FCBARCELONA.CAT

Promising future

With the return of the Barça Sorli Discau reserve team to the National 1st Division, the B team ended a remarkable season. Àlex Segura’s side worked hard at a level (1st Catalan) that was too low for them.

The side progressed well and promotion was secured with several games in hand. They ultimately finished top of the category’s Group B, and champions at the level. Once into the Final Four, they beat Reus Ploms in the semi final (0-6), and Palafrugell in the final (5-6).

The juniors and infantils also did well. The junior team coached by Eduard Castro, who were champions of Catalunya (in a final against Tordera) and second in Spain (losing by a golden goal to the same club). The juniors had twice the work to do this year, as the same players also made up the 1st Catalan team. This worked wonders for their gaining of experience. The juniors developed solidly, and the side was unbeaten in the regular season (they only drew one game with Sitges), and therefore went into the end season in very healthy condition.

The infantils, led by Òscar González, became champions of Spain against Maçanet and finished second in Catalunya (losing to the same team). They dominated the season, finishing unbeaten, and were also the highest scorers and had the strongest defence, and in the second phase only dropped one point. This gave the younger players the chance to experience fast, winning hockey.

In the Catalonian championship in Maçanet, they won a tight game 4-3. But the infantils were more dominant in the Spanish Championship despite facing a tough semi final against Igualada, which they won 5-3, and a final that was won 7-3 against Shum Maçanet.

To end a great year, three of the infantil side coached by Marc Julià, Guillem Fox and David Martínez played for Catalonia in the autonomous championship, and won that by beating Asturias in the final, 5-3.

The downside of the season was the elimination of the juvenil side from the first round of the Catalan Championship. Francesc Linares’s side beat Voltregà 1-2 in the first leg, but that was insufficient against such an experienced rival. The side from Sant Hipòlit qualified fourth in Group D and that meant they met the winners of Group B, which was Barça. Barça lost 0-2 to Voltregà, who had players of 1st National level in these games. Ultimately, Barça Sorli Discau juvenil finished ninth in the championship with 12 points, twice as many as tenth placed Cornellà.