For many a soccer player, the opportunity to play soccer in England is just a dream. For members of Orlando City Youth Soccer, that dream is now a reality.

Today, 35 OCYS players will board a flight to Manchester and the trip of a lifetime will begin.  Teams ranging from U9 to U14 will not only tour some of the most hallowed grounds of English football, but they’ll also train and play against top-tier academy teams in the spiritual birthplace of the beautiful game.

“Coach Greg Brick and I have taking youth teams to Europe for the last 3 years,” said Craig Melton, OCYS coach and member of trip organizer Legacy Soccer Partners.  “The development and leadership of these kids grow every time we attend an international trip for them to see the entire WORLD game.”

The OCYS players will train at Stoke City’s training ground ahead of a Stoke match, and will later visit Old Trafford for a Manchester United Match.  The players will also play matches against Stoke’s youth academy and other top-tier youth programs in England.

“I feel these trip show them a much larger game than they know here in Central Florida,” said Melton.  “It gives me hope to know we have a professional integrated structure so our youth can learn the game form a World Model and not a local club soccer model.”

We’ll be receiving regular reports from the OCYS staff. Stay tuned for updates, photos, and match reports!  For a larger preview of the trip, check out this piece by the Orlando Sentinel.