Joe Campos: "We feel at home at the II VCF Academy World Cup"

Players from the VCF Soccer Academies in Seattle, Houston, New York and Canada have arrived in Valencia for the II VCF Academy World Cup, which takes place at the Ciudad Deportiva. The Under-12s competition is an exciting chance to gain experience, as Joe Campos, Director of the VCF Soccer Academy in Seattle, told VCF Media.

"For us, being in Valencia, and the II VCF Academy World Cup is like being at home," he commented. Players come from different parts of the US, Japan, Canada, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands... It's a unique opportunity for the players and they are enjoying it to the fullest. Being here and competing in a tournament that has a very authentic international flavour is unique for them."

Joe Campos added that “the first edition was amazing and that experience had a knock-on effect in Seattle. Many of our players wanted to come back and it was very easy to put together the team for this second edition."

The VCF Soccer Academy in Seattle are also training at the facilities ahead of the competition.

“We came here in April to do a training camp, and we come three or four times a year with players and coaches, as well as the coaches from the VCF Academy visiting us in Seattle."

The VCF Soccer Academy in Seattle began in 2017, aiding the Eagleclaw FC side created in 2009. Since then, the system has grown considerably. Campos revealed that "that every year the level of the players rises. We have a path to follow for our players to grow and perhaps one day someone from Seattle can play for Valencia CF.

The club have well-established values and we work to transmit them. Our dream is for a player to play at Mestalla, but if that doesn't happen then at least we are training players so that they can contribute to the world positively."

II VCF Academy World Cup will take place from June 30th to July 2nd on the 8-a-side football pitches at the Ciudad Deportiva.

On Thursday June 29th, the official presentation of the tournament will take place with a parade of all the teams involved at Mestalla.

This opening ceremony will be attended by Valencia CF player Javi Guerra, ambassador for the II VCF Academy World Cup, and former players and club ambassadors Vicente Rodríguez and Miguel Tendillo.