Teenage Footballers Closer To World Cup Trip

Twelve Teams Of Teenage Footballers One Step Closer To 2006 Fifa World Cup Trip

Twelve teams of teenage soccer players are one step closer to winning a trip to the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Berlin after being named finalists in yesterday's adidas +CHALLENGE qualifier competition in Auckland.

Today at War Memorial Park, Mt Roskill, Auckland, 34 teams from around the country showed their finest skills at adidas +CHALLENGE, a unique five-a-side football tournament for 13-14 year old budding soccer stars.

The twelve finalist teams comprise eight Auckland teams and 1 team each from Nelson, Dunedin, Napier and Hamilton. Their success has earned them a spot in the final on Sunday 14 May in Auckland where they will compete for an all-expenses paid trip for to Berlin, Germany to compete in the +CHALLENGE Junior World Cup competition from 1 - 4 July 2006.

adidas New Zealand Managing Director, Greig Bramwell said that it was great to see the excitement of all of the teams who competed at +CHALLENGE, a unique soccer tournament which was designed to exemplify the passion and inspiration of football to young players around the world.

The competition was fierce and everyone gave it their all. I can't wait until next week's final where the challenging competition format will make an excellent spectacle, Greig said.

The finals consists of three components a five versus five-player match on a large pitch, a three versus three player match on a smaller pitch with four goals, and a one versus one-player match on an even smaller pitch.”

As well as competing in the +CHALLENGE global competition, while in Berlin the young Kiwi hopefuls will also experience the fever of an international football match when they attend a FIFA WC semi-final match.

Former All Whites star and New Zealand soccer legend Wynton Rufer will be managing the winning team and providing overall coaching and training advice.

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