The team coached by Adrian Machuca secured its second win of the tournament with a 5-0 victory over St. Pau Apòstol.

Premià is in great form. With one match remaining to close the group stage, they are leading the upper part of the standings. This afternoon, they will face Lonestar, the Austin team, with the goal of earning 9 points and avoiding a tough opponent in the draw, such as Barça, Arsenal, or Valencia. “We are keeping the team balanced and accumulating good minutes. We’re also testing different things. Our pivot, Eric Triado, number 5 and recently named MVP, is a central defender and is playing as a pivot, and even as a forward. A versatile player. He has scored a goal too,” says Machuca, the Premià coach.

Indeed, Premià is coming out with a very ambitious team, alternating different formations depending on the opponent, such as the 4-4-2 or the 5-3-2. “We’ll try not to concede and advance from the group stage. We’re a team that likes to play from the back,” says Pablo Garcia, a player for the local team. “The goal is to progress and play against a big team, like Barça or Arsenal, but above all, to improve our game,” states Angel Luis, Premià’s goalkeeper.

The Start of Ramadan

There is a key factor in Adrian Machuca’s team. Four of the players, León, Ahli, Rayan, and Abde, have started Ramadan, a sacred month in Muslim culture and one of the most important religious holidays in Islam. During Ramadan, Muslims fast and experience a sense of brotherhood and belonging to the community. This means that today, these players will not eat or drink anything. “We’re holding on; the key is not to think about it,” one of the players comments. The ritual begins this year on Saturday, March 1st, with the sighting of the crescent moon and ends on Monday, March 31st. To wish each other a blessed Ramadan, practicing Muslims around the world use a specific ritual filled with spirituality.

But this team is going all in to play. They are showing it in the International Carnaval Cup, and they are aiming for everything. But remember, “the important thing is to enjoy,” as the coach of the Maresme club wisely says.