The
Chance 16 finalists continued their global tour this week in Los Angeles,
Calif., concluding the North America leg with a 4-3 victory over the U.S.
Under-17 Men's National Team. The squad spent their week in Southern California
training under head coach Jimmy Gilligan, working on intense skills and Nike
SPARQ training drills, preparing for matches against the elite academy teams
they will face during their six-week global tour. Players also visited some of
the area's iconic cultural sites like the Hollywood Walk of Fame and Universal
Studios. The team continues the global tour by heading to Turin, Italy for more
training and a match against Juventus.
The
16 finalists benefit from an extended team of elite coaches, nutritionists and
fitness conditioners throughout the tour, to ensure they arrive at each game
focused and in peak condition. Each match represents a chance for players to
catch the eye of leading club coaches in the game.
The
final player selected from the global tour will join the Nike Academy, based at
Loughborough University in the United Kingdom, on March 1 for the remainder of
the season. The Nike Academy plays a series of fixtures against FA Premier
League reserve and academy teams.
Nike’s
The Chance is a unique global talent search that gives amateur footballers the
chance to prove themselves on an elite stage and take their game to the next
level. One player from the 16 finalists on the tour will ultimately join the
Nike Academy – a full-time player academy based in England and supported by the
FA Premier League.
Since
the start of The Chance competition 16 players have turned their participation
into a professional club contract. The most recent, Tom Rogic from Australia,
signed for Scottish Champions Celtic FC and recently played for the Australia
national team.
Aspiring
young players can follow The Chance global tour via Nike’s Football Facebook
page and via @NikeFootball on Twitter.
The 16 finalists on
the tour are as follows:
Ismail
H’Maidat (Belgium), Dario Van Den Buijs (Belgium), Dimitris Komnos (Greece), Marco Vinicius Di
Lauro (Italy), Ryosuke Kinoshita (Japan), Kirill Laptev (Russia), Petar
Golubovic (Serbia), Teboho Charlie Tsotetsi (South Africa), Saifeddine Alami
Bazza (Spain), Gonzalo Balbi (Spain), Bubakary Sonko (Sweden), Jose Figura
(United Kingdom), Brian Iloski (United States), Kevin Salazar Chiquiza
(Colombia), Joel Bravo (Ecuador) and Fernando Canales (Peru).
