The shipping community gathered in Copenhagen in late August for DRB's annual Armada Summer Cup 2024. The seven-a-side football tournament showcased the very best footballing talent from the global shipping industry.

Click here to view the full gallery of photos from the event.

 

Representing Baltic Exchange and the London market were players from five different companies: Jonny O'Sullivan (c) - Rigel Shipping, Henry Moriarty - Lightship, Eddie Abbott - Rigel Shipping, Hakim Gordon - Rigel Shipping, Will Bevan - Lightship, Rory Monk - Windward, Ozan Yildiz - Seapioneer, and Jon Østgård - Fulmar.

The evening before the tournament, the organizers hosted a complimentary bar at Nyhavn, offering industry professionals a fantastic networking opportunity and a chance to assess the competition.

Thanks to the flawless Danish organisation, including from Peter Schau (GAC) and Nils Ole Andersen (Ultrabulk), 13 teams were divided into three groups on event day. The top two teams from each group and two of the best third-placed teams advanced to the knockout stage.

 

Group Stage Matches:

First Match: Belships 2 - 0 Baltic Exchange

The Spanish team, Belships, known for their well-drilled and cohesive play, lived up to their reputation as potential tournament winners. Despite Baltic Exchange dominating large portions of the game, the match concluded with a 2-0 defeat.

Second Match: Navigator Gas 2 - 1 Baltic Exchange

After conceding an early goal, Henry Moriarty equalized for Baltic Exchange, showcasing some excellent football. However, Navigator Gas managed to clinch the win with a cross that unexpectedly found the top corner.

Third Match: Baltic Exchange 6 - 0 MOL

With two strong performances but no points to show for it, Baltic Exchange approached their third game with a knockout mindset. Facing MOL, who had previously beaten Belships 2-0, Baltic Exchange made strategic changes, leading to an impressive 6-0 victory. Star player Henry scored a hat-trick, with Eddie and Hakim also adding to the tally. The solid defense played a crucial role in securing the win.

 

Knockout Stages:

Quarter-Final: Baltic Exchange 2 - 0 Norden

Norden were winners of their group and unbeaten before the game. However, after a long break between the group stages and knockout football, some decided to hydrate themselves with a few beers in between massages. The trick seemed to work, as top goal scorer Henry slotted in two more to send us through to the semi final.          

 

Semi-Final: ZeroNorth 1 - 0 Baltic Exchange

In a closely contested semi-final against the eventual tournament winners, Baltic Exchange put in a valiant effort. A well-executed free kick was the deciding factor in a narrow 1-0 loss.

 

Overall, Baltic Exchange delivered a much-improved performance compared to last year, and with dreams of silverware, they now set their sights on London 2025.