A first-class opportunity.
That’s how East Meadow Boys Director Dan Gwyther described his team’s recent experience playing at IberCup in Portugal after qualifying through Elite Clubs Alliance League in 2025.
The 2015 Boys competed in Cascais from March 31-April 7 and competed against professional academies from Portuguese sides FC Porto and Sporting Lisbon as well as Swedish side Djurgardens IF. After the group stage, East Meadow defeated Portuguese teams Olivais Sul and SC Braga before falling to the eventual champions, FC Porto, in the semifinal stage.
“To make it to a semifinal, in a competition of 36 teams with 20 professional teams in there, I think it speaks volumes,” Gwyther said. “The group we were in was arguably the toughest group because three out of the four teams in that group made the semifinals.’
Having a successful run in an international competition showed the boys where they are at in their development in the game, but also will serve as a reminder on the level that is required to keep progressing in the future.
“There are boys that we have that we would like to see down the line, which is eight to ten years down the line, give themselves an opportunity to potentially make a career out of it or go to a really good college and maybe go that pathway of college and then to a professional level,” Gwyther said.
“Bringing them out to Portugal and playing against those top academies, they are right there. There’s not too much between them, I think it re-energized them to keep working hard and knowing what it’s going to take.”
The IberCup provided a mix of competition and culture, as the group enjoyed the sunny skies and food in the coastal climate of Cascais as well as getting opportunities to take in a professional Sporting Lisbon match, a stadium tour of Estádio da Luz, which is home to Benfica, and to train at Benfica’s academy.
Culture was also felt in the atmosphere throughout IberCup and it was an adjustment East Meadow had to make and did.
“It was very loud and proud,” Gwyther said. “Each team had their own fan group…The boys had to deal with that because that’s different than what we’ve experienced in the United States. You’re playing against the opposition, playing in a foreign country against different teams, but also having to absorb and deal with the crowd who were very vocal throughout the game.”
East Meadow is now the second club to compete in Portugal via qualification through ECAL. The Commack Crush featured at IberCup Estoril from June 29-July 5, 2025. The opportunity to take the pathway of progressing through ECAL and playing at IberCup will be top of mind for Gwyther in the future.
“We can’t be more grateful for that and we would like to continue that moving forward,” he said. “Obviously there’s a qualifying route and you have to get there, but should our teams be fortunate enough to go into the competition and be successful and get the opportunity, I don’t think we’ll hesitate in going back. I am and I know the club is extremely grateful for the opportunity that was provided to us.”
Clubs interested in competing in ECAL in the future can find more info here.