Youth Sports: Pateadores compete in Sweden
The Pateadores HB 2000 boys’ soccer team of Huntington Beach-based Pateadores Soccer Club competed recently in the Under-16 division at Gothia Cup (The World Youth Cup) in Sweden.
Pateadores HB 2000 played seven games against teams from Sweden, Norway, Iceland and Canada. The Pats reached the quarterfinal round in the U16 division where they lost on penalty kicks to a team from Canada.
Boys’ and girls’ teams from 80 countries competed at the tournament, which started July 17 and ended July 23.
“This was an amazing experience every team in the USA should have,” Pats Coach Adriano De Lima said. “Players learned to appreciate the sport and understand how it affects people from all over the world. They became more passionate and knowledgeable which helps them in their future development as players and individuals. They were able to meet people from different cultures and learn how these people enjoy football.
“Overall, it was not only a football tournament but a cultural and life experience.”
The Pateadores HB 2000 team in Sweden was Chase Bullock, Raymond Drake, Robert Gerschultz, Jason Gunn, Conner Henry, Dustin Herft, Michael Hernandez, Jett Kelly, Ethan Kos, Sean Muirhead, Cory Nicholson, Jaxon Rogers, Katin Rood, Nick Saude and Ethan Van Buren.
The Pats next will compete Friday to Sunday at the SoCal Cup in Oceanside. Their new season starts in September.