Powell River Villa soccer alumnus Rhys Unger was drafted to play for Team Germany in the Annual Mini World Cup and Heritage Cup tournament held in Edmonton recently.
Unger said he was compelled to join team Germany after he discovered that Brad Kelly, head coach for the Canadian indoor league team he played for, was the coach of this year’s German team.
There were many very good players involved in the tournament, said Unger, which raised the overall level of competitiveness. “I felt that some teams lacked skill,” he said, “but made up for it with their chemistry and work ethic, which pushed us as a team that much more.”
One of Unger’s most memorable moments in the tournament came after Germany had worked its way through the competition to the semifinals. “We had to beat Ireland to get to India,” he said. “I actually missed the game leading up to the semis. I was stuck in my hotel room waiting for word on whether we made it through. I waited and waited and waited. Then the text came: ‘We won. Going to semis.’ I started jumping around like an idiot in my hotel room. I was ecstatic that we made it.”
Following that, Unger said winning the game against India to take Germany to the finals against Canada was another high point. “The atmosphere of the stadium was electric and so incredibly moving,” he recalled. “My team played so well together and everyone performed how we needed to in order to make it happen.” Final score was Germany 0, Canada 3.
Looking back on the competition, he said, “It was rewarding to have the opportunity to play for team Germany. The reward was having the opportunity to play. I’m normally the guy that sits at the door saying ‘good game’ to my team mates as they walk into the change room, so to me the value is in the experience, rather than the reward. It’s just something that naturally happens.”
Unger has played league soccer in Powell River from the time he was four years old. He coached, refereed, and played on numerous teams at almost every level. “I managed to join at a very young age,” he said. “I never missed a year. Later on I joined rep team, school teams, house league, men’s soccer league, and soon after, I played for Villa.”
Other career highlights to date include being short-listed for Team Canada’s under-18 squad. “After that, I went on a trip to Europe with the school team to play with the coaching staff from Manchester City Professional. It was an amazing experience. I have been pushing myself this year to get back into a high level of play. I want to see if I can try for that goal one more time.”
