Local Youth Soccer Team to represent USA in Italian tournament

Mission Viejo, Calif. - The Pateadores Boys Under 15 (BU15) soccer team, previously known as South Coast Bayern, announced that they will participate this year in the prestigious Scirea Cup Soccer Tournament in Matera, Italy. The Scirea Cup has been in existence for the last 15 years and is a tournament for boys born in 1995/1996.

The tournament is named in honor of the famous Juventus defender, Gaetano Scirea, who led his team to several Italian and European championships prior to his tragic auto accident death in 1989. The 2011 Scirea Cup will be played from June 10 – 18 at various stadiums near the cities of Matera and Bari, Italy. Sixteen elite Boys Under 16 teams, many from professional farm clubs, will participate in this year’s tournament.

Club teams presently confirmed for the 2011 edition include Juventus, Inter, Roma, Bari, Real Madrid, Chelsea, Chivas de Guadalajara, SK Tallin-Estonia and Zenit, St.Petersburg-Russia. Pateadores (Bayern) is the only team that received this prestigious honor to be invited to represent the United States of America.

The Pateadores (Bayern) BU15 team has compiled an impressive record of 60-1-3 in the year 2010. The near perfect record earned the club a #1 USA national ranking in July and August of 2010. They most recently won the "Treble", a rare accomplishment by winning three tournament cups namely the National Cup, the Coast Soccer League, and the California South League Cup championships all in 2010.

Other major tournament championships for the team in 2010 include Cal South State Cup, the Cerritos Cup, the Celtic Cup, and the NHB Cup. The team finished undefeated in the Gold Division of the prestigious Coast Soccer League. The team is presently ranked #1 in the state of California and #3 in the USA for their age group. Pateadores’ Chris Costantini, star midfielder, is a member of the Southern California Italian American community and grandson of the late Comm. Nick Costantini.

“This is an incredible opportunity for our team to play against elite international club teams. They will be able to measure themselves against some of the best international players at their age group. This is a chance to measure skill and technique we seldom encounter while playing US teams,” commented Pateadores (Bayern) BU15 coach, Joe Cantu.

“I’m pleased that our boys will get the opportunity to play against big name professional clubs recognized around the world. They will be receiving exposure they deserve by playing in front of international club scouts,” stated Cantu. "For any soccer player, this is a dream come true.” Pateadores Soccer Club is based in Mission Viejo, California and presently has a total of 39 boys and girls teams at various levels ranging from U9 to Academy.

The Pateadores Soccer Club is a tax-exempt nonprofit 501(c) organization. The team is actively soliciting donations and sponsorships to help support their travel costs. A dinner banquet fundraiser will be held on March 26th, 2011 at Hesse Park Hall, Palos Verdes, Ca. For more information and sponsorship opportunities contact Pat Costantini at (310) 503- 8170. patcostantini@gmail.com