Waltham, October 11th 2012; Players from the MPS Premier Team Program recently participated in a ten day trip to England which included games, professional training sessions, sightseeing and the opportunity to attend high profile professional soccer matches.
Players from the MPS U14 Bulldogs/Renegades, Knights/Lady Knights, Crusaders/Lady Crusaders, Cavaliers and the U13/14 Lady Cavaliers participated in three games against English opposition as part of a package tour laid on by MPS partner XL Soccer Tours.
“This is my second time on an XL Travel Trip to the UK” said MPS Lady Knights Coach Karl Southwick. “The entire tour gave the players, and parents, a chance to experience a different culture and enjoy the way of life in England. They are shown how professional teams train by taking part in sessions led by the highest quality EPL coaches, get the opportunity to play against their English counterpart’s from EPL Soccer Academies and witness the unique environment watching a variety of professional Soccer games. For me this experience is priceless”
Due to the popularity of this year’s tour, both the boys and girls were broken into two teams each.
On the field, the teams varied in success with the following results
Girls Team 1 – Everton FC Academy U14s (won 3-0), Manchester City FC Academy U15s (Won 6-0) and Watford FC Academy U16s (Won 9-0)
Girls Team 2 – Manchester City FC Academy U14s (Tied 2-2) and Watford FC Academy U14s (won 12-0)
Boys Team 1 – Everton Academy U14s (Won 2-1), Crewe Alexandra (Lost 16-0) and Galacticos (lost 8-0)
Boys Team 2 –Manchester City Academy U14s (Tied 2-2), Everton Academy U14s (Won 4-0), and Galacticos (lost 5-0)
Both the girls and boys teams attended the FA Community Shield at Villa Park (home of EPL’s Aston Villa) which was contested between Manchester City and Chelsea, as well as the EPL opening game between Fulham FC and Norwich City at Craven Cottage (home of Fulham FC). This was a great opportunity for the players to see some of the world’s best players and experience the unique atmosphere of top flight English soccer at its best.
To round out the trip, players also enjoyed a stadium tour of Wembley Stadium and Old Trafford. The girls attended training sessions at the home of Bolton FC and Fulham FC
“The trip was full of activity and the players enjoyed every minute of it,” said Southwick. “We look forward to returning with a new set of teams in 2013 and beyond and thank XL Soccer Tours for the opportunity.”
For more information on the XL Soccer Tours please visit www.xltravel.com