DUBAI It will be history in the making when the Future Star Football Club’s girls ’ Under-16 team travel to participate in the prestigious Dana Cup 2015 next week in Denmark.
“This is the first time that a girls’ under-16 team from the Middle East will be taking part in the Dana Cup,” said Russel Rosario, head coach of Future Star FC.
Along with the girls’ team, two boys teams - Under-16 and Under-17 - will also be part of the International Youth Soccer Tournament that will see over 1,000 youth teams from around 50 countries participate. The tournament will be held from July 20 to 25. “It’s a big break for the youngsters. Playing against some of the best youth teams in the world is a dream come true. The entire squad is excited and can’t wait to set the ball rolling,” Rosario added.
Different conditions
In preparations for the big week ahead, the teams have been undergoing rigorous training sessions on different conditions. “They are working out almost five days a week. They trained under professional coaches at the Dubai Sports World before playing matches in humid conditions. That’s an advantage since the weather is a lot cooler there. We also focussed heavily on fitness and trained on the sand. It’s important since they will have to play back-to-back matches. We also made them play against senior teams in the UAE to toughen them up,” said Rosario.
While this is the first time the girls’ team will be participating in an international tournament, the boys’ team travelled to China to compete in The Great Wall Cup last year.
“That was the first time our boys played in an international tournament so we were a bit lost. But that gave us an idea what to expect at that level. So the boys are in better frame of mind for Dana Cup and I’m sure the teams will make a bigger impact there,” added Rosario.
Girls’ team skipper Nicole Pinto said: “It’s a huge opportunity for us and we are looking forward to it.”
“We have done extensive research on the opponents and are aware of what to expect. Our coaches have worked hard to prepare us. We know the teams are tough but matches against big teams in Dubai have made us stronger. So we are confident of doing well,” she added.
