AS Laval from Canada debuts in the Gothia Cup
The plan is that the Canadians will have the time of their lives.
AS Laval is a newly formed club in the east of Laval in Quebec in Canada. Now they can’t wait to make their debut in the Gothia Cup.
– These are the types of experiences that will remain with the players for the rest of their lives, says Sean Rosa, technical director at the club.
They started their journey as late as in October 2021.
– We are a merger of three successful clubs; CS Monteuil, Etoiles de l’Est and Centre Sud. Our club is roughly 3 500 members and we offer services from the grassroot level all the way up to semi-professional. AS Laval holds a Canada Soccer National License and we are largely considered to be one of the best clubs in the country. We have a history of success on the national level as well as promoting players into regional, provincial and national team programs, says Sean Rosa.
AS Laval is very active in the community.
– We’re always looking for ways to improve and take our club to the next level. The team that is coming to participate in the Gothia Cup is extremely competitive on the national level, they’re considered to be a top three team in the country.
They have chosen to participate in the Gothia Cup for two primary reasons.
– The first being its history of success. We wanted to provide our players with an incredible experience, something that they will remember for the rest of their lives. The second being the level of competition. As a club we wanted to compete against countries from all over the world and the Gothia Cup meets those expectations.
They will be travelling to Gothenburg with a team consisting of girls born in 2007, with the hope of making this a club wide experience in the following years.
– This summer will be the first time that any team from our club participates in the Gothia Cup. It’s unlike any other tournament in Canada. First of all, the amount of teams present is simply incredible. Countries from all over the world are represented in this tournament, something that is simply unheard of in Canada. The energy and environment that this tournament creates is simply second to none, says Sean Rosa.
He continues:
– The opening ceremony is a spectacle in itself and it creates an energy that no tournament in Canada is able to do. The friendships and the bonds that are created through a tournament like this are simply incredible. Here in Canada most tournaments consist of teams that are generally from the same clubs and areas. Generally, to experience something different you often have to look outside the country.
They hope to win the whole tournament.
– We have an extremely competitive group that strives to be the best and compete at everything they do. We are extremely mindful on how difficult this will be but that is not taking away that we’re going there with a competitive mindset to do our best and lift that trophy at the end of it.
AS Laval also want to enjoy the experience.
– We have seen many images of the finals being played in the big stadium in front of a large crowd so that is definitely a motivator for us, says the technical director.
What are you looking forward to the most?
– I can separate this into three components, the club, the team and me individually. I speak for the club when I say that we’re looking forward to have our logo being represented in the international stage. We’re excited to continue to grow our brand and show the world what football in our country is like.
– The team is definitely looking forward to getting on that plane and living the experience together. It’s rare that they get an opportunity to get on a plane and live together for ten days so it’s definitely the most exciting part. They want to do well as a group but a successful trip is not reliant on winning the tournament. Lastly, I’m looking forward to discovering a new country and culture and simply enjoying every moment. It’s rare here in Canada that people travel to Sweden so this will definitely be a new and incredible experience, says Sean Rosa.
He encourages other teams from Canada to participate in the Gothia Cup.
– I think in general the tournament remains quite unknown for most clubs here. We took the initiative to compile our own research and find the best tournament out there for us. I think the big challenge remains the cost because it’s expensive but it’s definitely worth the experience.
The players and parents have been fundraising since August.
– The efforts from the parents all the way up to the staff have been incredible. Having played on the international stage myself, I know that these are the types of experiences that will remain with them for the rest of their lives. Having more teams present from Canada would go a long way in growing youth football in our country, says Sean Rosa.
