On July 8, 2015, 12-year old Nicole (Nikki) Olson from Stoughton, MA headed to Copenhagen, Denmark and then off to Gothenburg, Sweden joining soccer players with FC Connecticut and UK Elite Soccer to play in the World Cup of youth soccer - The Gothia Cup. The Gothia Cup had over 1,700 teams playing in the tournament, representing over 80 countries. FC Connecticut had 6 teams representing the USA: two, U12 boys teams, the U12 girls team that Nikki played for, a U14 boys team, U15 girls team and a U18 girls team. FC Connecticut was led by Jon Bradley (Darien, CT Coaching Director) and Scott McBride, Regional Manager for UK Elite Soccer and Assistant Women's Soccer Coach at the University of Bridgeport. Olson tried out for the tournament team through her local UK Elite Club program, Coastal FC (formerly PTUSA) that practices out of the Canton, MA area. Nikki, her mom and older sister Erin joined close to 150 players, parents and coaches mostly from the Fairfield County, CT area on this amazing 12 day trip of a lifetime.
The trip began with 3 days in Copenhagen, Denmark where each team scrimmaged some excellent opposition and were treated with outstanding hospitality by the local soccer clubs, including a huge BBQ for the entire Connecticut group of 150+. We travelled by bus to Gothenburg, Sweden to begin pool play in the Gothia Cup. The opening ceremony was held in Ullevi Stadium with a crowd of over 60,000 present. The FC Connecticut group was chosen to represent the USA in the ceremony and had the privilege of walking on the field in front of all those fans. What an incredible experience for the players and the families. The opening ceremony included music, entertainment & fireworks and was truly amazing.
The U12 girls had a tough loss their first game of pool play, but after that game, they came back and took the playoffs by storm. During pool play, Nikki protected the net for half of most games and contributed on defense during the other half. During the playoff matches, Nikki was the full-time goal keeper. After an amazing 2-1 win in the semi-final game against a very physical German team, FC Connecticut moved on to face a strong Swedish team for the championship. FC Connecticut led 1-0 with 4 seconds left in the game and the Swedish girls tied it up. Off to penalty kicks! Talk about stressful...Nikki took her position in net, readied herself, and blocked the Swedish team's first penalty shot, giving the FC Connecticut team the edge they needed. Nikki went on to save another shot and her teammates did their part in scoring 4 to win the Gothia Cup! What a way to finish! Nikki's coach, Steve Cochran had the team sign the game ball, which he then gave to Nikki. FC Connecticut took 11, U12 girls, whose first time playing together was in Denmark to the championship! What an accomplishment! Nikki, as the only player from Massachusetts on the team, met most of her teammates at JFK airport on July 8th, and now she has friends she will always remember because of this fantastic experience! Nikki was told by Scott McBride from UK Elite Soccer when she was offered a spot on the team that this would be an experience she would never forget. He was absolutely right!
The FC Connecticut U18 girls team also came home with the Gothia Cup providing the younger girls with an excellent example of how they should aspire to play the game. Congrats go out to those young ladies as well! The other FC Connecticut teams suffered some tough losses but became the biggest supporters of the U12 and U18 girls teams that continued to play, cheering them on at every playoff match. The players and families greatly appreciated all the support. FC Connecticut and UK Elite Soccer are already planning for the Gothia Cup 2016. Keep your eyes open for the opportunity to experience the largest youth soccer tournament in the world.
Congratulations to the FC Connecticut U12 Girls Champions: Nicole Olson, Caroline Sheehan, Sophia Lowenberg, Ava Cumello, Emily Atassi, Anna Zoccolillo, Sydney Watchmaker, Ellie Gaaserud, Sophie Salmini, Victoria Caruso and Alexa Frost.
Photos: First: Nikki Olson is on the right holding cup with Alexa Frost who sealed the game with her penalty goal. Second: Nikki making the first save in PKs. Credit: Submitted