A European adventure

by Matthew Ondesko: Managing Editor

What did you do this summer?

For Lorelai Urbanski she spent her time overseas competing with USA across her chest. It’s not often players get to represent their country in a tournament. For Urbanski it was a lifelong dream.

There is just something different representing your country at the highest level. Urbanski felt the emotion when she put on the USA colors for the first time. Not everyone selected for the team was going to represent their country. Urbanski knew she needed to bring her game every day if she wanted a chance to walk out of that tunnel wearing those colors.

“Wearing a jersey with a USA crest on it felt like a childhood dream come to life. I used to watch professional players and hope that someday I would be on a team where the chant of “USA” rang through the stadium. It was surreal,” stated Urbanski. “Not every player selected had the opportunity to play with our colors, so I knew I had to step it up and prove I deserved to be part of the team representing the colors.”

The one thing Urbanski understood quickly was the difference in styles overseas. Soccer overseas is played a little bit more aggressively at times. The ball is also moved a lot of quicker. European soccer the ball doesn’t stay at the feet long, they make quick decisions.

As a defender, Urbanski needed to make sure she was a couple steps ahead of the other team. She needed to read the plays a little faster and anticipate what was going on. Urbanski wanted to make sure she was protective on the field and not reactive.

“The game is so different overseas than it is here. The players are more aggressive, the ball needs to move faster, and you needs to think a couple steps ahead of your opponent. I didn’t expect the level of physicality the girls from Finland and Sweden would bring to the competition, but it definitely encouraged my team to go even harder,” stated Urbanski. “My team consisted of players from Portland, New York, and Finland. It took a couple practices to figure out each others playing style and maximize our potential but once we did, we were unstoppable. The girls meshed together so well and I’ve met some amazing people through this experience. I’m so grateful to Bravo Sports, Rush, and of course my parents for making it possible.”

What the tournament taught Urbanski is that she needed to adapt to the style of play from each team. Early on it was a little rough going for her. There were some missteps along the way. But, as the tournament went on Urbanski started to make the necessary adjustment needed to play at that level.

Urbanski started reading the attackers body language more, and picked up on the little things they were doing. She went from struggling to being one of the better defenders on the pitch.

“The tournament helped me realize that every time I play, I’m learning and adapting. In the beginning of our friendly matches, I got beat with the ball or got the ball poked between my legs because of a mis step more times than I prefer to count,” stated Urbanski. “But after that mistake, you start to pick up off the attackers body language, shift your positioning, and as a result can make a better counterattack that regains possession. Mistakes are the key to success. They help you grow as a player and make you a smarter defenseman. Every time you step on the field, you have to adapt to the circumstances and turn your past weaknesses into strengths.”

Her play helped the USA Untied team get to the finals where they played Sweden. While the players were in the tunnel they could see the trophy on the display. The medals were there for the taking.

It was a surreal moment, and experience that can’t be put into words. The USA Untied team were the underdogs on this day, but that didn’t matter to Urbanski and her teammates. They wanted to take home the trophy.

They wanted to be the ones with the medals around their necks.

“Before the game even started, both teams were lined up in the tunnel leading out the the stadium. There was a display of the trophy and all the medals that would go to the winners. I looked at my teammate and pointed to the display saying, “That’s ours.”There was a big crowd cheering for Sweden, I saw multiple flags for their club and their country in the stands before we started playing, USA United were the underdogs in a way,” stated Urbanski. “We wanted the win, and seeing how confident they were lit a fire in a us that carried us through the game. The Swedish players had a very strong team, and in our friendly match they had narrowly beaten us. We hadn’t played them since that loss, so it was our last chance to solidify our place. It was a hard fought game, but we brought the intensity and worked for every ball until the final whistle. After that, we knew we did it. We proved that we could rise to the occasion. Everyone was cheering and my team immediately ran to hug each other. It’s the best feeling you get when competing- knowing all the work you’ve put it has paid off.”

Before her experience in Finland, Urbanski had never been over seas before. So, this was a chance to play some great soccer against good competition while also getting to experience a new country and culture.

Urbanski wanted to make sure she didn’t let this experience go to waste. She wanted to soak in everything that Finland had to offer, while she was there.

“Before Finland, I’ve never been overseas before, so it was a brand new experience. The country is so beautiful, the buildings were colorful and the waterfront view was gorgeous. I can definitely see why Finland is one of the happiest places on earth,” stated Urbanski. “I loved the culture and the scenery. I’m so happy I was able to travel with my mom and go through this with her. My Finnish teammates showed us around and even taught us a few words in their language.”