2010 Development Academy Winter Showcase and Nike International Friendlies Set for Dec. 1-7 in Phoenix, Ariz.

The 2010 Development Academy Winter Showcase and Nike International Friendlies will be held from Dec. 1-7 at the Reach 11 Sports Complex in Phoenix, Ariz. All 78 Academy clubs will be on hand for three games of non-Conference play alongside the Under-17 Men’s National Teams from the U.S., Brazil, Korea Republic and Turkey.

• U.S. U-17 MNT will Face Korea Republic on Dec. 1, Brazil on Dec. 3 and Turkey on Dec. 5 Live on Fox Soccer Channel
• Reach 11 Sports Complex Will Host the Event for Second-Consecutive Year
• All 78 Development Academy Clubs to Play a Total of 236 Games from Dec. 3-7

CHICAGO (Nov. 4, 2010) – The 2010 Development Academy Winter Showcase and Nike International Friendlies will be held from Dec. 1-7 at the Reach 11 Sports Complex in Phoenix, Ariz. All 78 Academy clubs will be on hand for three games of non-Conference play alongside the Under-17 Men’s National Teams from the U.S., Brazil, Korea Republic and Turkey.

Fox Soccer Channel will televise all three of the U.S. U-17 MNT games, starting with the match against Korea Republic on Dec. 1, Brazil on Dec. 3 and Turkey on Dec. 5, with all three games kicking off at 5 p.m. local time (7 p.m. ET). For the first time, the six-game round-robin event will be played as a tournament and crown a champion. It will be one of the last events for Wilmer Cabrera’s team ahead of the 2011 CONCACAF U-17 Championship in February.

The event in Phoenix will mark the eighth Nike International Friendlies, previously called the Nike National Team Friendlies, since 2003. The U.S. U-17 MNT has participated in all eight competitions while Brazil will be appearing for the sixth time.
T
he Reach 11 Complex will host the Winter Showcase for the second-consecutive year, with 18 fields, all equipped with lights, hosting as many as 60 games in a single day.

• Complete U-15/16 Schedule
• Complete U-17/18 Schedule

During an off day from international play in Phoenix, four Development Academy Select Teams will be featured on Saturday afternoon. Two teams of players born in 1992 and 1993 will play each other at 1:30 p.m., followed by two groups of players born in 1994 and 1995 at 3:30 p.m.

Select Teams are made up of Academy players chosen by youth national team coaches and U.S. Soccer Technical Advisors. They will have the opportunity to play alongside some of the top players in their age group in front of youth national team coaches, Technical Advisors, national team scouting network and hundreds of college coaches from across the country. In the past, professional scouts from Major League Soccer and foreign clubs have also been in attendance. All of the players are age-eligible to compete in the 2011 CONCACAF U-20 Championship in April, and players born on or after Jan. 1, 1994, are eligible for the 2011 CONCACAF U-17 Championship in February.

All 242 games will be filmed by Hi-Pod, with DVDs of each game available to teams for technical analysis along with statistical breakdowns provided by ProZone for long-term performance analysis. Additional technical and educational opportunities will include SPARQ testing for each club on its off day and the implementation of Gatorade’s G Series at each game. Additional opportunities for Development Academy coaches and referees will also be available throughout the weekend.

U.S. Soccer will once again be on hand to provide complete coverage of the 2010 Development Academy Winter Showcase and Nike International Friendlies. Photos, videos and Studio 90 updates will be available on ussoccer.com.

Since its launch in the fall of 2007, the Academy has provided an increased focus on training and player development by providing a clear connection between the U.S. national teams and more than 4,000 young players across the country. Top youth coaches and players have direct access to U.S. Soccer staff on a regular basis through the structured programming overseen by U.S. Soccer Youth Technical Director Claudio Reyna.

The Academy also provides opportunities for the country’s top referees to be identified and trained in a positive learning environment under the direction of U.S. Soccer’s Referee Department.