Girls Unite are ready: “We’ve practiced three hours a day”

The players has put the hours in ahead of the tournament and they are ready to compete.

Girls Unite has made sure to get a lot of football in their legs ahead of their Gothia Cup journey and they’re looking forward to the full tournament experience. Elise Desai remarks on how unique the opportunity is.
– Just being here is an achievement in itself, says Elise.

Teams are arriving in Gothenburg from all over the world to take part in Gothia Cup. For Girls Unite from San Fransisco, USA, it is their first time at the tournament and many of their players travel internationally for the first time. They have prepared by doing research and talking through what it is going to be like. Elise Desai, 15 years old, is looking forward to playing against different teams and meeting people from many different cultures.
– I was doing a little reading on the tournament, specifically the opening ceremony and the little discos and I thought that was a really cool aspect of the tournament, says Elise.

When it comes to what is going to unfold on the pitch the team has prepared extensively as well.
– For the past two weeks we’ve been playing three hours each day in the morning, plus other training on the side. I have personally played 31 hours of soccer just practicing, says Elise.

The team is making sure that they have done everything in their power to be ready once the tournament starts, but they also know the value of changing things up. Having traveled and adjusting to the time difference, the team is looking forward to taking the first day to sightsee around the city and go with the flow. After getting a training session in of course.
– I love this sport with all my heart and I’m very excited to be here. Playing internationally seems like this big dream of mine you know, and just being here is an achievement in itself. The goal is to win. To compete, to get an experience that a lot of people do not usually get, says Elise.