Juventus Academy Shanghai's matches last week saw some varied results, and we also had a fun Players vs Parents match on Sunday as well. Here were the results:

U7: 10-0 Win

U8: 6-3 Win

U11: 2-7 Loss

U12: 1-4 Loss

U16: 3-3 Draw

Players v Parents: 7-6 Players

U7

The U7 team had a great game, winning 10-0 against their opponents. The players did well to play cooperative football, passing to each other and taking control of the match. The first goal came from the goalkeeper Gray, who later went out-field to score two more. Luffie and Edoardo also were able to score hat-tricks, while Rafael got one goal also as a goalkeeper. William played very well- his smart pass to Luffie resulted in a beautiful goal. Luffie is a fighter and technically strong, he has a bright future ahead of him. Edoardo, even being the youngest player on the pitch, is an amazing player and a leader. Livia played striker and had good chances in front of the goal, she is improving day by day. Lucas did well to follow the coach’s orders and made some good through passes to attack the opponent’s goal. Ricky has a great spirit, he tries his hardest whichever position he plays. In all, the team is getting better and better, Forza Juve!

U8

For the warmup, the coach gave the U8 team a technical lesson about positioning to open the play. The first half was amazing for the U8, they did everything right in terms of building and were ahead 3-1. Though the second half was not as strong in teamwork, the players showed their individual strengths and the final score was 6-3. McQueen was the key in the attack as usual, scoring 4 of the 6 goals. Francesco and Lucca scored one each, but Lucca could have gotten even more goals as he was a bit unlucky and hit the post twice. Rafael was a solid goalie and played well out-field as well. Mike and Gray were strong on the right and left-wing, pushing the play forward and giving the strikers good chances to score. Dora did well as a striker and fought hard on the pitch to score. Last but not least, Adam was very helpful in the midfield and as the volunteer goalie for the second half. Great job Bianconeri!

U11

The U11 had a tough match which ended up in an uncharacteristic loss for the team. Early in the match, Juve went one goal behind. Even though Jonah’s equalizer brought the team level, the opponent team scored another before the half-time break and Juve saw themselves one goal behind. A drop in stamina led to a difficult second half, which saw the team concede five more and score one. Despite the disappointing result, it is important the team does not lose confidence in themselves as the team is full of talented players, especially strong in the technical. From here on, the team should focus on improving their stamina, as this is often the biggest obstacle in matches. Let’s go Juve, never give up!

U12

The U12 also had a less than ideal result, as the opponent was able to get a three-goal lead by the 50th minute. Hanson’s penalty kick brought one goal back for Juve, but the opponent team widened the gap before the full-time whistle and the match ends 1-4. This match was tough as the opponent ranks first in the division, but Juve fought hard. This weekend is the last match day for Juventus Academy Shanghai before the summer break, let’s win it and put a good conclusion to the season!

U16

The U16 team, though deserving a win, ended their match with a highly controversial 3-3 draw. Juve got off to the right start with a goal from Matthew, but the opponent was able to level by the half-time break. Two goals from Alvaro in the second half brought Juve 3-1 ahead, and it seemed like the team would win this match. However, many confusing calls from the referee eventually turned the game around, allowing the opponent to score two more. The final score is hard to accept for the entire team given the circumstances, but now the team should look ahead to the final match of the season which comes this weekend. Winning this could secure a second place for the team, so let’s focus on what is coming and do our best. Let’s go boys!

PLAYERS VS PARENTS

On Sunday morning, some U9 and U11 families gathered to play a friendly match- Players versus Parents. The Players team also had Coach Radfan on their side. Before the match began, the teams gathered to decide player positions, and soon the match kicked off. The first half saw the Players team dominating the match, having a comfortable 2 to 3 goal lead throughout the game. However, Jonah from the Players team requested a transfer for Coach Radfan to join the Parents team for 10 million, so Coach Radfan took the deal and left. The second half kicked off, and the Parents team started to close the gap in goals. Soon, the score was 6-6, and the team to score the next goal would be the winners of the match. A good combination play from the Players team saw them score the winning goal! 7-6, the Players win! Check out some photos from the match below!