Desportivo Brasil Win Milk Cup

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Brazil-based Desportivo Brasil, sister club of the Fort Lauderdale Strikers, have won the 2012 Milk Cup Premier Final. The team defeated Newcastle 3-0 on goals from Bruno Conceicao, Aguilar Oliveira and Caio Ramalho to take home the prestigious title.

The Milk Cup is contested each year in Northern Ireland and features three simultaneous tournaments named Premier, Elite and Junior. Strikers midfielder Conor Shanosky was a member of the Milk Cup Elite winning U.S. side in 2010 and remembers the time well.

"My experience in the Milk Cup in 2010 was amazing," said Strikers midfielder Conor Shanosky. "The competition was very good and we were fortunate to earn the title when we beat Northern Ireland in the final."

Desportivo Brasil's game-winning goal scorer, Conceicao also scored a hat-trick in the tournament's preliminary stage. He finished with six goals in the tournament, just one behind the golden boot winner Zach Clough of Bolton Wanderers.

The team celebrated the title following a tradition which has been in place for the tournament's 30-year history and one Shanosky knows well.

"When you win, the celebration is really cool. They bring out a ton of milk cartons and everyone on the team pours milk on each other. It was fun to watch guys chasing everyone to dump milk all over them," said Shanosky.

The Milk Cup was founded in 1983 by Jim Weir, Victor Leonard, George Logan and Bertie Peacock, one of the most famous players from the region, with sixteen teams participating at an Under 16 level. Motherwell were the first winners of the youth tournament.

The tournament extended in 1985 when the Junior level was introduced and the first champions were Rangers from Scotland.

The competition at both levels has grown in size and stature over the years, with teams increasingly travelling from all continents to compete. The Elite group was introduced in 1995 with the Welsh finishing the tournament as winners.

Many current international soccer players have taken part in the Milk Cup, players such as Charlie Davies, Jonathan Spector, Paul Scholes, and Wayne Rooney have all competed at some level in the Milk Cup. In the 2002 FIFA World Cup there were 30 Milk Cup veterans playing.