Enlarge image

(© German Consulate General)

Kick the ball... hang with your buddies... show off your soccer skills... play fair... qualify as an All-Star... and travel to Germany! 

After two very exciting tournaments in Atlanta (April 26th) and Miami (May 3rd), the 2009 German Street Soccer Cup champions were crowned in each city. Congratulations again to the winners! They succeeded in building a team, playing their best and just having a great time!

But winning was not everything in this tournament - kicking skillfully, playing fair and showing great spirit and attitude were just as important.

The players from the last four teams in each location were eligible to be selected for the All-Star team which will travel to Erfurt, Germany in the fall. The All-Stars will get the unique opportunity to participate in a week-long "soccer without frontiers" camp with other international teams from Germany, Bulgaria, and Romania.

So we carefully watched these extraordinary young men and women to see who stood out - the forward who never stopped chasing the ball, the goalkeeper who threw herself into every defense, the midfielder with oversight or the kid who cleaned up trash on the sidelines...

In the end, the decision was tough because there were so many excellent candidates. 

But here they are - the 2009 German Street Soccer Cup ALL-STARS, three each from Atlanta and Miami. 

Congratulations!

All-Stars from Atlanta

Enlarge image

(© Amiri Abraham)

Amiri Abraham (14)

Amiri, currently a 9th grader at Collins Hill High School, heard about the 2009 German Street Soccer Cup from his coach Ricardo and thought that this would be a perfect place to hang out with friends and play the sport they all enjoy. 

The 14-year-old has played soccer with GSA 95 Phoenix Red for ten years now, winning quite a few championships in the past. At the German Street Soccer Cup, he placed second with Team WHITE. 

To Amiri the most fun thing about "Germany's favorite sport" is the fast pace of the game. He also enjoys the diligent practice and hard work it requires. 

Amiri's favorite position is center mid because he loves being the one who distributes the ball and sets up goal chances for the forwards. His favorite soccer star?  The Argentinian soccer hero Lionel Messi (FC Barcelona) because of his excellent skills and strategic thinking. 

Amiri is very much looking forward to Germany. "I know their national team is amazing and one of the best in the world", he says. "I also enjoy their food which I get to share with my German friends." During the trip, he would love to pick up some German and make new friends. 

Asked about his family, Amiri says that he is very grateful for them since they support him in whatever he does and are always there when he needs them. 

His biggest dream? Amiri loves extreme sports and plans on going sky-diving right when he turns 18.

Enlarge image

(© Sammy Korgi)

Samuel "Sammy" Korgi (14)

Sammy, a 9th grader at Park View High School, joined the 2009 German Street Soccer Cup in very much the same way as Amiri. In fact, they know each other from playing with GSA 95 Phoenix Red. 

Having played soccer since he was 4 years old, Sammy's favorite thing about the game is its creativeness and the many different ways that players can score.

Sammy's favorite position is center midfield because in this position he gets to direct the game and can help both attack and defend. "Center midfielders connect the strings for the team to win," he says. His favorite player is the Portuguese superstar Christiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid). Ronaldo is "the best player in the world" for Sammy because he is an excellent individual player but also works hard for the team. "I love his passion for the game", he adds. 

Sammy also plays tennis and basketball. In his spare time, he enjoys hanging out with his friends and going to the movies and to parks. His favorite subject in school is social studies because he digs geography and loves learning about other countries around the world. 

So far, Sammy has traveled to Mexico and Columbia, where he also got to play soccer. In Germany, he hopes to learn about the culture and a different style of soccer. He is very much looking forward to meeting soccer teams from different countries and hopes that the trip to Germany will make him a better player and a better person. 

Sammy says that soccer is a very big part of his life and without the support of his family, he wouldn't be where he is today. 

Enlarge image

(© Alyse Scott)

Alyse Taylor Scott (15)

For Alyse, a 10th grader from The Walker School, the soccer cup was the perfect mix of two things she loves in her live - Germany and its favorite "national" sport. 

The 15-year-old started playing soccer when she was only 5. Due to her outstanding performance, she has continuously moved up through the clubs and currently plays for NASA. The list of her championship wins is long, the latest being "State Champs High School 09". 

Her favorite thing about soccer is the social aspect of the game, making new friends and connecting with people on the field. "Though they are from different backgrounds, they all come together to play soccer and I love that," she says. 

Alyse's favorite position is goalkeeper, a position in which she performed brilliantly during the 2009 German Street Soccer Cup as well. "I love the determination, focus, and drive you keep while playing," she explains. "It's the one position where you have to stay focused the entire game and you can't make mistakes." For that very reason, Alyse finds her inspiration in Hope Solo, the goalkeeper for the United States Women's National Soccer Team. Solo inspires her to push herself to perfection whether it is playing soccer or in life in general. 

