The Boston Braves, a Boston-based adult soccer club, recently completed a successful Scandinavian tour in Aug.
Over the course of the nine-day trip, the Braves played games against veteran (consisting of former professional players) teams from FC Copenhagen and Lyngby Boldklub (Denmark), IFK Gøteborg (Sweden), and Vȧlerenga Fotball (Oslo, Norway). They competed against various former professionals and national-team players from the clubs, including the likes of Hakan Mild, Robin Soder, Mattias Bjärsmyr, Jens Berthel Askou, and Jorgen Jalland, among others.
For the first time, the Braves fielded two teams on the tour – an over-40 year-old team and an over-55 team. Both teams experienced some success during the tour with the over-40 team going 1-1-2 and the over-55 team going 0-2-2 on the tour.
The adventure began in Copenhagen, Denmark where the Braves took part in a Danish Champion Club F.C. Copenhagen professional league game. The next day, the Braves’ junior teams took on F.C. København. After a free day spent exploring the city of Copenhagen, the Braves then took on Lyngby Boldklub.
“At Lyngby Boldklub, we played a night game on a fantastic pitch,” over-40 defender Ethan Blanchette said. “They said that FIFA had just rated their pitch a 5/5 and it was the nicest field I’ve ever played on – perfectly smooth, short grass with no imperfections. It was awesome playing in that environment.”
Twenty-four hours later, the club arrived in Gøteborg, Sweden and had a team dinner with IFK Gøteborg, the only Scandinavian team to ever win a European championship. The following day, it was back to the pitch to take on IFK Gøteborg.
Blanchette said one of his favorite things about the trip was spending time with some of the players the night before the game.
“For me, I really enjoyed getting to know a little bit about them and their family,” he said. “The evening before the game against IFK Goteborg, I had dinner with Hannes Stiller and his 15 year-old son, who enjoyed sharing stories about his father and affectionately referring to him by his soccer nickname: ‘Killer Stiller.’ Then we competed the next day and spent time talking after the match. Those personal connections are special and enjoyable.”
The team then traveled to Oslo, the capital city in Norway, where both teams had a chance to do some sightseeing before taking on Vȧlarenga Fotbol at Intilitiy Stadium. Oslo Mayor Marianne Borgen was in attendance taking in the action. The whirlwind trip came to a close the following day when the club said its goodbyes before returning to Boston.
Blanchette said the trip was a “unique” experience.
“It was a lot of fun to play against some very talented players, and to eat, drink and talk with them before and after the matches,” Blanchette said. “Each club provided a meal and drinks in various settings at their stadium, or training facility after the matches so that players from both teams could socialize. The times before and after matches were a fun way to form relationships and learn about other players from Scandinavia.”
Blanchette said Lynnfield resident, Spiros Tourkakis, the president of the Braves, coordinated and orchestrated the tour and has been promoting friendships and alliances in the name of veterans soccer for more than 20 years. Tourkakis founded the Braves in 2001. Since then, the club has traveled to and competed against some of the top and most well-known clubs in the world, including Manchester City, Manchester United, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, and many more.
Along with Blanchette, fellow Lynnfield resident Marco DaSilva, a midfielder, also competed on the Braves’ over-40 team. DaSilva is a US Department of Transportation manager and has been a member of the Braves since 2012. Blanchette is a teacher and soccer coach at Lynnfield High School and has been a member of the Braves since 2017.
Tourkakis, Blanchette, and DaSilva are also managers of Lynnfield Football Club (LFC), a veteran soccer organization in the town consisting of six separate age-groups from over-30 to over-68.
According to its website, https://www.lynnfieldfc.com, LFC members hail primarily from Lynnfield and surrounding towns on the North Shore. The club’s mission is to “provide its members with the opportunity to socialize and interact with each other and especially to expand their fitness goals.”
LFC teams participate in the New England Over Hill Soccer League, which LFC says is the largest amateur adult soccer league in the country. The club works together with other Lynnfield-based organizations to promote athletic and social activities in the town as well as in the Greater Boston Area.
Tourkakis said the Braves have reached agreement with three of the four Scandinavian host teams for another friendlies tour, this one back home on American soil in Lynnfield.
“The Boston Braves’ main focus is to enhance international football veteran relationships. Our visit was very important to all the countries we visited,” Tourkakis said. “It is the first time an American team did what we did.”
