FC Berlin hosted its inaugural Winter Showdown Invitational Tournament on Saturday, December 28th, and it was an overwhelming success!
The event drew a mix of current and former players, but there was little time for reminiscing as the action began immediately with highly competitive matches. Eight co-ed teams participated, each led by prominent figures including President Gabe Almada, VP and Technical Director Santiago Almada, Next Level U Sports founder Ryan Neceski, Studio Z owner Zhengda Lu, former coach Jamie Ward and former players Samantha Murphy, Matt Andree, and Alex Christie. Cloud North Visuals' Juan Almada, recovering from an injury, acted as manager for Murphy's team "The Smurphs".
With a theme centered around fun, the tournament delivered in every way—featuring lively pre-event promotion, spirited banter, and an electrifying atmosphere throughout. The finale saw Team Sant (led by Santiago Almada) clinch victory over Team GT (led by Gabe Almada) with a 5-3 win, earning the championship title and bragging rights.
The day concluded with players enjoying delicious treats provided by KW Empanadas before heading uptown to Waterloo for further celebrations at a local pub.
Additionally, the event doubled as a fundraiser, with participants donating non-perishable items to support the local Food Bank.
In addition to the album featured on our website, you can check all the pictures here