PACHUCA FC have been crowned under-15 Champions of the World at the Manchester United Premier Cup (MUPC) after beating Orlando Pirates 1:0 at Old Trafford on Saturday.
Pachuca’s Ochoa Chavez made the most of a long ball with a beautifully placed header into the top right hand side of the goal after just two minutes. The 3,000+ crowd cheered individual moments of brilliance from Orlando Pirates but the South Africans could not break through the Mexican team’s midfield control and the match - and the tournament - finished 1:0.
History has been re-written this year as an African team reached the final for the first time. The Orlando Pirates won friends around the world for South Africa with their football skills but also their passion and their singing!
“The team has been training and playing together much more, and this contributed to their success of playing as a unit. I am very proud of what we achieved here in Manchester, and I believe that we have gained invaluable experience. I would like to thank Nike and the MUPC for hosting such a successful tournament, and giving us the experience of a lifetime”, says Augusto Palacios, Head Coach of Orlando Pirates Youth Team.
Gary Neville and Darren Fletcher made the on-pitch presentations at Old Trafford to Pachuca FC; Orlando Pirates and EC Bahia. As the teams were unwinding at the evening’s Closing Ceremony, Sir Bobby Charlton thanked the teams for, “a tournament played at a very high level and in the spirit of fair-play. You should be proud of yourselves - and your clubs and your countries will be proud of you too.” he added.
Lessons have been learned as teams measured themselves against each other on a world stage and football highlights for the week came from some of the brightest young stars of the future with Tournament awards going to:
EC Bahia – Fair Play Award for receiving no red or yellow cards
PSV: Most Valuable Player – as voted by coaches of opposing side - Bakkali
Fenerbahce: Highest Goal scorer – Aydin
But MUPC is not just about football. Bridging language and cultural divides through a shared passion for football excellence, at least 1.7 million children around the world have already experienced the Premier Cup dream since its inception in 1993.
Pachuca FC from Mexico have proved they have what it takes to beat off 8,000+ teams and become the Manchester United Premier Cup Champions of the World. Their young players have proved that they are truly amongst the best under-15 footballers in the world.
