“The best performance by a youth team I've seen in Qatar,” is how ASPIRE Head Football Coach Michael Browne described his team’s play during the first half of one of two specially arranged matches between the Doha based Academy for Sports Excellence and the Under-14 national team from world champions Brazil.
The sides met at ASPIRE, an unrivalled academy for both sporting and educational development in the region and, indeed, the world, during a recent visit by a Brazilian delegation as part of an initiative aimed at forging links between ASPIRE and the Confederacao Brasileira de Futebol (CBF), the governing body of football in Brazil.
In the opening encounter, which Brazil won 0-2, the ASPIRE boys came under enormous pressure from a technically gifted and physically strong side. Some early reorganisation helped yet Brazil scored twice before the break, though the hosts refused to give in.
ASPIRE came out strongly after half time but, despite chances for both sides in a much more even half, there was no further scoring.
Of ASPIRE's spirit and commitment, Browne commented: “When I first arrived I saw teams cave in when things went wrong and that's something we've worked on over the last year and a half. They are now mentally much stronger and getting better all the time.”
ASPIRE took heart from their creditable showing and when the teams met again two days later there was a real belief in the way they approached the game and they had the better of an entertaining first half.
As the game progressed ASPIRE grew in confidence and created a number of goal scoring opportunities. But it was Brazil who went ahead in the second half, eventually scoring three times.
Once more ASPIRE did not get downhearted and, late on, Osman Hassan Elaagib sprinted between two defenders to shoot low past the Brazilian goalkeeper. Hopes of a draw were raised when John Benson rose in a crowded penalty area to head home a deep cross to give ASPIRE further reward for their impressive play as the game ended 2-3.
Browne said: “We were really excellent – the best performance I've seen by a youth team since I've been in Qatar; in the first half we were magnificent. We had the best chance to score and if we had it would have been interesting to see what would have happened.”
“Going three goals down didn't reflect the pattern of the game,” suggested Browne. “I was pleased we got two goals because it gave the scoreline a more accurate reflection of what had happened on the pitch.
“At this age the result doesn't matter; it is how they perform. And they've taken a lot of pride, credit and belief out of that first half performance which will stand them in very good stead in the future.”
Photo caption: Coining in – The captains of ASPIRE and Brazil contest the toss after exchanging pennants.
ASPIRE, the Academy for Sports Excellence, is a world-class organisation that aims to identify, educate and train world-class athletes to compete in professional sports at the highest levels. ASPIRE provides unparalleled facilities, including every educational and recreational tool an elite student athlete could need, advanced dormitories, an amphitheatre, lecture halls, seven outdoor football training fields, and state-of-the-art weight rooms and physiotherapy. The Academy is distinguished by a philosophy which aims to develop the whole student, providing them with full academic and sports development so that they have the widest possible range of opportunities in adult life.
