A Brandon soccer team is representing Florida for a national title.
- Brandon soccer team looking to score big at nationals
- West Florida Flames 99 Boys Elite Brandon soccer team playing in nationals
- For more information on the tournament, click here
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The West Florida Flames 99 Boys Elite Brandon soccer team is heading to the US Club Soccer National Cup XVI in Westfield, Indiana in July.
"This is a huge deal for the boys,” coach Chris Camasso said. “This truly is a once in a lifetime kind of scenario. The boys have worked real hard to get here."
The team beat the number one ranked team in the country, FC Florida Prep from Jupiter, Florida, in the Florida Cup Finals in May. It was a moment 17-year-old Luis Quintera says he will never forget.
"Once we scored that goal in the last second we knew our season wasn’t over yet since we knew we were going to Nationals so it was pretty exciting,” Quintera said.
The Flames started the season off ranked 112th in the nation; they are now ranked fifth. The team says teamwork has been the key to success.
"We aren’t going to be the biggest guys you’ll ever see or the fastest guys, but I think we work well as a team so that helps us beat good teams,” Quintera said.
The boys are looking to score big at Nationals so they’re spending their summer training, working on fitness and tactics. They said they know there is a lot on the line.
"When we go up there there’s going to be a lot of colleges,” Quintera said. “We are all looking for scholarships, we are all going to be seniors. Some of us have already graduated so we are all looking for our chance to make it to the next level."
The tournament is July 21-24.
To donate to help fund the team's trip, contact wff99elite@gmail.com