END-OF-SEASON PARTY RECAP!

As a celebration of the wonderful season we had here at Juventus Academy Shanghai, an end-of-season party for the 2020-21 Fall Season was held last Sunday on February 7th. With about 150 players, family, and friends joining us for mini-matches, contests, and the awarding ceremony, everyone had a great time. All of our teams performed great, here is a quick recap of our teams and their achievements this season!

U18: 4th in ASAS7 adult league, moved on to a more difficult SIFL 11-a-side league and doing well.

U16: 5th in the league, good performances against teams of higher average age.

U14: 3rd in the league, seven wins in 9 matches.

U13: 2nd in the league, six wins and one draw in 8 matches.

U11: Champions in the league, seven wins in 9 matches.

U8: Champions in the non-competitive division in their age group.

Players began to show up at the venue at 11:30 to take part in matches on the small field. Parents remained in the dining area to socialize and indulge in the Burger Bar and drinks.

At 1 PM, the event officially began with acknowledgment and medal-awarding to Quinn and Raymond, who were unable to join us in the second half of the season due to injury. The U13 team was also invited to the stage to receive their silver medals!

The Academy then formally introduced the team managers to the group, with a Juventus Academy Shanghai scarf as a token of thanks for their help.

As the first edition of our goal celebration contest, we received quite a few submissions from our players! After a compilation of all video clips was played, the winner was announced- Tameem Taka! Take a look at crowd reactions to his contest-winning celebration below. We will continue to hold this contest in the next season, so make sure you start brainstorming your own unique celebration for a chance to win next time!

For the anthem contest, we invited all of our teams to sing the Juventus song- Storia di un Grande Amore. The teams took turns and all tried their best, but it was ultimately the U14 team who won the prize. The winning team was then invited on stage to sing by themselves, and they were awarded a beautiful trophy for their efforts.

Before moving on to the awards, it was now time to test everyone on their knowledge for the Juventus first team! With more than 70 digital players, they competed to see who could most accurately and correctly answer questions about Juve’s players and history. Team Alvfraquirico (Alvaro, Francesco, Quinn, Federico) took first place, answering 18 out of 20 questions correctly.

To recognize some of our very best players, it was now time for the awards. We started with the “Cristiano Ronaldo Certificate” for the top-scorer of the entire academy- Louis Fagon. Louis is from U8, and he scored 29 goals in the league with an additional 25 in friendlies. Congratulations to Louis for his great achievement!

Gray Restroem (U8)

Celestin de Ferrieres (U11)

Leon Zeng (U11)

Federico Cordischi (U16)

Guilherme Jardim (U18)

Federico was absolutely crucial this season, as he not only played with his regular team of U16, but he also filled in as U18’s goalkeeper when Guilherme was injured. He is always a great supporter of the team on the pitch, motivating his teammates no matter how the match is going. He has made many important saves throughout the season, the most recent being a penalty save that allowed the U16 team to remain in a draw against their opponents. As the last line of defense and the first line of attack, Federico’s outstanding cat-like reflexes make him an indispensable member of the team.

Francesco Trazzi (U8)

Tilde Elowson (U11)

Joshua Yoon Greenaway (U13)

Roshan Shakya (U14)

Julien Ripoll (U18)

Amar Samlal (U18)

Joshua is a key player of the team not only as a defender but also as a leader. His reliability helps the team immensely. He is also a very versatile defender, a wall that can stop any attacker that comes his way. He is a defensive threat that can also go up on the pitch and pose an attacking risk as well.

Matthew McCharles (U11)

Jacob Friedman (U13)

Yogo Ogawaji (U14)

Alvaro Nogueira (U14)

Mert Akyazici (U18)

Amit Samlal (U18)

Yogo is a well-rounded midfielder, especially skilled on the technical side. Once he has the ball, it is difficult for the opponent to dispossess him. Always committed and working hard on the pitch, Yogo is crucial on the pitch as he links up the defense and attack, and his excellent vision of the pitch creates great plays for the team.

Louis Fagon (U8)

Jonah Ward (U11)

Toby Nickle (U13)

Matthew Zhou (U14)

Fynn Pahl (U18)

Matthew is a great striker, always high up on the pitch to attack every chance he gets. He is a technical player who can easily dribble past the opponent’s defensive line, and is always a killer threat. This season, he scored 17 goals.

Nominee 1: LUSCIEN YU

Luscien is a very strong defender with great vision on the pitch. He often acts as a starting point from the back to push the entire team to attack. A very well-rounded player, Luscien does not have any significant weaknesses as a player, and this is especially impressive considering his young age of just 9 years old. Even with his excellence, Luscien is an extremely humble player who never stops hustling on the pitch. He has a very bright future ahead of him.

Nominee 2 & Winner: ALVARO NOGUEIRA

Alvaro is an important member of the Academy both on and off the pitch. As a midfielder, he has an important presence as he is able to carry the ball across the field. His powerful long shots are a huge threat to opponents, and he frequently scores goals from outside the penalty area. Alvaro is also a huge supporter and motivator to those around him, always standing up for his team when needed as the captain.

Nominee 3: ELI PAHL

Eli is an artist when it comes to football, as it is always a joy to watch him play on the pitch. His refined abilities in passing and ball control allow him to play in multiple positions, even as a goalkeeper. Among his peers, he is well-loved and trusted, which is always an important factor in team-building and morale.