The MultiCup tournament was held at Cumber Stadium on Friday, Feb. 28 at 3:30 p.m. The MultiCup is a soccer tournament that Latinos in Action, Welcome to America, the Caribbean Student Association, French Club, Spanish Club and the All-Stars, a team composed of select Spanish Club and French Club members, go head-to-head in annually. LIA eventually came out on top, dethroning the 2024 winner, French Club.
The larger sports field was split into two smaller fields for two games to go on simultaneously. In the first two matches Spanish Club played against LIA on the right field and French Club played against WTA on the left field.
During the French Club’s game against WTA, WTA kicked off the match by scoring twice. After halftime, a foul against French Club led to a goal for WTA, increasing their lead to 3-0. They scored once more before the game ended, winning the game with a score of 4-0.
LIA won their game against Spanish Club after scoring twice in overtime with little to no other penalties, injuries or substitutions happening.
“I feel good. I know I lost, but it is great to do this type of thing like soccer and sports. I love that of the school,” Spanish Club player Thomas Flores said.
After the LIA and Spanish Club game ended, CSA played LIA. LIA scored once, making the score 1-0. After the goal, a foul was quickly called on CSA. Shots were attempted by both teams following that, but neither made a goal. The game ended with LIA winning 1-0.
“We definitely had a lot of teamwork and worked really hard,” LIA player Mateo Forbes said.
Following those games, CSA played Spanish Club on the right field, and the All-Stars played the French Club on the left field. The All-Stars were a team of students selected by Spanish teacher Maria Garcia and French teacher Geemps St. Julien. Both CSA and the All-Stars had sat out the first round.
“The team probably did the best on defense and ball control,” CSA player Jase Perkins said.
The French Club kicked off the match with a goal, making the score 1-0 early in the game. A shot was attempted on them by the All-Stars, which was saved. However, after a few fouls on both sides, French Club scored again, clinching the win 2-0.
“I’d say my highlight was getting the ball, kicking to the other side where the net was, and I managed to catch up to it and cross it to David, where he unfortunately missed the goal,” All-Stars player Owen Sarrazit said. “I think that was one of our best opportunities to end up scoring, and that was the part that I contributed the most to.”
The CSA and Spanish Club game started out fairly uneventful, with only a few shots made that were quickly saved. However, at nearly halftime, a foul was called on the Spanish Club for tripping and kicking a CSA player. A short while after, Spanish Club scored, ending the game with a score of 1-0.
“My performance could have been better. I got a red card in the second game for a really bad call, but I think I could have had a better performance,” Spanish Club player Luis Silva said.
The next matchups were LIA verses French Club on the right field and WTA verses Spanish Club on the left.
LIA quickly scored, then followed it up with a second goal in the first half. Throughout the second half, unsuccessful shots were made by both teams before LIA managed to score one more, making the final score 3-0.
“Our team did really good; defensively, we were strong. [We] Didn’t get [a] score in the whole tournament, except some of the penalties, but we were strong,” LIA goalie Juan Batista said.
During the WTA and Spanish Club game, many shots were taken by both teams. The clubs were eager to beat each other, leading to a close and competitive match. Many passes were exchanged, and saves were made, but no shots were successful until the second half. WTA managed one goal before the end of the game, leaving the score at 1-0.
WTA’s victory over French Club and LIA’s win against Spanish Club meant that they were the teams to go to the final. The final was played on the right field after an eight-minute break. The match began fiercely, with both team’s defense working hard keep the score 0-0.
When halftime was called the teams refueled, strategized and substituted, then geared up for the final half. About three minutes into the second half, LIA received a foul for injuring a WTA player. Still, neither team scored a goal.
“During the penalty shootout, I wanted to save all of the penalties. I couldn’t, but at least I tried,” WTA goalie Camilo Osorio said.
The game ultimately went into overtime penalty kicks. By the sixth set, both teams were tied, having made three shots each. LIA ended up making their final shot, however, while WTA missed, giving LIA the win.
“The whole tournament was good. Lots of competition, and it was nice seeing all these faces, everybody from everywhere,” Batista said.
The trophy and medals were presented by the Spanish Club, specifically President Carolina Ochoa Lozano and sponsor Garcia. The award ceremony was followed by many team pictures, as well as food and drinks. Next year, LIA will be looking to defend their win, while both WTA and French Club seek redemption.
