By Lizzy Snell
Media Intern
The Azalea girls’ U15 and U14 teams, the Azalea Passion and the Azalea Joy, hailing from Sweden, are not only talented soccer teams, but a talented singing group as well.
Azalea wrote, produced and published their own CD: a six song set, with different variations of their song, “Fotboll i mitt hjärta,” meaning, football in my heart.
The song can even be found online for purchase, and the Schwan’s USA CUP Opening Ceremony production staff plans to add it to the soundtrack that will be played during the parade of teams.
Azalea has also been keeping a blog, about their trip to the United States: www.fotbollimitthjarta.blogspot.com
“We feel happy to have made this record because it’s a collection of all the group,” said head coach Anders Hansson. “[It’s a] feeling that we share, that football is a joyous game and you have it in your heart - and your feet of course, and your head, but if you don’t have it in your heart it’s no use.”
Emilia Slättberg, 15, is one of two girls who wrote the song and also sings the solo. She said she does not have a favorite between music and soccer – she enjoys them both.
“I don’t want to be a professional player,” she said. “I think I want to be a trainer or a ref or a teacher.”
Slättberg said her favorite parts of Schwan’s USA CUP so far were staying in university dorm rooms and playing soccer. Enjoying the warm, sunny weather was also at the top of her list.
“It’s very warm here so you [turn] brown, you can [get some] sun.”
Sofia Hagman, 15, has been playing soccer for eight years and said playing in Schwan’s USA CUP weekend was fun, but she is also looking forward to playing in the week tournament.
“Yeah I’m very excited,” Hagman said. “The [weekend] cup was a warm-up.”
Hagman added that she would like to eventually play professionally, on the IFK Göteborg team, based in Gothenburg, Sweden.
“It’s the best league in Sweden…in the world,” she said with a smile.
The girls agreed that one major Minnesotan landmark they want to see is the Mall of America. They also would like to improve on their American English speaking skills.
One way for them to improve on “speaking American” is to talk to one of their own players – a guest player.
Julianna DePoister, 13, joined Azalea through Schwan’s USA CUP guest player program, a way for individual players to find teams or for coaches to fill empty roster slots.
DePoister hails from Aurora, Illinois and said she is not Swedish at all.
“[Azalea] contacted my whole club and they asked the girls on my team and I chose to do it,” she said. “Its fun and a new experience. They play different and it’s fun to hear Swedish.”
DePoister admitted that sometimes it can be confusing on the field when everyone is speaking Swedish but it helps that the Azalea girls speak English too.
Along with DePoister there are five other American players and three Brazillian players from the guest player program.
Head coach Anders Hansson, has led Azalea since 2000 and said he has enjoyed watching the girls grow up. He said the experience at Schwan’s USA CUP is a joyride and “everything is superb.”
When asked which team would be difficult competition Hansson replied that any team could be.
“We regard all teams as good competition and that’s the best thing to do actually.”
Both Azalea teams finished up their weekend tournament Saturday by missing the cut for the playoffs, but the teams begin play again on Tuesday, when Schwan’s USA CUP weeklong tournament begins.
“Everybody is so nice,” Hansson said about the tournament. “Everything is very well-organized, the food is absolutely fantastic. We’re so happy to make this journey and it lives up to all of our expectations. We are so happy to be here and nothing has compared to this for us.”
Hansson said he heard about Schwan’s USA CUP two years ago when the teams were playing at a cup in Denmark and thought that Schwan’s USA CUP would be a good experience.
“[Soccer] is a game that’s meant to be joyful for them,” Hansson said. “Our motto is Passion and Joy, and if all our girls can experience the passion of playing football and the joy of meeting people that also love to play football – not for the result but for the experience of taking part in a good game. You always find friends with a football under your arm, and here in Minneapolis we find friends.”
Left: Several of the Azalea girls with their head coach, Anders Hansson
Comments