This year the Crossfire Boy’s U-16 and U-17 teams have received the highly coveted invitations to US Soccer’s Nike Friendlies. This is all the more special because once again they were the only teams from the Northwest to achieve this honor.

The U.S. Soccer’s Nike Friendlies is an annual competition in which the best youth soccer clubs around the United States in the U-16, U-17 and U-18 age divisions are invited to the IMG Academy in Bradenton, FL, for a high-level four-day event which stresses quality soccer and player development over wins and losses. Standings are not kept during the competition, in which each team plays four 80-minute games over the four days.

“For players wanting to be seen competing at an elite level, the Nike Friendlies is the most beneficial youth soccer event in the country,” said U-17 Men’s National Team Head Coach John Hackworth. “The tournament allows for optimal player development against high-quality competition. The Nike Friendlies has grown every year because the buzz from teams leaving the event is focused on the fact that you cannot get this type of competition anywhere else. And the 2005 event is stepping it up to yet another level.”

The US National team coaches use this event to scout players from across the country and have historically added members to the youth national teams based on their performance at the Nike Friendlies. Furthermore, Nike brings in college coaches from all the Nike programs and others from across the country. Most Division I programs send representatives to scout the tremendous talent pool that plays at this event.

Because soccer recruiting budgets are limited and most of the top programs are east of the Mississippi this is one of the best, if not the only opportunity many of our Washington State players will have to perform directly in front of these schools. Last year Crossfire player, Hunter Joslin from Eastlake HS in Sammamish, WA, was seen for the first time by Georgetown University. This resulted in him eventually attending this top university.

With 67 teams participating, the competition has more than tripled in size since 19 teams competed in the inaugural Nike Friendlies in 2001. The event has become highly anticipated by clubs and college coaches because of the emphasis on quality soccer and the top-level competition.

Australia’s U-17 Men’s National Team’s participation marks the fourth consecutive appearance by an Under-17 international team at the Nike Friendlies, after Brazil competed in 2003 and Finland in 2002.

U.S. Soccer will host a Coaching Symposium and a Premier Referee Academy as part of the Nike Friendlies extended weekend. The Coaching Symposium will last two days starting Dec. 3 and features sessions led by U-17 Men’s National Team Coach John Hackworth, U.S. Men’s National Team Head Coach Bruce Arena, U.S. Soccer’s Director of Advanced & International Referee Development Esse Baharmast and U.S. Men’s National Team Strength and Conditioning Coach Pierre Barrieu. More information about the symposium is available at ussoccer.com.

With the increase in the number of teams, U.S. Soccer’s Premier Referee Academy at the Nike Friendlies has also expanded to 32 referees, up from 15 in 2003. The Academy is a chance for referees to be evaluated while learning what it takes to advance and work at the game’s highest levels. A select number of referees will be chosen to work the MLS Combine and, from there, individual officials may be invited to join U.S. Soccer’s referee pool for the professional level.

Two U.S. U-17 Men’s National Teams will represent the United States as the 40 players from the residency program will continue to be split into teams. Traditionally, the teams have been divided by age according to the birth year of a majority of the players from the senior and junior class in the residency program. The U.S. Under-17 ‘88 Men’s National Team recently recorded a 3-1 win over Canada’s U-17 Men’s National Team in October in Sunrise, Florida.

In 2004, Eddie Gaven, Ed Johnson and Oguchi Onyewu all earned their first cap, joining Landon Donovan, DaMarcus Beasley and Bobby Convey as U-17 Residency Program graduates who have moved on to play for the full U.S. Men’s National Team. The current group of U-17 athletes is focused on qualifying for the 2005 U-17 World Championship, which will be held in Peru in September 2005.