Alyse loves to do anything athletic. Apart from soccer, Alyse enjoys running very much - always with a catchy tune in her ear. She also plays percussion instruments in her high school band, loves to relax at friends' houses, and enjoys playing a pick-up game of basketball, Frisbee or soccer. Literature has always been her favorite subject at school because there is nothing better than a good book. 

Alyse has traveled to both Germany and Austria before and loves the beautiful mountains and the interesting communities. On the trip, she hopes to learn more about the history and culture of Germany and possible make many new friends, hopefully for life. 

The youngest of three children, Alyse loves to try new things that come her direction. Her parents are her biggest supporters in school and sports.

All-Stars from Miami

Enlarge image

(© Eddy Diaz)

Eduardo "Eddy" Diaz (12)

Eddy, a 7th grader from the St. Teresa School, participated in the German Street Soccer Cup because one of his German friends invited him to come along. 

The 12-year-old started playing soccer when he was little and then, after a break, picked the game back up two years ago. Eddy enjoys soccer because he can either play it with his friends or make new friends. His favorite position is to play forward because he feels that he can get ahead of almost everyone and make the score or help someone else make the goal. 

Eddy's favorite player is Ivorian forward center player Didier Drogba (Chelsea). "He is an excellent player and I like to watch him play," he says.

Eddy prefers to be active in his spare time and likes to run cross-country and track. He also enjoys playing basketball, baseball and riding his skateboard with his friends. His favorite subjects in school are math and science because they give him interesting things to learn about. 

Not having traveled abroad yet, Eddy is excited about the prospect of learning about German food and culture. He is looking forward to making new friends and learning from the other international soccer players, maybe even pick up some new skills. "I also want to find out how teenagers live in Germany and what they do," Eddy adds. 

Eddy's grandparents immigrated to the United States from Cuba. The family speaks Spanish at home and they love to get together to observe their Cuban traditions.

Enlarge image

(© Kaylo Estevez)

Kaylo Estevez (15)

To Kaylo, an 11th grader from Coral Reef Senior High School, the opportunity to participate in the 2009 German Street Soccer Cup sounded like a great chance to have fun and build a team. 

The 15-year-old has been playing soccer since he was 4, first for the YMCA, then for Cutter Ridge Soccer and now for the Kendall Soccer Coalition. He has won many tournaments in the past, including the Seminole Cup and the Concorde Challenge Cup. 

Kaylo's favorite thing about soccer is that one can have fun while getting a good workout. His favorite position is left midfield because he is lefty and enjoys playing both offense and defense at the same time. This is also why he can relate to soccer star Lionel Messi best. "He is small, lefty, Argentine, and we have the same style of play," Kaylo says.

Apart from soccer, Kaylo enjoys long boarding and skim boarding which he often does with his friends when they hang out at the beach. In school, he prefers math and human geography and is therefore very much looking forward to finding out how Germany is socially and economically different from the United States. 

What does he already know about Germany? "They have fantastic food, a very good soccer organization, and they make beautiful cars," Kaylo says.

Kaylo has a little sister who just started to play soccer. About himself he says that he is a fun, respectful person who can't wait to go to Germany.

Enlarge image

(© Andrea Rohrscheib)

Andrea Rohrscheib (17)

Andrea, a 12th grader from West Broward High School, hoped that the German Street Soccer Cup would be a great experience and decided to sign up for it. 

Andrea has played on several teams since she was 8 years old and has won multiple awards, the most recent ones being "Gator Showcase 2007 Champion" and "American Heritage School Girl Varsity Soccer - Most Valuable Offensive Player 2007". 

The 17-year-old considers soccer an amazing sport and loves just about all aspects of it - scoring, passing, dribbling... Her favorite position is forward because she gets to score. She draws her inspiration from US Women's soccer legend Mia Hamm. 

Apart from soccer, Andrea enjoys cross-country, volleyball, tennis and flag football. She likes to hang out with her friends, go to the movies, play sports or go to the beach. Her favorite subject at school? "Drawing," says Andrea, "because it relaxes me and makes my imagination fly." 

Andrea has traveled before and is looking forward to meeting new people and enjoying some of Germany's beautiful scenery and the delicious food. 

Although she was born in Venezuela, Andreas has some German roots that go back to her great-grandfather who was a German citizen. She is very grateful that her family supports her in everything she does, especially in soccer.