A German under-16 futbol team spent Sunday afternoon watching the Super Bowl 50 at Hennessey’s Tavern in Hermosa Beach. Only a few of the young players were familiar with American football, according to coach Mark Trostel. But Trostel said he was rooting for the Broncos because he admires Peyton Manning. Trostel’s team is called Borussia Monchengladbach and comes from the town of Mönchengladbach, North Rhine-Westphalia.
The team was founded in 1900 and competes in the Bundesliga, the top tier of the German football league system. Players practice four days a week after school and play their matches on  Sundays, Trostel said.
The team has been coming to the U.S. for the past 10 years to participate in the President’s Day weekend Las Vegas Mayor’s Cup. Over 500 youth teams will compete in the event next weekend. The Las Vegas Mayor’s cup is one of the world’s largest youth tournaments.
On Wednesday, prior to going to Las Vegas, the team will play the Galaxy Soccer Club’s under 16 team at the StubHub Center in Carson
Robert Caldwell, a Las Vegas attorney, who has helped host the team for the past 10 years, along with the Las Vegas Rotary Club, arranged the visit to Hennessey’s. The team will also be visiting Universal City, Caldwell said. ER
