When Whittlesea Ranges soccer club was invited to send a team to major youth soccer tournament in Dubai, nobody at the club expected they would come home with silverware.
But that’s what happened when a Ranges team took part in the under-16 Dubai International Super Cup against junior teams from across the world.
Ranges’ hopes looked slim after losing their first two matches against sides from France and Saudi Arabia teams.
But they won the last four games to take out the event, beating a team from Qatar in the final.
Ranges secretary Sergio Costanzo said the team was the first ever Australian team to participate in the tournament.
“I expected the boys to do well, but not this well,” he said.
“It’s the first time they’ve ventured overseas to play soccer.
“We sent an under-15 team over to compete against boys a year older and came away with the goods.”
Costanzo said he believed the club’s strong junior program was what saw them get the invitation and said the club hoped to defend its title next year.
“We’re the first and I think other teams will follow our lead,” he said.
“Through the National Premier League, a lot of people are following from overseas.
“We think our junior base is really strong. We won the under-13 state championships and were runners-up in the under-15 state championships.”
