U17: Seattle Sounders vs Rangers Football Club Post Match Press Conference 22.02.2025

Seattle Sounders which finished fourth place after losing 1-4 to Rangers FC will bring home some takeaways from the tournament, with the boys being able to learn how to deal with being uncomfortable and facing challenges and adversity at the pitch.

One of the biggest learning as well is for the team to be better as a group where members learn to concede to regroup and quickly not let setbacks affect them, Head Coach Ethan O’Neill told the media at a post-match press conference on Saturday.

Overall O’Neill said the team delivered a decent performance in their final game, and quickly added that it has been an amazing tournament for the boys to experience. It may be noted that Seattle Sounders is participating at the tournament for the first time this year.

“I've seen them come together even more. It's really important to get these experiences if they're gonna become a professional football. Us as coaches have much bigger thing than just developing teams or individual players. You gotta make them try to make them better people first and foremost. To play against other top countries around the world where the tournament like this, with everything else outside the actual football pitch is I say the highest level as possible, if that doesn't give them a taste and a smell for it, I'm sure it does and it can only help create that love for the game,” added O’Neill.   

Also addressing the media, Rangers FC Head Coach Laurence Ellis was thrilled for his team to finish at third place, and added that the boys delivered a brilliant achievement where they displayed hard work and grit at the pitch.

Rangers FC previously won the tournament in 2019, and to be able to come up against big clubs again this year such as Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid was a fantastic achievement and the boys will only go back to Glasgow as better players with new experiences and emotions, said Ellis.

“When they've given themselves that platform, their ability and their talent has an opportunity to shine. We’re thrilled for everyone for what they have achieved. Our priority is to develop our young players individually, and as they get older, they need to come together as a team and learn to win together as a team. We feel that the experience this week has brought them closer to achieving that at a young stage of their careers This tournament has given us a brilliant experience, and if that allows them to progress and become better players and help the national squad and come here to the World Cup, we would be thrilled to have some of them involved in that,” he added.