory thanks to their outstanding running performance and tenacity in the duels. On to the Final!!!!
The final against PREM International School Team 1 itself was a real spectacle. A soccer match that was already gripping and intense reached its climax in the 7-meter shoot-out and offered the spectators pure thrills! It was clear to see that the CDSC kids were giving their all! So it was not surprising that the CDSC U8s won the 7-meter shoot-out 2:1.
The U8s’ victory in this top-class tournament will undoubtedly go down as a milestone in CDSC history. We are incredibly proud of the achievements of our young talents and look forward to participating in more soccer activities next year.
Special thanks to all the supporters & parents who traveled with us, who put on an incredible spectacle on the sidelines. With POM POM’s and CDSC neon signs, the CDSC kickers were “cheered” on to victory in the tournament.
Achim Oppinger / Timo August / Tony Hoyer / Coach Assistant Henry Chang
