By OSU Force Academy
As the 2012 outdoor season wrapped up, soccer players throughout the region can look back on many special memories, but none of them will be quite the same as what Mollie Eriksson and David Chung experienced.
The standout OSU players were two of 12 Canadian players who got to compete in September’s Danone Nations Cup, the world’s largest international youth soccer tournament for 11- and 12-year-olds. Eriksson and Chung got to travel to Warsaw, Poland to participate in the eight-group, 40-country event – an “unreal” opportunity, Eriksson says.
“It just meant the world to me,” Chung concurs.
The pair’s road to the Nations Cup began with a local tryout in Ottawa, with similar camps taking place throughout the country. Out of over 5,000 in the original pot, a select few were brought to the final evaluations in Toronto and Montreal.
“There were a lot of other goalkeepers that were really good,” highlights Eriksson, one of two female players chosen to the Canadian team. “You really have to stand out.”
That’s exactly what both OSU players did back in July as well, when their crew of Eastern Canadians took on their counterparts from Western Canada in a showdown in Toronto to determine which group would go on to Poland. In that game, Chung scored the first two goals in a 4-0 victory, while Eriksson earned the shutout in goal.
Then it was off to Poland, where the Canadian representatives continued their strong play. In the group stage, they posted three shutouts in 2-0, 2-0 and 3-0 wins over Germany, Netherlands and Belgium to finish in second place – one point behind the Chinese, who downed the canucks 1-0.
In the final 16, it was a heartbreaker for the Canadian side, as they fell to Spain in penalty kicks. But the memory that sticks out most for Chung from that match was simply getting the opportunity to play in Poland’s national stadium.
“I’ve never actually played in a real stadium before, so playing in one of the most prestigious stadiums was awesome,” explains the midfielder/striker who translated for teammates who spoke only French or English. “All the bright lights are shining on you.”
The Canadian team stayed at a university residence while in Poland, sharing a dining hall with the Irish team.
“They were really, really loud,” laughs Chung, a Grade 7 Goulbourn Middle School student. “They kept me up all night.”
Interacting with players from across the globe was a high point for Eriksson.
“I really enjoyed meeting other countries,” notes the Grade 7 St. Mark Catholic High School student. “Probably people we met from those countries will be some day the next Messi. That was really, really cool to think that I’ll have met them.”
Eriksson and Chung were the only players from the Ottawa area chosen to compete at the Nations Cup.
“It was really cool to have a girl and a boy from the same club,” Eriksson adds.
“We are very proud of Mollie and David for having earned this tremendous opportunity,” OSU president Bill Michalopulos states. “And we’re also pleased to know that as a club we’ve put the proper programs in place to allow our players to reach these kinds of levels, where they’re being selected from the very best in their age group.
“We look forward to watching Mollie and David continue to develop in future years, and we’re also keen to see the next wave of OSU players follow in their footsteps.”