Swedish soccer tournament tests Twin Cities teen

By Nathan Palm and Nathan Palm

Alec Davy, 15, playing at the Gothia Cup in Sweden. Photo courtesy of Phil Stringer and the St. Paul Blackhawks Soccer Club.

Alec Davy, 15, playing soccer in summer 2009. Photo courtesy of Jane Beauchamp

The tournament is hosted by Sweden’s second-largest city, and the more than 1,600 teams sleep in local school classrooms.

Alec Davy, 16, knows what it is like to have more than 50,000 screaming fans cheering for him. He experienced it last July during the opening ceremony of the Gothia Cup in Sweden.

Davy, from Cretin-Derham Hall High School, plays with the St. Paul Blackhawk’s U16 team. It was one of about 1,600 teams from more than 60 countries who played this summer in the Gothia Cup, which is one of the world’s largest soccer tournaments for teens.

Walking into the stadium in Gothenburg, Sweden during the tournament’s opening ceremony “was incredible. It was a shock,” Davy said this fall.

The team began playing games the day after the ceremony. Davy said he felt it was intimidating matching up against elite soccer countries at first, but the team settled down when they found those teams weren’t much better than themselves. The team further developed their skills there, especially since they were playing against many different styles. The Blackhawks kept with their style of play though, by not allowing their opponents to change the way they play.

U.S. teams base their strategy off counter attacking their opponent, while many other countries work their way up the field in a more aggressive style. This created a contrast of soccer styles from around the globe.

Alec enjoyed playing the British teams the most because they’re physical and fun. His team also played teams from Sweden, Norway and South America.

Bo Conroy, who organizes the trip abroad, says the games at Gothia have a “better flow” and are “more continuous” because referees don’t call as many fouls. The players enjoy the physicality of the games, which have about 40—50 percent less game stoppage according to Conroy.

Conroy is a native of Sweden and a former coach for the St. Paul Blackhawks. The tournament is a “true international gathering,” he said.

For example, Davy’s team walked into the opening ceremony alongside a team from Iraq, but there was anything but tension. The players talked excitedly and took photos with each other.

Moments like that are why Conroy enjoys the cultural aspect of being overseas. “It’s an environment you can’t find here,” he said.

Although it’s only a week long, Conroy said players who come to Gothenburg make friends for life.

The process getting there takes a couple years. Players start fundraising at least two years in advance. Most players only get the opportunity to make the trip to Europe only once because of it’s cost, about $2,100.

Conroy feels it’s great for the players because of the lessons they can translate to their lives. They know how it feels to work for and accomplish something over a long period of time, which helps them in school, work, or other aspects of their life.

The tournament is hosted by Sweden’s second-largest city, and the more than 1,600 teams sleep in local school classrooms. The sleeping arrangements were uncomfortable, Davy said, and the food unimpressive. In the evening, teams often went to a local disco. The people of Gothenburg were helpful and friendly; when they recognize that visitors are confused or lost, they go over to help before even getting asked, Conroy said.

Traveling overseas to the tournament has a positive impact on players, Conroy said. One team Conroy took to the tournament twice had a 10-year reunion a few years ago. All but two of 18 kids had studied, traveled, or worked abroad. It “opens their eyes to other countries,” Conroy said. “It gets them excited about traveling overseas.”

The St. Paul Blackhawks continued on from the Gothia Cup to Cup Denmark – a much smaller tournament, but very diverse. There were a total of 27 nationalities in this year’s tournament and this year’s team played five nationalities in four days. In a typical day your team can “play Brazilians in the morning, and Scotts in the afternoon,” Conroy said.

Conroy said the Gothia Cup isn’t usually meant to catapult players’ careers to a higher level, but the majority of competitors stay involved with the game. Davy plans on staying with soccer by possibly playing for a D-III college or participating in a club league.

Wherever Davy’s soccer career takers him, he’ll remember his Gothia Cup experience as “a wonderful time, playing a wonderful game I will always remember,” Davy said.