55 elite teams from across the country will compete at the 2006 Nike Friendlies at the IMG Academies campus from December 7 - 10. Top clubs from 20 states including the Fury U17 and U18 Boys Teams along with the U.S. Under-15 Boys’ National Team, teams from the U.S. Under-17 Boys’ National Team and U.S. Under-18 Boys’ National Team, and a Juventus Club Team from Italy will all take part in the event. All teams will compete across the Under-16, Under-17 or Under-18 age groups. Spectators and media are welcome throughout the event. No admission will be charged.
The Nike Friendlies is an annual competition designed to draw the best youth soccer clubs from around the United States to compete at the four-day tournament with the focus on quality soccer and player development, as a result, tournament standings are not kept throughout the tournament. Each team will play four 80-minute games over the four-day tournament.
“For players wanting to be seen competing at an elite level, the Nike Friendlies is the most beneficial youth soccer event in the country,” said U-17 Men’s National Team Head Coach John Hackworth. “The Nike Friendlies has become one of the premier events in the country as it allows for optimal player development against high-quality competition. The advantages the players have taken away from this event over the past four years are tremendous and we are expecting the same will be true this year.”
