Young soccer team headed to Manchester United international tournament

While the team may carry the name Napa United, a healthy number of the soccer players hail from Sonoma Valley. Soon, this young team will be headed to the United Kingdom to play in an international tournament in Oakham, England, hosted by Manchester United F.C. in August 2022.

“Sport can unify people across all spectrums and we hope to make this event possible for every player selected,” said Gavin Taylor, head of operations at Napa United.

Local youth soccer players from Sonoma and Napa Valleys, rostered on Napa United’s 2010 boys team, have been invited to play in an international soccer tournament in the UK this summer. In mid-August, the team will travel to England to play against other 2010 teams from around the world, including Premier League Youth Academy teams, such as Manchester United.

The players and their coaches, Gavin Taylor and Brian Arcila of Napa United, will play, eat and sleep at Oakham School. There they will be living the life of elite teams training, playing, recovering and meeting other players from around the world. This is a rare opportunity and an honor for these 11- and 12-year-old local boys.

The team includes: Alexander Alvarez, Andreas Björkman, Carlos Uribe, Eli Gelb, Isaac Fernandez, Jesse Gelb, Jorge Cruz-Barbosa, Judah Van Ewijk, Julian Gutierrez, Lucas Quiroga, Luis GuerreroNaim Rojo, Oliver Medak, Oliver Kempthorne and Sebastian Honig.

According to Taylor, “International tournaments are a truly unique opportunity for our student-athletes to grow as players but also human beings. These trips broaden the life experiences of our players and we are delighted this group can participate.”

Eight of the 15 players are from Sonoma Valley where they started playing together at a young age with Sonoma Valley United. These players reside and attend school throughout the Valley.

While abroad, the players will represent Sonoma Valley and Napa United through their athleticism, leadership, competitive spirit and love of soccer. Coach Taylor recognizes, “For some it is their first trip outside of their home country which is very exciting. For others it is one of the many small steps on the path to playing collegiate or professional soccer and this is the fire that we want to start inside of the young players from our community.”

The philosophy of Napa United and this 2010 boys team is “together we are stronger.” In an effort to make this opportunity available to all of the invited players, the team is fundraising to cover the $1,500 per player tournament fees. Anyone can support the team’s $22,500 goal by contributing to the GoFundMe account at gofund.me/b21ed9b7.

Businesses and individuals can fund team sponsorships, with their business logo placed on the players’ training jersey. Contact Gretchen Johnson-Gelb at johnsongelb@gmail.com for more details.

Under Taylor’s leadership, “These players will get to play against some of the best academies in England, so it will be a life-long memory for them and their families.”