Brazil Triumphs at Junior Masters World Finals

MADRID, May 11 /PRNewswire/ -- After three days of matches with teams from 20 different countries, the Brazilian U13 soccer team has triumphed at the Volkswagen Junior Masters World Finals Championship after defeating Germany in the final round of competition.  The Volkswagen Junior Masters is an international youth soccer tournament created by Volkswagen AG and is the first competition of its kind.  Teams traveled from all over the globe to Madrid, Spain over the weekend in pursuit of becoming the next Volkswagen Junior Masters World Champions, with the PDA Pele of Zarephath, New Jersey representing the United States.  This once-in-a-lifetime trip was the culmination of hard work and determination that began with qualifying rounds from each country.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100511/FL03176 )

"The teams showed amazing character and perseverance throughout the entire Volkswagen Junior Masters tournament," said Samuel C. Nellins, head coach of the PDA Pele, which won two matches during the event. "All of the teams from around the world were nothing short of fantastic, and each player should be proud of what he has been able to accomplish. While the U.S. team would have been thrilled to walk away with the world championship title, our main goal with this tournament was to provide the boys with a life-changing experience and an opportunity to further develop their playing skills."

The Junior Masters teams competed for the World Championship title at Ciudad Deportiva, the training ground of the world-famous Real Madrid soccer team.  The final match took place at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, also home to Real Madrid, where professionals like Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka, or Raul normally play.  Over 870 junior teams from 20 countries participated in the national qualifying rounds.  In Europe, the teams originated from Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, Sweden, Switzerland, Austria, Spain, Russia and the Ukraine.  Representing Asia were teams from Taiwan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, and the United Arab Emirates.  Morocco, Egypt, South Africa and Zimbabwe represented Africa, while the USA, Mexico and Brazil completed the list of competitors.  

Alongside South Africa, Morocco and Egypt, Zimbabwe is the fourth African country in which young teams played to get through to the Volkswagen Junior World Masters finals. Aside from the sporting aspect, the social commitment also plays an important role in Zimbabwe. In cooperation with the children's charitable organisation, "terre des hommes", Volkswagen supports schooling for children in one of the world's poorest countries. Furthermore, Volkswagen has promised financial help for children in Zimbabwe. The co-operative partner "terre des hommes" is responsible for using the money effectively and has collaborated with the Volkswagen Group Works Council for years.

In addition to playing their favorite sport against teams from around the world, the young athletes also enjoyed a full itinerary of exciting activities including a tour of the Bernabeu Stadium, a fun-filled day at Madrid's Warner Brother's theme park, and the opportunity to watch Real Madrid play against Athletic Club Bilbao in the same stadium where the Junior Masters final match took place.

"The Volkswagen Junior Masters has offered youth soccer teams both in the U.S., and the world, a challenge unlike any they could have ever experienced before," said Tim Ellis, Vice President of Marketing for Volkswagen of America, Inc.  "Volkswagen is proud of the PDA Pele's teamwork and determination, which not only brought them to the U.S. Finals, but placed them into the world spotlight as they competed in Madrid for the World Championship. This team represents the nation's best, and the soccer stars of tomorrow."

Globally, Volkswagen has been a long time supporter of soccer.  The brand is the title sponsor of Volkswagen arena in Wolfsburg and owns the VFL Wolfsburg football club at its global headquarters.  In the U.S., Volkswagen of America is the official automotive partner of Major League Soccer (www.mlsnet.com) and is a sponsor of D.C. United.  The brand will also continue its grassroots soccer tour, with a 19-city mobile marketing tour showcasing Volkswagen's product family at local youth soccer tournaments.  

For more information on Volkswagen, visit media.vw.com.  For more information on the U.S. Volkswagen Junior Masters visit http://www.vwjrmasters.com and for the Junior Masters World Finals visit http://www.juniormasters.com.  

Volkswagen of America, Inc.

Founded in 1955, Volkswagen of America, Inc. is headquartered in Herndon, Virginia. It is a subsidiary of Volkswagen AG, headquartered in Wolfsburg, Germany. Volkswagen is one of the world's largest producers of passenger cars and Europe's largest automaker. Volkswagen sells the New Beetle, New Beetle convertible, Golf, GTI, Jetta, Jetta SportWagen, Eos, Passat, Passat Wagon, CC, Tiguan, Touareg 2 and Routan through approximately 600 independent U.S. dealers. All 2010 Volkswagens come standard-equipped with Electronic Stabilization Program. This is important because the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has called ESC the most effective new vehicle safety technology since the safety belt. Visit Volkswagen of America online at www.vw.com or media.vw.com to learn more.

About Major League Soccer

Headquartered in New York City, Major League Soccer is the top-flight professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. MLS features many stars from the U.S., Canada, and around the world. MLS kicked off its 14th season on March 19, and will feature 15 teams each playing 30 regular season matches. They include Chicago Fire, Colorado Rapids, Chivas USA, Columbus Crew, D.C. United, FC Dallas, Houston Dynamo, Kansas City Wizards, Los Angeles Galaxy, New York Red Bulls, New England Revolution, Real Salt Lake, San Jose Earthquakes, Toronto FC and, in its inaugural season, Seattle Sounders FC. The Philadelphia Union will debut in 2010, while expansion teams in Vancouver and Portland will debut in 2011. For more information about MLS, log on to the League's official website at www.mlsnet.com.

The Volkswagen Junior Masters:

The Volkswagen Junior Masters is already setting the standards for youth football in its 11^th year.  What started out as an idea in 1999 to give young players the chance to enjoy sport and compete fairly has in the meantime become the biggest up-and-coming football tournament started by a company for C junior girls' and D junior boys' teams.  Support for the aspiring talent plays central role.  Therefore the Volkswagen football camps which the winning teams will attend will be attended by trainers such as Wolfgang Sidka or Rainer Bonhof.  In this way, young talent can be discovered and given targeted support at an early age.  Volkswagen's commitment is also held in high regard by the German Football Association.  It's Vice President, Dr. Hans-Georg Moldenhauer, is the patron of the Junior Masters.

SOURCE Volkswagen of America