The International Football Academy, led by UEFA A Elite coach Nicholas Baldacchino, took part in the International Football Tournament Azores U11, held between the 2nd and 5th of April, in the Azores.
This tournament sees the participation of popular academies from around the world including Sporting CP, FC Porto and Benfica from Portugal, SS Lazio from Italy, FC Copenhagen from Denmark and other interesting academies.
In the group stage, IFA opened against Portuguese side Escola de Futebol ADT in a dramatic match that ended 2-2, with the Maltese side conceding in the final seconds. Their second game was another tough affair against fellow Portuguese outfit AFC Pauleta, which they narrowly lost 1-0. They bounced back brilliantly in their final group match, dominating American side Bayside FC to win 4-1 and secure their place in the Gold Level knockout stage.
In the quarter-final, IFA faced AD Machico, an academy from Madeira, in a tightly fought contest that ended 0-0 after normal time. IFA held their nerve to win on penalties and advance to the semi-finals.
There they met their toughest opponents of the tournament, Danish heavyweights FC Copenhagen. The first half was competitive with Copenhagen leading 1-0, but the Danish side showed their class in the second half to run out 5-1 winners.
In the third and fourth place play-off, IFA faced American side Tri-Town in another closely fought match that finished 0-0, with Tri-Town edging it on penalties.
Overall, it was a hugely positive tournament and, most importantly, another wonderful experience for the young players involved.
