LOWER LAKE ? Lower Lake High School soccer star Tyler Murray, 17, is headed for Sweden to compete in the Gothia Cup International Soccer Tournament.
The invitation-only tournament will bring together players from around the globe for what is reportedly the world”s largest youth soccer cup.
Murray is one of 16 players in the nation invited to participate on the USA Soccer Team. Only two were selected from the State of California. Although this is Murray”s second invitation, this will be the first year he will enjoy participation in the 365 Sports-sponsored opportunity.
“This is my second invitation but last year I didn”t get to go. At first it didn”t seem like it was really going to happen. Now that it”s seven days away, it”s really cool,” Murray said. “To me, it”s like a huge advantage for me to try to get somewhere with soccer, like going pro or getting a scholarship for college. This is a big help.”
Murray, who has been playing the game since he was 4-years-old, will first travel to North Carolina where he will endure an intense training regiment. He said he has been preparing himself to meet the demands of the training schedule. “They want us to run two miles in 14 minutes. I”ve been running the loop, which is 3.5 miles, in 16 minutes,” he said. “I”ve been doing a lot of body conditioning, too. They want us to have a lot of body strength as well as stamina. I”ve also been getting 1,000 touches a day on the soccer ball with exercises like juggling and stuff like that. Right now my best juggling is 125 with the soccer ball.”
After the four-day training session, Murray will be boarding a plane bound for Gothenburg, Sweden where he and his team will compete against athletes from around the world.
“First, we have to qualify, which is to get our place in the tournament. We will be playing against 30 different nations,” he said. “If we get in the top 10, then we play in the stadium with over 50,000 spectators.”
Murray said that his parents helped foster his passion for soccer. “My dad played soccer in college and my mom is really into soccer, too. So, it”s just what I did. I just kept playing and I got better and better,” he said.
Murray has held a position on Lower Lake”s varsity team since he was a freshman. One of his best years, he said, he contributed 35 assists. He also played in Middletown”s recreational soccer league, in which he said at one point he had averaged four goals per game. He also participated in the indoor soccer league in Petaluma. In addition to being an avid soccer player, he also holds a referee”s license in the sport.
Murray said he will be video-taping his trip to Sweden so that he can share the experience with his friends on YouTube. He will depart for North Carolina on July 8 and will continue on to Sweden on July 12.
Contact Denise Rockenstein at drockenstein@clearlakeobserver.com or call her directly at 994-6444, ext. 11.
