By Randy Vogt, Director of Public Relations, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association
April 28, 2014-The Olympic Development Program (ODP) teams from the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) continue to make a good impression on their tours of Italy during 2014.
Recently during Spring Break, our Eastern New York ODP team of boys born in 2000 played in the Agropoli Cup in southern Italy. Playing up a year against Italian boys born in 1999, they finished with two ties and a loss. They tied host Agropoli (2-2) and Roccadaspide (3-3) plus lost to Sporting Vesuvio (1-3).
The boys did better against kids born in the same year (2000) as they were 1-1-1 in group play, losing to Savoia (0-1), defeating Europa Napoli (3-0) and tying Casalvieri Frosinone (0-0). Their tournament ended in the semifinals. After a scoreless game against Scuida Calcio, they were eliminated in the shootout, 2-4.
Eastern New York’s Javier Carrillo was selected as Tournament Most Valuable Player. The Bronx resident plays club soccer for Yonkers Golden Touch, the Westchester Youth Soccer League team that are defending State Open Cup champions,
“The boys did very well, Javier was selected as the Tournament MVP and our Italian hosts were very gracious,” commented Eastern New York ODP coach Miguel Cuellar, who also was honored as he was selected the Coach of the Tournament.
“I think that Eastern New York had the best behaved team in all of Italy,” team manager Maureen Kerwin stated. “The boys were so polite and no problem at all. Just awesome athletes with sportsmanship and manners.”
This past January, our ODP team of boys born in 2001 made the semifinals of the Trofeo Costa Gaia in Sicily, becoming the second American team ever to make the semis of this prestigious tournament. Eastern New York’s ODP team in the same age group, Boys-Under-13, accomplished the same feat in 2012. Italian soccer fans will get one more chance to see Eastern New York ODP play this year as our team of boys born in 1999 will play in the Lazio Cup next month.
ODP is traditionally considered the highest level of youth soccer in the state. Eastern New York has been running a very successful program for decades and former ODP players such as Crystal Dunn, Cari Roccaro and Nicholas Gaitan also played in exotic locales for Eastern New York ODP as kids and have all used ODP as a springboard to represent the United States recently in international competition.
With 123,843 youth soccer players––68,587 boys and 55,256 girls––and more than 25,000 volunteers, the non-profit Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) stretches from Montauk Point, Long Island to the Canadian border. Members are affiliated with 11 leagues throughout the association, which covers the entire state of New York east of Route 81. ENYYSA exists to promote and enhance the game of soccer for children and teenagers between the ages of 5 and 19 years old, and to encourage the healthy development of youth players, coaches, referees and administrators. All levels of soccer are offered––from intramural, travel team and premier players as well as Special Children. No child who wants to play soccer is turned away. ENYYSA is a proud member of the United States Soccer Federation and United States Youth Soccer Association. For more information, please log on to http://www.enysoccer.com/, which receives nearly 300,000 hits annually from the growing soccer community.
Tournament MVP Javier Carrillo.