Matt Mendoza is having the time of his life.
The 14-year-old from Los Altos is in Europe seeing the sights and playing the game he loves: soccer.
“He’s really pumped,” said Dave Mendoza, Matt’s dad. “This is a great experience for him.”
Mendoza and his teammates on Washington West, a squad of standout 15-and-under players from across the West Coast, left for Europe July 18. They return this week and will bring at least one trophy home with them.
Washington West claimed the Bronze Cup at the first of two tournaments the team was to compete in. It earned the cup by taking third in its age group at the Dana Cup in Hjorring, Denmark.
This was no small task, either. The Dana Cup claims to be the biggest youth soccer tournament in the world and draws some of best teams on the planet. There were 106 teams in the 15-and-under division alone.
Washington West breezed through the early rounds of the tourney. The team won its first seven games, outscoring its opponents 27-0 in the process.
But the club ran into a tough Finnish team in the semifinals July 25. Washington West didn’t go down without a fight, though, falling 3-2 in an overtime shoot-out.
Matt, a forward, scored three goals during the Dana Cup and was credited with four assists.
Another player with local roots, Edward Kremner-Brown of Palo Alto, also performed well. The forward led the team in scoring with 10 goals.
Matt, who will be a freshman at St. Francis High School in the fall, earned a spot on Washington West for his sensational play in the California Youth Soccer Association. Matt competed in the league’s top-flight division and earned kudos from his coach for his outstanding play during the recent season.
Matt also starred on the soccer team at Cupertino Junior High School last winter.
After the Dana Cup, Washington West found some time to be tourists before playing in its next tournament.
The team started play in the Newcastle United Festival in Newcastle, England July 30. This event attracts many of the United Kingdom’s premiere youth development teams.
