NorCal Premier PDP aims to go all the way
The American team from Northern California dreams big.
After a victory against IFK Gothenburg, NorCal Premier PDP, playing in the G17 Elite group 2, secured their second group stage win in the tournament. Despite good performances, the team is not satisfied, they want to go all the way to the final and take home the gold.
The american team showed what a great team they are after defeating IFK Gothenburg 4-0. Something that was inspiring to see was that the team never stopped fighting but ran just as much when they led 4-0 as when it was standing 0-0.
- We really want to win the whole tournament. That's why it's important that we never give up or get comfortable, even though we're leading by 4 goals. Our mentality is to give everything until the final whistle, says Stella Monberg, who plays striker for the team.
In addition to the joy of winning, she says that it's fun to meet teams from the other side of the planet.
- It's really cool to play against players from other parts of the world, we don't always understand each other but football brings us together, there's something beautiful about that, she continues.
Now it's time for the team to head back to the school they're staying at, have dinner and rest up for the next match. Recovery is something that is important during Gothia Cup with many matches in a few days, especially for teams that have travelled far to get to here.
- We flew from California and had a layover in Munich. In the beginning we were tired, but we traveled here 4 days before the tournament started to get used to Swedish time. Now we feel fresh and rested, says Stella enthusiastically.
In addition to football, Gothia Cup offers a completely new city to many of the players, Gothenburg to be precise.
- Gothenburg is a great city. It's cool to see how different it is compared to home. For example, I've noticed that it's much more common to take the bus here than it is at home. There are also many beautiful buildings, Stella adds.
When asked about what she is looking forward to the most during her stay in Gothenburg, there was no doubt about the answer.
- I'm mostly looking forward to going far in the tournament and reaching the final. It would be fun to play in front of a big crowd, she says and smiles.
