The Ottawa City Futuro under-12 boys’ soccer team scored nothing-but-wins over youth teams from five British professional clubs during a 10-day overseas trip in August.
The Futuro opened with a 4-2 victory over the Bristol Rovers, followed by 8-1 and 11-0 wins over Cardiff City and Swansea City. Then came a big 5-3 triumph over Southampton.
“They were absolutely shocked by our performance as the only teams that they struggle against are Manchester City and Chelsea,” reports Futuro coach Sanjeev Parmar by e-mail.
The last match came against a youth side from English Premier League-champion Leicester City.
“This was definitely the match that our kids looked forward to the most as Leicester is the most sought-after club in the UK at the moment,” indicates Parmar, whose troops went on to win 6-0, with several players invited back for official trials with the club’s youth academy.
“This trip has opened doors for future Canadian players as we have put our country on the map with the amazing results,” Parmar adds.