FK Csíkszereda’s U12 team, made up of players born in 2014, took part over the weekend in an extremely useful, educational and memorable tournament. The three-day Balkan Elite Cup, held in Brașov with the participation of 44 teams, proved to be an excellent benchmark for our young players. Head coach Hodgyai László shared his thoughts on the event with our readers.
FK Csíkszereda’s U12 team, made up of players born in 2014, took part over the weekend in an extremely useful, educational and memorable tournament. The three-day Balkan Elite Cup, held in Brașov with the participation of 44 teams, proved to be an excellent benchmark for our young players. Head coach Hodgyai László shared his thoughts on the event with our readers.
Alongside FK Csíkszereda, the tournament featured youth teams from well-known clubs such as FCSB Academy, Rapid Bucharest, CFR Cluj and Universitatea Cluj, as well as Poli Iași, FC Argeș and several teams from Moldova. The strength of the field is well illustrated by the fact that the overall winner was Academia Radu Rebeja.
The group stage matches began on Friday, starting immediately against FCSB Academy. After an understandably nervous start, our play grew more confident, we created several chances and eventually opened the tournament with a 1–0 victory. In the second match we faced FC Argeș, a highly technical and well-organised team. Although we took an early lead, the opponents reacted well, equalised and then turned the game around to 3–1. We managed to pull one goal back late on, but despite the 3–2 defeat, both teams’ attitude and fighting spirit deserved praise.
On Saturday, after an early wake-up call and travel, the boys played three more group matches, followed by a late evening game under the floodlights. The first hurdle was cleared confidently, with a 9–0 win against Olimp Focșani. Next came Viitorul Cluj, who were ahead of us in the standings, knowing that a victory would secure second place. After some initial difficulties, our team took control and won convincingly, 5–1. In the final group match against Unirea Slobozia, the players once again showed great commitment and closed the day with a 3–1 win.
However, the three matches took their toll on the team. It was clear that the players were not only battling their opponents, but also their own physical and mental limits. Even so, the boys gave everything they had left.
In the evening match we faced the winners of Group C, Luceafărul Cluj. Despite strong determination, fatigue and physical differences became apparent, and we suffered a 2–0 defeat. By then, the children had been on their feet for more than 14 hours and had already played 120 minutes, yet they fought bravely until the end – and understandably fell asleep quickly once back at the accommodation.
On Sunday, we continued the competition for places 9–12. Unfortunately, against Universitatea Cluj the team showed a weaker side: many mistakes, a lack of energy and an inappropriate attitude characterised the match, which ended in a 5–1 loss. Both the result and the performance were disappointing, but they also served as an important lesson: such an attitude has no place on the pitch. The boys understood that defeat itself is not the key issue, but how you fight, how committed you are and how well you play for each other.
The learning process became evident in the final match, played for 11th–12th place against Politehnica Iași. It was a fragmented game with many fouls, and within the first ten minutes three substitutions were already needed due to minor injuries. Despite this, the team’s determination was impressive: with clenched teeth, sometimes with tears in their eyes, but with a highly organised style of play, quick passing and effective switches of play, they managed to dominate. The effort paid off, and thanks to a free-kick goal, a fine individual move and a clever ball recovery, we won 3–0, finishing the tournament with our heads held high.
FK Csíkszereda finished 11th in a field of 44 teams. Over eight matches, totalling 320 minutes of playing time, the team scored 24 goals and conceded only 10. Special mention goes to Tóth Krisztián, who scored ten goals and played a decisive role in attack, while seven other outfield players also got on the scoresheet.
Overall, the team gained extremely valuable experience. The youngsters learned what it means to face strong opponents, how to handle difficult moments, and that by playing with heart and fighting for each other, anything is possible. Such tournaments are true tests of character and ability, and FK Csíkszereda’s U12 team represented our club with pride and dignity in a highly competitive environment.
In the photo
Top row (left to right): Hodgyai László (coach), Blága Koppány, Balázs Bulcsú, Bâlbâe Krisztián, Cseke Márton, Jánosi Áron, Vrencean Kristóf, Portik David, Fazakas Kevin
Bottom row: Antonache Alexandru, Tóth Krisztián, Blagu Petru, Parajdi Zsombor, Antal János