Francis Jacobs and Brandon Yee, sixth graders at Thurston Middle School, are members of the Irvine Strikers, which recently won the Cal South National Cup.
Their U12 team is the top-ranked team in the national youth soccer rankings and remained undefeated all season, Francis’ mom, Cindy Newman-Jacobs, says in a statement.
The team and their coaches head to Costa Brava, Spain, soon to compete in the Mediterranean International Cup where young players compete against the best international teams and players. Their U.S. team competes against teams from England, Poland, and Spain.