Four Greek Australian girls, Alexis Pantazopoulos, Anastasia Kyriacou, Joanna Zois and Keira Sarris recently took part in the 2024 Nike Premier Cup, an Under-15 Girls tournament in the US.
Representing Football Victoria, the girls were in Portland Oregon, at the Nike Headquarters, competing against some of the world’s best junior talent.
A squad of 16 players and support staff departed Melbourne on July 21 to participate in the six-day competition.
USA academy team PDA Blue ultimately won the final against South Korea 7-5 in penalties, but Football Victoria had a good showing, reaching the quarter final.
The Aussie girls beat Inter Milan 7-2 to secure a place in the quarter final but wasn’t able get past Atletico Madrid, losing in a hard fought match.
Prior to the event, Football Victoria’s Executive Manager Marketing, Engagement and Legacy, Mandy McCarter, expressed FV’s gratitude on being invited to take part in the event.
“This is one of those genuine, once-in-a-lifetime opportunities for these players,” she said in an announcement.
“They are thrilled for the chance to play against the next generation of global female football superstars and to proudly represent Football Victoria on the world stage.
“The memories will last a lifetime and we cannot thank Nike enough for their authentic, ongoing support of female football.”
Teams participating in the championships included: Football Victoria (Australia), Chelsea FC (England), Inter Milan (Italy), Atletico Madrid (Spain), VFL Wolfsburg (Germany), PDA Blue (USA), Urawa Reds Ladies (Japan), Liga MX Femenil (Mexico), FC Nords Jaelland (Denmark), Ferroviaria (Brazil), Bromma Girls (Sweden) and the KFA All Star team (South Korea).
