A GROUP of Worcestershire girls are celebrating after producing a world-conquering performance at the 2017 Gothia World Youth Cup in Sweden.
The annual tournament in Gothenburg is a truly global tournament, featuring representatives from 82 nations, and the county girls turned on the style to triumph.
The Worcestershire girls who competed all played at U14 level last season for the Worcestershire County Schools’ FA and they took to the field under the banner of TGK Worcestershire an age group up.
The girls had an incredible week which included visiting the beach, island hopping, visiting theme parks, shopping and watching an IFK Göteborg fixture.
On the football side of things, the girls competed in two warm-up games which yielded 4-0 and 2-1 victories.
This was then followed by three group stage games in a tight and competitive pool which saw Worcestershire win 6-0, lose 2-0 and draw 0-0.
The Worcestershire girls then progressed to the last 16 with 5-0 victory to set up the penultimate day of fixtures in which they had to win three matches to reach Saturday’s final and create history.
They duly obliged with 4-1, 3-1 and 2-0 successes to reach the eagerly anticipated final.
The county girls had the evening to prepare themselves for the final and a chance to win an international tournament.
Coach Gary Barrell said: “The girls who had fought as a team to have this opportunity, playing against very physical opposition all week, not only competed physically but also won over coaches and opposition parents with their style of football.
“This was replicated in the final as a sensational performance saw the girls become champions of the 2017 Gothia World Youth Cup with a 4-1 victory.
“A big thank you to all the parents and sponsors who helped to make this tour a possibility for all the girls, who have had the chance to develop on and off the pitch and create memories and friendships which will last a lifetime.”
