2021 FC New England – Weston

FC New England is a soccer club that provides individual players with the opportunity of a lifetime, to represent New England and the USA at the world largest soccer tournament, the Gothia Cup in Sweden. The directors have been traveling and providing this experience to players through the USA since 2000 and have made some great friends during our journeys.  Every summer we take talented soccer players over to Denmark and Sweden to compete alongside some of the worlds most powerful soccer nations. We enter teams on both the boys’ and girls’ side starting at U11 all the way up through U18. If you have ever dreamed of playing soccer in Europe or seeing for yourself how you match up against the rest of the World then this is this trip for you.

For the lucky players selected from across the county, we watch these players come together for 11 days to compete against teams from every corner of the globe, the trip starts with a preseason in Denmark consisting on practices and friendly games in the beautiful city of Copenhagen before we make the drive up to Gothenburg in Sweden for the main event the Gothia Cup!

Often referred to as the Youth World Cup, the Gothia Cup, will captivated you with the passion, level of play and the experience you get every day testing your skills against players from around 80 different countries. From the opening ceremony in the National stadium with over 60,000 people to the thrill of the group stages all the way through to the final games there is no other tournament in the world that can compare to what the Gothia Cup offers.

Q) Are the players only selected from the New England Region?

No, we were formerly FC CT but with such a high demand from outside the state, FC New England was born! We fully expect and welcome players from across the country

Q) How are players selected?

Our directors have extensive coaching experience and contacts throughout the US. They are very familiar with the different leagues, tournament across the country and regularly watch players from different states compete against each other. Armed with this experience the directors will reach out to players from a top team in the country, or if you are playing in a top league throughout the country. You can also apply by filling out our players questionnaire or lastly through a recommendation from a coach. From here the directors review each player often reaching out to prospective players coaches before offering out a place on the team.

Q) What level of player are you looking for?

We look for the highest level of player in order to compete in the competition. In recent years, players that have travelled with us have went on to play at Ohio State, UConn, Harford, Georgetown, Cornell, Colgate and Rutgers. We also had two players represent Jamaica at the recent Womens World Cup, and we have 3 players that have graduated and are now playing professionally in the USA, Portugal and Italy.

Q) If my son daughter is offered a spot, how long to we have to decide?

Before accepting a spot, players will be provided a full detailed itinerary of what the trip looks like on a day to day basis as well as providing a very detailed list of exactly what is included and what’s not included. You will also be able to meet/speak to one of the program directors with any questions you may have before you make a decision.

Q) What is the supervision like on the tour?

Very strict, we travel every year to both Denmark and Sweden and each team has a full-time coach who is with the team at all times also and a full-time tour guide (from the local area) to help with the supervision. On top of that the directors are there to oversee the whole trip as well as having a lead tour guide who oversees the tour. Players (no matter their age) are never allowed to wonder free without adult supervision.

Q) Can family members travel?

Yes, and are welcomed to join us on the trip. Parents and guardians are not required to travel with the players as we ensure the players are supervised at all times. However, we have many families who decide to make this trip of a lifetime and make it a family vacation or some who travel with one family member with the player. Family members are fully included in all activities that we do they are never excluded.

Q) Where does the team depart from?

We depart from New York; this is where players will meet the coach and the trip starts. We encourage players from across the country to meet us at NY. We do have some players that travel direct to Denmark and join the team there (please ask for more details regarding this).

Q) How many players are selected for each team

Rosters sizes are kept small for example on an older full sided team (11 v 11) we would only take 16 players to ensure good game time for all the players. For goalkeepers we will take two goalkeepers per team if we feel they are both of equal ability, otherwise we select one.

Q) Where does the team and family member stay

Many teams that travel stay in school dorms, however our experience has led us to always stay in hotels. We pride ourselves in the quality of hotels we stay at. Like many tournaments in the US the Gothia Cup often allocates hotels for teams however due to our relationship built over the years we have full control of where we stay. Players, Coaches and family members all stay in the same location!

Q) Does this team effect my regular club team in any way?

No, your regular club team is ALWAYS the priority, we only come together to play in the summer tournament. Most if not all club teams, tournaments have ended before we depart. Speak to the directors if for example your team makes a national championship and it conflicted with the dates of our trip.

Q) Does the team practice before they leave the US

This depends on the make up of the team, for example if the majority of the team are within a few hours drive of each other, we have in the past had a few practices. Players from further afield would not be expected to attend. If logistically this is not feasible then we would not practice. Regardless the preseason in Denmark would be the time to bring the team together in both practices and friendly games. The team would have the chance to communicate with each other prior to leaving via zoom calls etc…

Q) Are there any fundraising opportunities for players to raise some of the money needed to travel

Yes, every player is provided with fundrasing package in the form of raffle tickets where they keep 100% of what they sell. This has proved to a huge asset to previous players.

For more info, or if you have any questions, please contact:

[email protected]

Learn more about The Gothia Cup, the "World Youth Cup"

My trip to the Gothia Cup was my first experience playing internationally. Lookingback, it was around that time that I realized that I wanted to continue to play at the highest level against women from all over the world. Traveling and going to the Gothia Cup was a big part of that realization. I remember the trip being extremely fun and exciting as well as a great opportunity to learn about myself as a player. My favorite part was obviously winning the tournament and being able to ride around town on the upperdeck of a tour bus celebrating the victory!.

Jami Kranich
Boston College Women's Soccer Assistant Coach
Former Boston Breakers Player
Former US Womens National Team U23 Player
U20 World Cup Winner with USWNT
Former Villanova Player

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In my experiences during club, we never went to showcases that were abroad. We had many local tournaments and showcases that were great experiences, but nothing compared to the Gothia Cup. I can easily say that this tournament was the best experience I had ever had on and off the field. One of the best days was the opening ceremony for the tournament. If you have seen the Olympics or world cup opening ceremony it is exactly like that.

Alyssa Hyland
Former D1 Athlete
Played Club for Stars of Mass

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Fantastic trip for athletes as well as their families! The international experience was incredible, with competitive soccer, world class accommodations, and unmatched cultural experiences all adding up to memories for a lifetime!

Gallois Family, New Canaan, CT

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Hi, I’m Reese Sutter and I went to the Gothia Cup in Sweden when I was 14 years old. I am going to be a freshman this coming fall at the University of Pennsylvania and will be playing Women’s Soccer there. I would recommend this trip to anyone as it was an such amazing experience. Being able to explore a foreign country was unlike anything I have done before, not to mention the competitive atmosphere created by the other players from around the world. It felt like I was playing at the World Cup. If you have the opportunity to attend this event you certainly should !!

Reese Sutter, CT
Player, UPenn Women's Soccer