Força Cabo! - Story of the U-9A1s in Barçelona

Undefeated in Europe
Manchester United couldn’t do it this year. Neither could Chelsea, Liverpool or Arsenal. AC Milan did not achieve it either. Yet the mighty Cabinteely DDSL U-9A1 squad succeeded where all these giants failed. They went through a major European tournament undefeated when they participated in the popular Copa Maresme tournament which took place outside Barçelona on May 26-27.

The event proved to be an ideal way to end the season as the squad built further on the fantastic team spirit that has been developed by managers David Spencer and John McCann. On and off the pitch, the team did themselves - and the club - proud. On the pitch, the lads got a chance to test themselves against European opposition and were not found wanting. Off the pitch, the touring party got the chance to have a really enjoyable time - and were not found wanting in that respect either!

Getting there
An early start, a delayed flight departure and a missing suitcase in Barçelona airport failed to dampen the spirits of the travelling party. First stop was the Camp Nou stadium, home of FC Barçelona, for a guided tour. There were a number of firsts in the history of the stadium as a result of this tour. ‘The Fields of Athenry’ has never before been sung in the presidential seats - and it barely was this time, to be honest. Also the cry of ‘Força Cabo’ rang around the historic stadium for the first time thanks to the fantastic acoustics from the press area on the top tier of the stadium.

After a longer than planned stop at the Barça shop, the group headed to the Hotel Saint Jordi which was to be our base for the duration of the tournament. After settling in to rooms and a quick lunch, the team fine tuned their preparations by playing ‘FIFA Street’ football in an area close to the hotel. Then it was time to hit the swimming pool. Suitably exhausted, it was then lights out, scary stories and a good night’s sleep so that everyone was on their toes for the following day.

The Tournament
Teams from across Europe playing at a number of different age categories converged on the location of the tournament the following day. It was a veritable League of Nations. In the U-10 section alone, there was representation from France, Poland and Scotland, as well as Cabinteely flying the flag for Ireland.

Our first game was against AS Ecully from France. The team got off to a great start by scoring in the first couple of minutes and they continued to play some attractive, incisive football. The passing and intelligent play of the Cabo boys was a joy to behold as the team ran out 12-0 winners. The goals were shared around and the whole squad contributed to a team performance which was just the start for which managers Dave and John were looking.

Our second game was played in the midday sun and proved much tougher. The opposition was provided by US Eguilles, another team from France. This time it was the opposition who scored first. This was a test of our lads' character and they passed it with flying colours. They hit back immediately to equalise and scored twice more to run out deserving 3-1 winners in a high quality game that had the watching crowd in raptures.

That left one more group game to play against AS Bouc Bel Air of France who had also won both of their games and had a slightly superior goal difference. That game was scheduled the following morning and the players retired to their beds that night knowing that they faced a ‘winner take all’ struggle against the French aces.

And what a game it was between two very evenly matched teams. It had everything - fantastic skill, controversial refereeing decisions, great goals, fighting qualities, even players getting sent off. It was even a game of three halves with an additional ten minute period played as the French team had replaced a player who had in fact been dismissed by the referee for two very bookable offences. That last period was especially tense as Cabinteely fought valiantly to get the win that they needed to progress in the completion. Watched by a large and vociferous crowd, we managed to equalise for the third time in the game. But try as we might, we just could not get the winner for which we pressed so hard. At the final whistle, it was the French team who rejoiced in hanging on for the 3-3 draw that they needed thanks to their marginally superior goal difference.

So Cabinteely’s interest in the competition ended there. Unbeaten and unbowed, the lads had been an absolute credit to their club, their managers and their parents. They flew back to Dublin on the Monday morning knowing that they had more than held their own in international competition. The travelling party also carried back with them some great memories, a large number of replica Barçelona shirts and some fabulous photographs only some of which can be shared on the site. All tournament details are available here.

Congratulations to the Cabinteely Copa Maresme Squad: Darragh O’Reilly, Enda Kelly, Oisín Murphy, Joey McCann, Darragh Noone, Gavin Hartnett, Eoin Spencer, Robert Phillips, Cian Ahern, David O’Reilly and Seán Byrne.

More pics here. Força Cabo!!!!!