Young BVI ballers dominate soccer tournament in Puerto Rico

The British Virgin Islands won gold and silver medals in the just-concluded Global Premier Soccer (GPS) Caribbean Showcase tournament held in Puerto Rico on January 25 to 27.

The US tournament which is in its fourth year is held as a way to expose athletes to college coaches while providing players with the opportunity to compete in a high-level competition.

A media release from the BVI Football Association (BVIFA) said the athletes took home the gold medal in the boys Under-10 category and a silver medal in the boys under 13 category.

On their way to the gold, the Under-10 BVI team won two goals to nil against their opponents in the first leg of the game.

In the semi-final, the BVI athletes won by three goals to nil. In their final game, the said team scored seven goals to one, earning them the title of 2019 Under-10 boys’ champions.

To bring home the silver, the BVI’s Under-13 team finished their first match in a 1-1 draw. Neither the BVI nor their challengers scored in their second game, leaving the scoreboard at nil-all.

However, in the final leg of the game, the BVI athletes won 3-1, resulting in the Under-13 emerging second place in that category, overall.

“This result shows that the attitude and application by both teams during the games,” said team coach, Dan Neville. “[They] played physical and very attacking football.”

He added that it is also clear that the BVI athletes can move on to compete at a higher level.

“What we are focusing on now is ensuring that we teach the same style of football at all ages so players get to learn their position well and are able to make a smooth transition as they move up in age groups,” he said.

Similar sentiments were expressed by the President of the BVIFA Andrew Bickerton who said he was elated with the results.