Photo courtesy of @gatoradecanada via Instagram. Click the image to view post.
Ontario Soccer is incredibly proud of the 5v5 squads from Vaughan Soccer Club and Ottawa South United that represented Canada in the Gatorade 5v5 Global Tournament from Thursday, May 30 to Saturday, June 1.
Congratulations to Ottawa South United for going all the way and winning first place in the Gatorade 5v5 Global Tournament! As part of their prize, the squad received tickets to the 2024 UEFA Champions League Final in London, England at Wembley Stadium on Saturday.
Recap
Thursday:
Canada's Boys went undefeated on day one, beating Germany 3-2, UAE 3-2, and Peru 6-0.
On the Girls' side, Canada's squad also started the tournament with a winning streak, defeating Chile 3-2 and Peru 9-0.
Friday:
The action continued on Friday with three matches for the boys. They defeated Chile 2-0 and held their own against Brazil with a 3-3 draw to finish the group stage. In the semi-finals, Canada fell short to Columbia with a 4-1 loss, knocking Canada out of the tournament just before the Final round.
The girls continued their winning streak on day two, even holding their opponents scoreless. They beat Columbia 4-nil and Brazil 1-nil, securing Canada's spot in the Final on Saturday.
Saturday:
Canada's Girls' squad faced Columbia once again in the Gatorade 5v5 Final, winning the match 3-2 and taking first place in the global competition!
What is Gatorade 5v5?
This opportunity came as a result of the Gatorade 5v5 tournament hosted at Pickering Soccer Centre in March 2024. Dozens of 2008 and 2009 squads entered the competition, but it was Ottawa South United and Vaughan SC that came out on top of the Girls' and Boys' divisions, respectively.
The winning teams from the Pickering event received an all-expenses paid trip to the Global tournament in London, England.
Gatorade 5v5 is an event organized for soccer players to promote young talent around the world, giving players a chance to feel like professionals and the chance to represent their country in a global tournament facing off against teams from around the world.
Players from Vaughan SC tour the iconic Etihad Stadium, the home of Premier League club Manchester City.