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Friday, July 20

OBERAMMERGAU, GERMANY – The ’92 Super Y-League Select Team opened Thursday with a morning practice run by Victor Pastora, coach of the defending Super-20 League Champion Kendall SC and Assistant Coach of USL First Division Side Miami FC. At that point of the tour, the team had yet to travel to their final destination of Oberammergau. The bus was set to depart Munich at 1 p.m.

“In our first training session I tried to emphasize being compact in the back,” said Super Y-League Select ’92 coach Victor Pastora. “We want to be very direct with the ball in our defensive half of the field. On offense we want to hold the ball and build an attack..”

When the boys arrived in the historic city of Oberammergau they were taken back by the pictorial setting of their hotel.

“The view out our hotel window is remarkable,” said Super Y-League Select Team Manager Sean Trask. “We are literally set at the foot of the mountain. Besides the scenery, it is just a five minute walk to the playing field. It is an old city, a relaxing location and a perfect place to wrap up our tour.”

The team awoke this morning to a second training session prepared by Pastora for their evening match with the ‘92 South Bavarian Regional Select Team.

Taking the field at approximately 5 p. m. German time, the side was eager to hit the pitch and take back any momentum lost in their first loss of the tour, Wednesday’s narrow 3-2 loss to the Bavarian Regional Select A Team.

Prolific goal scorer Reed Losee of VaderStars in Michigan again provided goal support to open the first half scoring. On the play, defensive pressure by SYL Select Team midfielder Dominick Sarle (New York Rough Riders) netted the side control of the ball in their offensive third of the field. Sarle quickly looked for Losee who regained possession of a partially deflected ball at the top of the penalty area and beat the Bavarian goalkeeper to his left side.

The early goal was held up by the now solid ’92 Select Team defense and goalkeeper McKenzey Scott of the South Jersey Barons earned his fourth clean sheet of the trip. The win improved the ’92 team record to 5-1-0.

“It was very clear when I arrived here and watched the boys play for the first time, that the Super Y-League ODP Coaching Staff did a remarkable job putting this team together,” said Pastora. “We wanted to be competitive here in Germany and we have gone above that point. The teams over here are more polished than we are but they still are having a lot of trouble with us."

“It is refreshing to see a makeshift side of Americans outwork an opponent,” added Pastora. “Today, the South Bavarians matched us with size and speed but the boys did not back down. The things an opponent would normally impress a side with does not phase this group. They respect the ability of their opponent but they play to win.”

Tomorrow the team plays their only rematch of the tour as they look to push their final record to 6-1-0 against the South Bavarians. The team departs Oberammergau Sunday when they rejoin the ’90 Super Y-League Select Team in Munich.

USLSoccer.com will feature the ’90 team following the team’s reunion.