11 April 2011
Destination: Dallas
Lewisham College Football Academy Head to America
Lewisham College's football team are heading to Dallas, USA,
this spring to take part in the biggest international youth
tournament in the world.
The group of Football Academy students will be jetting off on
Thursday to take part in the world class football competition where
they will brush shoulders with top teams from all over the globe
while playing in front of professional scouts and thousands of
spectators.
The Lewisham lads have been drawn against American teams
Andromeda USSF U17/18 Academy, Riverside MGFM and Roadrunners and
will play their first game on Sunday 17 April 2011. The competition
will finish on 24 April 2011.
On average 180 teams participate in the invitation only Dallas
Cup each year. Teams are selected for invitation based on their
competitive performance.
The Football Academy students will have the chance to experience
true Texan hospitality as the Dallas Cup HomeStay Program offers
the players free accommodation with local families from Dallas
where they can bond over a shared love of the beautiful game.
Captain and striker Haydn Ankle, 19, is going to Dallas for the
second time. He said: "Getting to play at the Dallas Cup is a big
deal. The standard of football out there is really high and you get
to play against other international teams and learn different
styles of play. There are opportunities if you play well: you never
know who might be watching."
Lewisham College Football Academy Head Coach Dan Thomas added: "The
quality of the organisation, facilities and standard of play at the
Dallas Cup is second to none and this year we will be playing on
the same pitches as the youth teams of Arsenal and FC
Barcelona.
"We are the only College in the UK that competes and our overall
aim is to win the tournament. The players should take confidence
from reaching the final of the FCYA League Cup this season where we
have demonstrated our ability to cope with high-level pressure
games.
"The Dallas Cup is fantastic for the players: it will be an
experience that they will never forget."
Follow the team's progress
here.