Six Boys. One Unforgettable European Adventure.

When Braintree’s six young travellers gathered at London St Pancras on Friday morning, there was a European adventure ahead of them.

By Sunday evening, they had experienced eight matches, a nerve-shredding penalty shoot-out, the roar of a crowd cheering them on and the feeling of standing together with runners-up medals around their necks.

Conor, Reiss, Harry, Max, Ronnie and Beau returned from the Squadra Futsal Kids Cup in Mouscron with a trophy, new friendships and plenty to be proud of.

They also came home knowing just how close they had come to winning it.

Friday: finding their feet in Belgium

The journey took the squad from London to Lille by Eurostar, then across the border into Belgium by minibus.

For a group already bonded through years of training and a summer trip to Italy, it was another opportunity to explore, compete and learn together.

Their tournament began with a 0–0 draw against Wattrelos Futsal. Braintree then earned their first victory, beating Squadra Mouscron 2 by 2–1, with Harry and Reiss on the scoresheet.

Friday’s final fixture brought familiar faces: their friends from City of Peterborough Futsal Centre. Max scored in a 1–1 draw, completing an unbeaten opening day.

The teams would meet again before the weekend was over—with rather more at stake.

Saturday: learning, responding and moving forward

Braintree started Saturday with a 3–0 victory over FC Sarreguemines. Max scored twice, with Harry adding the other goal.

A 2–0 defeat against Squadra Mouscron 1 followed, with both goals coming from kick-ins. Braintree conceded nothing from open play, but two set pieces proved decisive—a lesson they would take into Sunday’s rematch with the hosts.

Their response came in the next match. Ronnie struck twice and Harry once as Braintree beat Montigny 3–1, finishing their opening six fixtures with three wins, two draws and one defeat.

Across two busy days, all six players had played their part. They had faced different opponents, adapted to unfamiliar surroundings and learned what it took to compete in a noisy tournament atmosphere.

Now they had a semi-final to prepare for. And waiting for them were Squadra Mouscron 1—the team that had beaten them on Saturday.

Sunday’s semi-final: a game to remember

Before Sunday’s rematch, Jack sat down with the players and a laptop to review the two kick-ins that had cost them goals in the group game. Together, they looked at what had happened and how to defend those situations differently.

The boys then took that lesson onto the court. Against the same opponents, under semi-final pressure, they applied what they had learned and stopped the kick-in routines that had hurt them the day before.

For Jack, seeing such young players understand the detail and put it into action was one of the proudest moments of the weekend.

“That semi-final win against Squadra, in their own backyard, will go down as one of my favourite games for a long while,” said Jack.

“The fact the boys took on the tactical information I gave them and then went out and executed it the way they did was so pleasing to see as a coach.”

Harry scored Braintree’s goal, and with the match finishing 1–1, a place in the final would be decided by penalties.

Conor saves. Rocket Ron finishes.

Around the court, Braintree had quite a following.

Their parents were joined by friends from England: the City of Peterborough and West Yorkshire Under-9, Under-11 and Under-13 groups, all helping create a memorable atmosphere for six boys a long way from home.

Beau scored. Harry scored.

Then Conor saved a Squadra penalty, giving Braintree their opportunity.

Up stepped Ronnie.

Rocket Ron scored the winner—and ran straight into the large crowd to celebrate.

Braintree had won the shoot-out 3–2. The team that had beaten them the previous day had been overcome, and the boys were through to a European tournament final.

Conor was named semi-final MVP, recognition of a performance that included a decisive contribution when his team needed it most.

The final: three down, but still believing

The final brought another meeting with City of Peterborough, following Friday’s closely contested draw.

This time, Braintree found themselves with a mountain to climb.

Two costly errors contributed to a 3–0 deficit, leaving the boys facing a difficult half-time conversation. They regrouped, took on the challenge and returned determined to give themselves a chance.

Max scored to make it 3–1.

Then captain Reiss produced a moment worthy of the occasion: a superb free-kick that brought Braintree back to 3–2.

Suddenly, the final was within reach again.

The boys kept pushing, but the clock ran out before they could find an equaliser. Peterborough held on to win the cup, with Braintree finishing one goal short after a spirited second-half response.

Reiss received the final’s MVP award, capping a captain’s performance with a memorable goal.

Congratulations to our friends from Peterborough

Braintree congratulate City of Peterborough Futsal Centre on their tournament victory.

The clubs shared two close matches in Belgium, as well as support from the sidelines throughout the weekend. They are due to see one another three more times before the end of 2026—more opportunities to compete, learn and continue those friendships.

The final had one winner, but the connections made around the court will last beyond the result.

More than eight matches

For Jack, the pride extended to every player—and to how the boys represented Braintree away from the court.

They faced strong opponents, noisy crowds and unfamiliar challenges. They supported one another through the difficult moments and celebrated their successes together.

The weekend gave them chances to listen, adapt, take responsibility and be brave. It also gave them something equally valuable: shared experiences that will become part of their friendships long after the scores are forgotten.

“I’m honestly so happy with every single one of them,” said Jack. “You should all be super proud of your sons this weekend, both on and off the court.”

To the parents: thank you

Trips like this depend on families.

From the early Friday journey to the final whistle on Sunday, the parents committed their time, money and energy to giving the boys this opportunity.

They helped make the travel possible. They supported the team through every result. And when the semi-final reached its most tense moments, they were part of the crowd waiting to celebrate with them.

Braintree Futsal Club thanks every parent for that commitment, encouragement and trust.

The trophy and medals belong to the players. The memories belong to everyone who made the journey with them.

Proud of how far we’ve come. Hungry for the next step.

Finishing runners-up at a European tournament is a significant achievement for this young squad.

It is also motivation.

The boys have felt how close they can get. They have recovered from a group-stage defeat to beat the same opponents in a semi-final, held their nerve in a shoot-out and fought back from three goals down in a final.

They return to training with more experience, greater belief and a clear ambition to go one step further.

As Jack told the families afterwards:

“Finishing runners-up at a European tournament is a massive achievement, but I know I’m exactly the same as the boys—we want to go one step further.

“We’ve come so close, and now we know what we’re capable of.”

Six boys. European runners-up. A weekend to remember—and plenty still to come. 💙

Braintree’s weekend in results

Friday: Braintree 0–0 Wattrelos Futsal.

Friday: Braintree 2–1 Squadra Mouscron 2. Goals: Harry, Reiss.

Friday: Braintree 1–1 City of Peterborough. Goal: Max.

Saturday: Braintree 3–0 FC Sarreguemines. Goals: Max ×2, Harry.

Saturday: Braintree 0–2 Squadra Mouscron 1.

Saturday: Braintree 3–1 Montigny. Goals: Ronnie ×2, Harry.

Semi-final: Braintree 1–1 Squadra Mouscron 1; Braintree won 3–2 on penalties. Goal: Harry. Shoot-out scorers: Beau, Harry, Ronnie.

Final: Braintree 2–3 City of Peterborough. Goals: Max, Reiss.

Tournament goals: Harry 4 · Max 4 · Reiss 2 · Ronnie 2. Shoot-out penalties are listed separately from match goals.

Semi-final MVP: Conor. Final MVP: Reiss.

Read how the boys’ Belgian adventure began.

Photos courtesy of the Braintree U9 parents.

Have a question about this story? Contact the club.