Marine AFC Under-18s tour the USA
The Marine AFC Under-18s returned from their two-week tour of the United States with silverware, lifelong memories and new opportunities to achieve college scholarships.
The young Mariners travelled to Utah and Nevada as part of a 70-strong party of players and staff from the Under-15s to Under-18s age groups at 7 Elite Academy in Liverpool.
They fought off strong opposition to take first place at the 7 Elite Academy International Tournament in Utah, before reaching the final of the Las Vegas Mayor’s Cup and College Showcase.
Anthony Godfrey, 7 Elite Academy Global Director, said: “This tour was a fantastic opportunity for these players to experience new cultures in football and education.
“Their performances in the 7 Elite Academy International Tournament were exemplary and they fully deserved to win the title after a tightly fought final.
“It was the same case in the Las Vegas Mayor’s Cup, where the international opposition was equally strong, especially in the final rounds.
“In the semi-final, they were 3-0 down at half time and staged a brilliant fight back to win 4-3. None of us will ever forget that second half performance.”
As part of 7 Elite Academy’s Player Pathway, the academy runs and trains Marine AFC’s Under-23s and Under-18s weekend Academy teams.
The players also toured Utah Tech University in St George, where they met D1 College Men’s Soccer Head Coach Jonny Broadhead to discuss future scholarship opportunities.
Anthony added: “We are determined to give our players every chance to play football in the United States and gain college scholarships.
“We have a long-running partnership with Utah Tech and have worked with their staff for many years. Jonny offered the players some great advice on working with college coaches.
“The tour of Utah Tech was also an opportunity for our Under-16s and Under-15s players to get vital knowledge of how the college recruitment process works.
“It was also notable how many college coaches were present at the Las Vegas Mayor’s Cup, where our players generated a lot of interest from recruiters.”
7 Elite Academy has a long record of players progressing to play college football in the United States, with others enjoying trials with professional clubs and academies.