In July 2013 Whitecaps FC Girls Elite will travel to Gothenburg, Sweden to compete in the internationally renowned Gothia Cup presented by SKF.
Since its inception in 1975, the Gothia Cup has become the world’s largest youth football tournament. Every year the competition hosts approximately 1,600 teams from 80 nations across the world. The tournament will host over 4,000 matches played on over 100 fields.
This incredible opportunity has been made possible by the late Wendy McDonald, one of the original founding owners of Whitecaps FC in 1974. In June 2012, SKF donated one 2013 Gothia Cup tournament entry for one Canadian team to Wendy in celebration of her 90th birthday. Before her passing in December 2012, Wendy generously allocated this entry to Whitecaps FC’s Girls Elite team.
The arrival for all teams in Gothenburg is on Sunday, July 14. The following day over 50,000 players, coaches, and supporters will have the chance to attend a two hour grand opening ceremony at Ullevi Stadium. Following this, Kick-off for the preliminary round games begins and will run until the final matches at Gamla Ullevi between July 19 and 20.
“This is a once in a lifetime experience for our Girls Elite team,” said Whitecaps FC president Bob Lenarduzzi. “This tournament provides an opportunity for the team to compete in an internationally recognized tournament, to showcase their skills in matches against other countries, and expand their knowledge of the game. We are very appreciative of the kind generosity of Wendy McDonald. This is a gift the team will never forget.”
