Melbourne City’s Under-15 academy squad enjoyed an unforgettable trip to Europe that featured a win over Manchester City and a draw with Real Madrid as the Australian prospects went toe-to-toe against some of the world’s best.
The Isuzu UTE A-League academy side spent a fortnight in Europe, where they participated in the prestigious Malmo Trophy in Sweden and finished sixth.
WONDERKID WATCH: Aussie son of a gun goes berserk in NPL masterclass for the ages
“Ultimately, we didn’t bring home the trophy, but the boys performed extremely well against some of the best youth opposition in the world,” said City’s head of academy Simon Zappia.
“They showcased the quality of football they can play and beautifully demonstrated our City style of play.
“The individuals within the team certainly displayed their qualities and showed that they can not only match it with some of the best youth players in the world, but exceed the levels of many of the top players in Europe. We’re extremely proud of how we went about it.”
Image source: Melbourne City
Before that international tournament, City’s youngsters prepared with a pair of friendlies against sister club Manchester City and Bolton Wanderers in the UK.
They kicked things off with a 7-1 rout of a Manchester City Select Squad as teenage sensation Akeem Gerald – who has been one of the standouts for Alessandro Diamanti’s senior academy side in VPL1 this season – and Luka Demuth starred.
INTERVIEW: Auckland FC don’t have youth teams. Instead, they’re powering 18 clubs to produce the next gen
INSIDE AUCKLAND FC’S TRANSFER PLANS: ‘Biggest challenge’ clear as global search begins
That was followed by a 5-2 win against the Bolton Wanderers Academy – headlined by Dhillan Calleja’s four-goal haul.
“It was a wonderful experience for all involved and something the players and staff will take plenty of learnings from across our time in Manchester and then the tournament in Malmo,” said Zappia.
Image source: Melbourne City
Image source: Melbourne City
City then jetted off to Sweden for the Malmo Trophy, where they went down to hosts Malmo FF 1-0.
A goal from Calleja helped City bounce back against Greek giants Olympiacos 1-0.
In their next game against Switzerland’s Young Boys, Harley Truong scored in a 1-1 draw.
Then in the final group-stage fixture, City earned a 1-1 draw against the might of Real Madrid – Thomas Nasso’s late equaliser ensuring the points were shared in a tense showdown.
SEASON REPORT CARDS
PART ONE: Your Isuzu UTE A-League side’s season rated
PART TWO: Your Isuzu UTE A-League side’s season rated
PART THREE: Your Isuzu UTE A-League side’s season rated
Image source: Melbourne City
In a fifth-place play-off with France’s Toulouse, City were beaten 3-2 on penalties following a goalless stalemate despite two saves from goalkeeper Jenson Gumbleton.
“A special thank you to everyone in the City Football Group who helped us before and during our time in Manchester. It was brilliant for the boys to be able to stay and live like professionals out of the City Football Academy,” Zappia added.
“These kinds of experiences are something we want to give the players.
“Over the coming years, they’re not only going to go into youth national team setups, but also hopefully go on to travel with our first team – not just interstate, but to tournaments like the AFC Champions League where they’ll have to prepare and perform under pressure.”