Nike Friendlies conclude, Day 4 of Showcase

December 6, 2011
 
NIKE INTERNATIONAL FRIENDLIES CONCLUDE AS 2011 DEVELOPMENT ACADEMY WINTER SHOWCASE ENTERS FOURTH DAY 
 
U.S. U-17s Earn First Nike International Friendlies Title with 3-1 Win against Brazil;
 
40 Academy Games Set for Monday in Lakewood Ranch, Fla. 
 
USA DEFEATS BRAZIL TO WIN NIKE INTERNATIONAL FRIENDLIES: In the final match of the 2011 Nike International Friendlies , the U.S. Under-17 Men's National Team defeated Brazil 3-1 to earn its first title. The USA pounded in three first half goals from Rubio Rubin, Tyler Turner and Wesley Wade in front of a boisterous capacity crowd on the Stadium Field at Premier Sports Campus in Lakewood Ranch, Fla. There were no Academy games in the afternoon on Sunday, freeing up the schedule for teams to watch their peers with the U.S. U-17 National Team take on Brazil. It made for a tremendous atmosphere that was memorable for players and fans. The game concluded the ninth edition of the Friendlies, after France and Turkey tied 3-3 earlier in the day.
 
Nike International Friendlies Schedule
Date          Match                   Result    U.S. Goalscorers
Nov. 30    Brazil vs. Turkey    1-0        --
Nov. 30    USA vs. France     2-2       Robinson, Wade
Dec. 2      France vs. Brazil    1-1         --
Dec. 2      USA vs. Turkey     2-1       Turner, Flores
Dec. 4      Turkey vs. France  3-3         --
Dec. 4      USA vs. Brazil       3-1        Rubin, Turner, Wade 
 
SHOWCASE MOVES PAST HALFWAY POINT IN FLORIDA: With the Nike International Friendlies taking top billing, the full Development Academy schedule was played out on a clear Sunday morning in Lakewood Ranch, Fla. Forty games were played at the Premier Sports Campus with teams from both age groups taking the field for their second of three games at the Showcase. The teams who played on Sunday will have a day off Monday, while the teams who play in one of the 38 matches today conclude their schedule of games here in Florida. 

YNT BLOG IN FOCUS - FRIENDLIES FLASHBACK: The ninth edition of the Nike International Friendlies has just concluded and in that time the event has seen its fair share of quality players. In 2008, Brazilian forward Neymar was one of the players for his country's U-17 team at the Friendlies in Lancaster, Calif. The Santos superstar has gone on to build his name and career, earning a nomination for the FIFA Ballon d'Or. Read More at the YNT Blog 
 
EMBRACING THE CHALLENGE OF THE 10-MONTH SEASON: U.S. Men's National Team head coach Jurgen Klinsmann has made no secret of the fact he wants his players to be playing soccer for 10 months out of the year, gaining valuable training time, experience, and building a strong fitness base. Now Development Academy clubs are picking up the 10-month schedule, building skills and fitness while establishing continuity in their training. ussoccer.com spoke to some of the clubs and players who are part of the shift to find out how it's going and how they believe it will have a positive impact. Read More 
Watch the video on ussoccer.com 
 
INCREASED ROLE FOR TECHNICAL ADVISORS: With an increased role in the youth national team programs, U.S. Soccer Development Academy Technical Advisors now have a greater ability to help scout and cultivate elite talent at the youngest level while also preparing themselves to take future roles head coaches. The nine Technical Advisors will all have the chance to coach the U-14 Boys National Team and the U-15 Boys National Team is being coached by U.S. Soccer Director of Scouting Tony Lepore. ussoccer.com found out how this shift will benefit the development of players and coaches. Read More 
 
REFEREE DEVELOPMENT A MAJOR INITIATIVE: The Development Academy Winter Showcase is another great opportunity for referee development as officials are being assessed on a daily basis in a challenging environment while U.S. Soccer seeks to identify promising referees who can move to the next levels. Six different up-and-coming officiating crews took charge of each of the games in the Nike International Friendlies, and the YNT Blog spoke with Alejandro Mariscal about his experience officiating the 1-1 tie between Brazil and France . There have plenty of education opportunities for referees outside of officiating matches. In addition to receiving feedback from referee assessors after each match, there are on-field instructional sessions with professional referees Ricardo Salazar and Terry Vaughn, as well Women's Professional Referee Coordinator Sarah Serafini. In the class room, officials have been able to test their skills in making decisions through an interactive video test produced by FIFA. Overall it's another opportunity for referees to become familiar with the demands required to take their game to the next level. Find Out More at the YNT Blog 
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