This summer, a number of LOGS pupils went off to the Gothia Youth World Cup in Sweden, forming part of the Prep School Pumas Team and representing both LOGS and England alike. Below is a report written by some of their parents.
The boys flew out to the tournament alone, most for the first time, with their teams and stayed in a local school in Gothenburg for the week they were out there. We are so proud of the boys for their attitudes and the team spirit they showed whilst participating in this tournament. Both teams were faced with so many challenging matches and played in exhausting temperatures, and yet they always came out smiling whether the result positive or not.
The under-11 team had as part of their team LOGS students Mathew Packham, Harry Rodgers and Ben Reid. For the Pumas under-11 team, it was an exciting start to the tournament. A convincing win over their German opposition, largely thanks to an incredible goal scored by Ben Reid, meant the team were flying high. After a second win against a very talented Swedish team, in part thanks to an audacious assist by Matthew Packham, crossing the ball in from the wing, confidence continued to rise. With Harry Rodgers battling for every ball in defence, the dreams of being the under 11 youth champions were alive and kicking. As the tournament progressed, the opposition improved, with what can only be described as world-class youth players displaying the highest calibre of football. A loss against the European Allstars bought the team down to earth with a heavy thud before losing their 4th match to a very talented French team. At the end of the week, the team had put on valiant performances to earn 3 wins, 2 losses and a draw, narrowly missing out on further progress in the tournament.
The under-12 team had as part of their team LOGS students Joshua Englehart and Stanley Stoneham. A little bit daunted at first to play up an age group Josh and Stan threw everything they had into the under-12 team. Their games were against Swedish and French teams. Some of the teams were very strong and often leads the Pumas had at half time were overturned in the second half. The first two matches they faced against Paris and Sweden were extremely tough and both times they lost in the second half despite promising starts and multiple goals in both matches. The team pulled together incredibly well, showing great camaraderie both on and off the pitch. If mistakes were made there would be someone there with a pat on the shoulder offering encouraging words. They made team decisions about when to get an early night in view of upcoming matches, and continuously kept morale high with their positive attitudes. This paid off when they finally got a 3-2 win in their last game of the tournament and made the perfect end to a cracking week. The way the match was won was a fitting end to their courageous never-die attitude culminating in a winner from the last kick of the game following a fantastic team goal. Stan made some incredible saves as keeper, which drew claps from both our crowd and the opposition and was a reliable and notable presence in front of goal. Josh made some fundamental tackles and interceptions in his attacking defensive role and he was also involved in the fantastic team goal that led to the last-minute winner in the final game.
The Gothia Cup provided the team with a privileged insight into the highest standards of youth football, testing them physically, mentally and emotionally. Whilst the results were representative of the team’s footballing performance, the behaviour, character, and resilience of the LOGS pupils, on and off the pitch, were of the highest standards and something parents were extremely proud of. They interacted with other youth teams from all over the world, whether it was joining in with signing on the city’s transport or making new friends after matches; overall it was heart-warming to see such behaviour and representative of how mature and respectful this group is. Both parents and the school alike should be proud.
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