U-9: Second place in the White Star Cup competition

On Saturday, the young Krakow U-9 players took part in the sixth and final White Star Cup tournament of the winter season. The Wisła team, under the guidance of coaches Gracjan Chruściel and Jakub Kulig, entered the competition with two squads, one of which finished second.

Two Wisła U-9 age-group teams (born 2015) competed on Saturday in the final winter tournament of the season, the White Star Cup, held at the facility at 21 Dekerta Street in Krakow. Wisła Kraków I began their Group A campaign with a loss to Lubań Maniowy. Wisła Kraków also fell short against their next opponent, falling to Hutnik Kraków. The Kraków team's situation looked much better later in the game. The White Star defeated Podgórze Kraków, Podhale Nowy Targ, Wierzbowianka Wierzbno, and second-place Orląt Kielce, but lost to FF Zakopane, ultimately qualifying for the Group A playoffs in fourth place.

Wisła Kraków II shared the points in their first match with the first team of Orląt Kielce. They then lost to Karol Wadowice, and the next three matches ended in victories for Wisła Czarny Dunajec, Piast Czchów, and AMP Kickstar. The young Kraków team's last two matches against Garbarnia Kraków and Młoda Orawa ended in draws. The second team of the White Star, like the first, advanced to the playoffs in fourth place. In the knockout stages, Wisła played Lubań Maniowy, Młoda Orawa, and FF Zakopane, but unfortunately, their opponents were the better team in each match.

Emotions until the very end

The White Star's first team in the playoffs faced Karol Wadowice and Garbarnia Kraków. The Kraków team defeated the Wadowice team by a landslide, and in the derby, the winner had to be decided by a series of penalties, which our players took better. In the grand finale, we had another derby, this time against Hutnik Kraków. The team from Suche Stawy proved superior to Wisła, winning the entire White Star Cup tournament.

"After we entered this tournament, I didn't expect to play in the final. After two losses in the group stage, we showed truly amazing fighting spirit and heart, which allowed us to play in this final and most important match. There were quick counterattacks, one- and two-touch plays, positional interchangeability, and speed in both attack and defense, so it was a sight to behold. Along the way, we provided our fans with plenty of excitement, as evidenced by our victory in the semifinal on penalties, where we were trailing until the final set of shots. I'm very pleased with the boys, and they deserve enormous praise," said U-9 assistant coach Gracjan Chruściel.

Wisła Kraków U-9 squad:

Wisła Kraków I: Aleksander Kozieł, Alex Tondera, Adam Sólnica, Bartosz Bożek, Kacper Fijałkowski, Kamil Szota, Leon Kaczor, Maksymilian Bomba, Michał Zubrzycki, Szymon Kuraś

Wisła Kraków II: Mikołaj Juszczyk, Mikołaj Kaszowski, Ignacy Kominek, Dawid Szwed, Kuba Mikołajczyk, Alan Pyż, Mateusz Wadowski, Oskar Bielowicz, Antoni Wcisło, Jan Krawiec