McAuliffe Middle School student Logan A. Manfro was selected to compete in a European soccer tournament.
The twelve-year-old, who plays center back for the Strikers FC – South Coast, participated in the 2017 Cordial Cup Junior Soccer League Tournament in Kitzbuhel, Austria from June 3-4. The Cordial Cup is one of the largest annual international junior soccer tournaments in the world. Logan represented his team and country as a player on the only U.S. team competing in a group of 50 top European Boys U-13 teams.
“It feels awesome,” said Joe Manfro, Logan’s father, describing being in Austria with his son. “Everyone is super excited to see him play. It’s amazing. The country is beautiful, the people are nice, and we’re off to a good start.”
Logan has been playing soccer since he was five years old, starting out in the local Los Alamitos AYSO Region 159. He played for the AYSO Extra Program before transferring to Strikers FC from U-9 through U-13. His team, led by head coach Marcos Canseco, has an overall record of 16-1-2.
The team of 15 players flew to Munich, Germany on May 28, where they scrimmaged local teams in preparation for the tournament. From there, they fly to Austria to compete against teams from Austria, Germany, Italy, France, Switzerland, Slovenia, and Hungary.
Logan and his team have been training 3 to 4 times a week in preparation for this tournament. He would like to thank all of his family, friends, and sponsors who have made this trip possible for him. Without all of their support, this trip would not be possible.
This article appeared in the June 7, 2017 print edition of the News Enterprise.