The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Stars on the world stage
Teen among 18 elite soccer players to win Sweden’s Gothia Cup
MIDDLETOWN — It’s been a whirlwind week and a half for middle schooler Gianna Peracchio after her unrivaled soccer team, representing the United States, won the world youth cup in Gothenberg, Sweden.
The 13yearold Middletown resident and St. John Paul II School eighth grader was among 18 young female soccer players selected by the Fairfieldbased National Center of Excellence, led by John Curtis, to play in the Gothia Cup.
The girls spent July 11 in Copenhagen, Denmark, then traveled to Sweden, playing at Ullevi Stadium, matching off team by team, until the final showcase July 20. Fiftyfour teams from around the world competed for the prestigious title.
NCE, which included four other girls from Connecticut, as well as athletes from New York and New Jersey, kicked their way to glory during the final matchup against SKF Canada.
“She’s like ice: She doesn’t get too emotional or doesn’t appear to. She’s very in control of her emotions, very kind of flat, which has made her a really, really good soccer player, because she’s just cool and calm and composed,” Curtis said.
He called Gianna a strong and disciplined defender.
“It’s almost like unflappable character. At that young age, nothing seems to rattle her. She’s playing against big girls who are kicking her, and trying to rough her up, but she’s just gets on with the job. She’s gotten to the stage now where — when we were away at the tournament — her reading of the game and understanding of the game was well beyond her years,” he said.
Her father, Jimmy Peracchio, said watching his daughter take center stage, amid 50,000 cheering spectators, was unreal.
“The kid has been working so hard for the last five years. To watch her reach a goal, which was a dream five years ago watching the Women’s World Cup, to watch your kid go out on a field during the
National Anthem to represent the United States, was a surreal experience,” he said.
Gianna plays the central defender position, the player who protects the goalie on defense. “A lot of times, defenders go unnoticed, because your offense is scoring the goals, getting the glory, but as a team, they completely all stood up, scoring a lot,” he said.
The girls finished with a 591 record.
“For the team to only give up one goal all tournament says a lot of the team and performance of each one of these ladies,” her father said. “Their defense was unheardof: seven games, and only giving up one goal all tournament, and you’re playing against the best teams in the world.”
After their win, the girls were treated like superstars, Peracchio said. “When you went to a restaurant, even the flight coming back on Scandinavian Airlines, everybody wanted to get pictures of the girls for winning this.”
Gianna, a high honor roll student, is still reeling from the weekend’s win. Prior to the world cup, she’d only played on occasion with a few of the players, including a tournament the weekend prior. But that didn’t end up being a weakness, she said. “We all clicked the first time we met each other.”
She began playing soccer at 8 through the city’s recreation league.
Her father played baseball and coached Gianna’s Middletown Little League softball team. Dad quickly realized his daughter was falling in love with soccer, so he told her he wouldn’t be offended if she dropped softball.
“She made a decision at 8 years old to commit to soccer,” he said. “She’s very mature — very quiet, a humble kid on and off the field,” said Peracchio, whose daughter played for Middletown Youth Soccer Middletown Magic travel team, and the premiere Sporting CT league, based in Middletown.
Last year, Gianna played five games for the U.S. Soccer Developmental Academy, after being called up to an older age bracket to help out the team, her father said.
“On the field, when she steps over that line, it’s a tale of two different kids. She’s a beast on the field,” and, in fact, earned the nickname “The Beast” from her coaches, dad said. “I don’t know how the light switch goes on on the field for her. It’s crazy.”
Curtis said his team was playing in a preparation tournament during the Women’s World Cup. “They were living it. Every kick, they were there,” he said.
Gianna admits she is aggressive when it comes to her favorite sport.
“I always know where I’m going before I get the ball. I love to talk with my teammates, see what they’re going through, and get their ideas of how to get better,” she said.
For the past five or so years, Gianna has worked with Kevin Dean, a trainer at Core 4 Fitness Vale Fields + Courts on Newfield Street. He’s taught her strength and how to prevent injuries.
Her schedule, between school, practice, games and tournaments is nonstop. Fortunately her parents are always at the ready, prepared to ferry her wherever the sport takes her. Gianna’s tournaments are played in New Jersey and New York on the weekends. She squeezes in homework at every opportunity.
“She always had that work ethic, but she wasn’t as gifted as the other players technically,” but worked extremely hard to hone her skills. “She’s got this work ethic that’s second to none. She’s very committed, very hard working and levelheaded,” Curtis said.
“She was like our rocket at the back. She was responsible for starting the whole process. She was always on the ball and then linking up with the midfield players. She showed absolutely tremendous composure,” he added.
Curtis is most proud of is his players’ sportsmanship.
“The girls played a brand of soccer that made them a lot of friends. Everybody they played against, even though we beat them up, we beat them up playing properly,” he said.
“As we went into the final, most of the teams that we played against, whether they be Swiss or Icelandic, or wherever they were from, they were all cheering for us, so that was a credit to the girls that they’d done that,” Curtis said.
For information, visit NCESoccer on Facebook or ncesoccer.com. To find out about fall tryouts, where players will be identified for Gothia Cup 2020, go to ncesoccer.com/falltryouts.