Hundreds of fans gathered at the Yellow Submarine’s stadium to enjoy this prestigious tournament, in which Real Madrid was crowned champion
The Villarreal U12s finished in fourth place in the XXX edition of LaLiga Promises, showcasing a great performance in an idyllic setting such as the Estadio de la Cerámica. The Yellows were defeated in the semi-finals by Real Madrid CF (0-1) and after that couldn’t do anything against Real Betis in the penalty shootout (0-0 at the end of regulation time; 2-0 in penalties). Villarreal’s goalkeeper, Leo Rico, was chosen as the best goalkeeper of the tournament.
The grand celebration of this prestigious U12 tournament began on Friday with a high-profile opening ceremony during which the participating teams and players were presented. From Saturday onwards, the ball started rolling with the opening match between Villarreal CF and Girona FC. A total of 20 teams enjoyed and fought until the end to claim the highly-desired trophy. A total of 48 matches culminated in the grand final between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid, with the whites emerging as champions (0-2).
The Yellows’ impressive journey
Under the guidance of coach Iván Molés, the team achieved remarkable results. In the group stage, the mini Groguets kicked off with a magnificent victory against Girona FC (2-0) and secured another win against UD Almería (3-0). However, they couldn’t do anything against Athletic Club (2-0) and Real Madrid (4-1). With 6 points on the board, the Yellows advanced to the quarter-finals as they finished in second place in Group A. In that round, Iván Molés’ players faced RCD Espanyol and picked up a big win in the penalty shootout, thanks to the outstanding performance of goalkeeper Leo Rico (6-5).
In the semi-finals, Villarreal CF once again faced Real Madrid. Despite their constant attempts to approach the opponent’s goal, with several shots coming close to hitting the post, luck wasn’t on their side, and they couldn’t counter their opponents’ early goal (0-1), which saw them fall short of the grand final.
In the battle for third and fourth place, Villarreal faced a tough challenge as they conceded an early goal in the match (3rd minute, 1-0). However, the Groguets didn’t give up, and through determination, fighting spirit, and faith, they equalized just four minutes later (1-1). With the draw at the end of regulation time, a penalty shootout would decide who claimed the third place. Unfortunately, luck was not on their side this time and they ended up losing.
Therefore, Villarreal achieved a fourth-place finish in the XXX Geotiles LaLiga Promises tournament. The greatest reward for these future promises lies in the effort and dedication they displayed throughout the three days of the tournament, where they had the opportunity to play in the marvelous Estadio de la Cerámica alongside none other than Yellow Submarine legend Santi Cazorla. Additionally, Villarreal’s goalkeeper, Leo Rico, was recognized as the best goalkeeper of the XXX edition of the Geotiles LaLiga Promises.
You can check all the tournament’s results on the official LaLiga Promises website: RESULTS AND STANDINGS XXX LaLiga Promises
