Joy and sorrow in the second round of LaLiga FC Futures

Mario Calderón, a journalist from Madrid, covered the second day of the LaLiga FC Futures tournament in Orlando, where the joy of the teams that qualified for the quarter‑finals contrasted with the disappointment of the youngsters who were eliminated and will move to the consolation tournament.

Barcelona advances with a hat‑trick

FC Barcelona overcame an uneven start, stumbling against Betis and Sevilla, to defeat Villarreal convincingly. Forward Destiny Kosiso scored a hat‑trick that led the team to victory. With that win, Barça reaches the quarter‑finals of the LaLiga FC Futures tournament, where they will face Atlético de Madrid.

The Catalan side also saved the “matchball”, consolidating its place among the eight qualifiers. This result puts Barcelona among the favourites to progress in the knockout stage.

Other qualifiers and favourites

River Plate and Real Betis remain unbeaten, making them the main candidates to contest Sunday’s final. Betis, champion of the Brunete edition held in March, continues to display its physical strength in defence. Player Candelá has received numerous votes to be chosen as the tournament MVP.

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Sami Maldonado, River’s winger, also stands out for his lineage, as his grandfather is former player and coach Bernd Schuster.

Atlético de Madrid and Real Madrid met in a clash that highlighted the great parity between the two sides. The match was decided in favour of Atlético de Madrid, who secured the quarter‑final spot. Both teams can meet again in the semi‑finals if they overcome their respective opponents.

On the other side of the bracket, Boca Juniors and River Plate will battle for a semi‑final place. Both teams have arrived in good form, although the striped side appears slightly ahead.

The final quarter‑final clash will be Flamengo against Orlando City, with a strong local crowd. As the host team, Orlando City will play on its own turf, creating a special atmosphere in the stands.