The inaugural Right to Dream Cup presented by Dexcom continued for the tournament’s second and final day at San Diego FC’s Sharp Healthcare Performance center in El Cajon.
Club de Fútbol Monterrey lifted the first-ever Right to Dream Cup trophy, totaling 23 points throughout the tournament.
C.F. Monterrey led all three of the competing academies following the first day of the tournament by accumulating 13 points across all age 3 groups. 9 matches were played across the 9 competing teams on Saturday, October 10th with 9 matches also played on Sunday, October 11th to determine an overall Cup winner and individual age group winners.
RIGHT TO DREAM CUP AWARDS
Right to Dream Cup Winner: C.F. Monterrey
U-13 Goal Champion: C.F. Monterrey
U-14 Goal Champion: Tijuana
U-16 Goal Champion: San Diego
Sportsmanship awards were also determined amongst the coaching staffs for each Club and highlighted following the competition as well.
RIGHT TO DREAM SPORTSMEN OF THE CUP
U-13
- Iker Castillo: Tijuana
- David Omar Rivera: C.F. Monterrey
- Dredyn Kimbrough: San Diego
U-14
- Javier Samaniego: Tijuana
- Diego Gonzalez: C.F. Monterrey
- Mamoudou Diakite: San Diego
U-16
- Ronaldo Villalobos: Tijuana
- Santiago Soto: C.F. Monterrey
- Prince Wilonjda: San Diego
“This has been an international celebration of the beautiful game, together we have created memories that we will bring with us as we leave the Sharp Health Performance Center this afternoon,” Executive Vice President & Head of Right to Dream Academy Jeff Cook said in his closing remarks.
“At Right to Dream, we believe in the power of football to drive development both on the football field, and in life. You have shown over these two days that your future is very, very bright. I look forward to seeing your many successes in the future! One of our guiding principles is that everyone has the right to dream, and I am convinced that all of your dreams will come true if you continue to work hard and give everything to your own development,” Cook continued, sharing a special message to all of the Cup participants.
While the results are celebrated, this tournament provided much more than an opportunity to lift a trophy. It created a professional environment to allow for regional and global talent to flourish, compete, and connect. In between elite football moments, the young players were given opportunities to experience a simulated first team environment, like sharpening their media skills with post-match interviews.
Over 200 academy players from Right to Dream San Diego, Club Tijuana, and C.F. Monterrey shared San Diego FC’s campus, allowing for connection, mentorship, and sportsmanship to thrive. Right to Dream’s core pillars of Football, Character, and Education were at the forefront of this event, creating transformational moments both on and off the pitch.
“It was a wonderful experience. Really, great for our boys to get this sort of exposure to this caliber of international opposition. And these are the experiences that are massively important, we think, in their developments. And the more we can do this, the better,” SDFC Academy coach Christy Gates-Bowes said.
“The boys carried the values at every moment of every day. So, we're really, really proud of them. The way they represent themselves on the pitch, the way they represent themselves off the pitch and the way they spent time with the opposition, coaches, fans, and families. So, yeah, we're very proud of them and really grateful for the experience and the opportunity that they had over the over the weekend,” Gates-Bowes continued.
VOICES INSIDE THE CUP
“It’s a great experience to face such competitive, professional teams. It’s also a huge help for the kids, since we don’t get to play in competitions like this very often at these younger age groups.” Said Club Tijuana U-14 coach Jaime Cruz in Spanish. “We want to thank San Diego FC for the invitation to the tournament. We hope to be invited back next year, if they hold it again. We’d certainly like to return. For my boys, it’s all about learning and, of course, the hard work and day-to-day effort required to keep improving and to become better people.”
“The facilities and the organization are excellent; the format was new to us, but the way things are run here is really great. I have to reiterate: the facilities are world-class,” C.F. Monterrey U-13 coach Jorge Andrés Narváez García said in Spanish while reflecting on the competition. “We really appreciate the synergy and connection between the first team and all the youth squads. This place is wonderful.”
“The level of play is excellent, especially the San Diego teams, which are all very fast. I liked that no team backed down and that every ball was contested as if it were a final,” said Club Tijuana U-13 player Hugo Azael Navarrete Beltrán in Spanish about his experience.
“I’m just grateful and happy that our family gets to support us from different places, and my team playing hard and believing in ourselves," said Right to Dream San Diego student-athlete, Jose Hernandez.
