A group of local teens gets a once-in-a-lifetime World Cup experience.

Celia Jiménez here on day 15 of the FIFA World Cup. While many of us are watching the games from home, at a bar, or at the Salinas Regional Soccer Complex, some lucky ones have attended a match at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara. 

Yesterday, June 25, a group of seven teens from the Boys & Girls Clubs of Monterey County had a long day. They left from Seaside at 9:30am to attend the Paraguay versus Australia game in Santa Clara. Some of the teens were flag carriers during the opening ceremony. One of them was Nianti Rojas-Mendoza, who performed the coin toss in front of 68,000 spectators. 

The kids were able to attend thanks to the Coca-Cola Company, which is a BGCMC partner. 

Jonathan Torres Contreras and Elvis Escamilla Martinez, both 14-year-old Seaside residents, were among the teens who attended the match. 

They say they were nervous during the rehearsals, but once it started, “It was just the whole thrill of everything happening, like walking onto the field,” Torres Contreras says. “It wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be,” Escamilla Martinez adds.

Torres Contreras says he was skeptical he would have the opportunity to attend the game. “They gave me all the paperwork and everything, and I was like, ‘Oh, it is for real,’” he says.

Both were on the second level of the stadium and noted they had a great view of the field. “We got pretty good seats,” Torres Contreras says.

Both teens have attended Monterey Bay FC and San Jose Earthquakes games and say the experience is different, despite the scoreless game (Paraguay and Australia tied 0-0). 

“It was a lot more thrilling. The volume. The game was a lot faster. In general, the atmosphere, all the fans chanting for the team, was amazing,” Torres Contreras says.

Each teen received two tickets and could bring someone along. Torres Contreras gave his extra ticket to Escamilla Martinez, who brought his mother and cousin. 

After the game, the group made their way back home and arrived in Seaside at 11:30pm. 

The buzz around the World Cup continues as the knockout rounds take shape. The teams from all hosting nations, Mexico, United States and Canada, have qualified for these rounds while others, including Scotland and South Korea, are waiting to see if they make it to the next round.