Premier League U-18 Champions Cup
                Hotspur Way, Enfield.
              Friday 5th September 2014

The Premier League held this tournament, which mirrored the one for the Premier League clubs that is played in countries around the World, to publicise the Premier League brand. They invited the top two teams from each of the Academy Leagues. Those teams were Spurs and West Ham from the Southern League, and Everton with Liverpool stepping in for Manchester City. Benfica and Real Madrid were also invited. The teams were split into two groups of three who play each other on the first day with placement games on the second. Because the tournament was played behind closed doors there were no teamsheets available.

          Spurs Squad

1. Thomas Glover
2. Kyle Walker-Peters
3. Joseph Muscatt
4. Luke Amos
5. Christian Maghoma
6. Cameron Carter-Vickers
7. Zenon Stylianidies
8. Lloyd Ross
9. Ryan Loft
10.Shayon Harrison
11.Joseph Pritchard
12.Christopher Paul
13.Luke McGee
14.Anton Walkes
15.Cy Goddard
16.Charlie Hayford
17.Anthony Georgiou
18.Armani Daly
19.Ishmail Azzaoui
20.Marcus Edwards

          Group 1      Group 2
 
         Everton        Benfica
         Real Madrid    Liverpool
         Spurs          West Ham

          Group 1

11am     Everton  v  Real Madrid 
2pm      Everton  v  Spurs
4pm      Spurs    v  Real Madrid

Real Madrid won the opening game 1-0 meaning that Everton needed a win in their second match while Spurs knew that a two goal win would put them in the driving seat.

         Everton   v  Spurs

Spurs Team(4-4-2)(White/Blue) – Glover, Walker-Peters(Paul 37), Maghoma, Carter-Vickers, Muscatt, Amos(Walkes 31), Stylianidies(Hayford 31), Pritchard(Edwards 31), Ross(Goddard 45), Harrison(Daly 31), Loft(Georgiou 45)

Scorers:– Harrison 8, Loft (pen) 11, 27, Ross 30+1, Carter-Vickers 51

Spurs lined up with Glover in goal behind Maghoma and Carter-Vickers with Walker-Peters at right back and Muscatt on the left. Amos anchored the midfield at the base of a diamond with Stylianidies on the right and Pritchard on the left and Ross behind the front pair of Harrison and Loft.

The diamond seemed to catch Everton out as they are normally a strong defensive side that last season won the league scoring around a goal a game.

Walker-Peters put in an early cross that Loft hit over, before Pritchard forced the first save of the game. A minute later, Spurs were in front when Walker-Peters got down the right exchanging passes with Loft to whip in a low cross. Harrison got in front of his marker to meet the ball at the near post and turned it inside the far post.

Loft collected a ball on the left and beat the keeper with a low drive that hit the far post going for a corner. Maghoma headed over from the corner. Spurs were awarded a penalty when Walker-Peters made a driving run into the area. Loft stepped up to score to the right of the keeper to double Spurs lead. Loft found the net again with a cracking volley from a cushioned pass by Ross that was ruled out for offside.

Harrison had an effort go wide for a corner before Loft was gifted his second. The "Toffees"' keeper tried to chip a back pass over the striker but mis-hit it, allowing the Spurs striker to notch his second. Ross played Harrison in for a chance that was blocked for a corner. Spurs got a fourth from a corner by Pritchard that found its way to the far post where Ross turned it in just before the half-time whistle.

Spurs made four changes for the second half as they switched to 4-3-3. Paul replaced Amos as the anchor while Stylianidies gave way to Hayford in midfield while Edwards, making his first appearance, replaced Pritchard in the front line. Daly took over from Harrison on Loft's left.

Everton had their first chance when a corner was fired over in the 35th minute. Walker-Peters crossed for Daly but his effort was blocked for a corner from which Ross headed over. Walkes came on for Walker-Peters before Everton pulled a goal back when they scored from the edge of the area.

Everton had another effort fly over the bar before Spurs made another two changes. Goddard replaced Ross in midfield and Georgiou came on for Loft for the last fifteen minutes. Edwards played in Daly on the left to draw a save. Georgiou ran onto a long pass by Walkes and forced the keeper to save for a corner. Carter-Vickers headed in Goddard's corner to make it 5-1. Glover had to make a save before Daly had the last chance hitting the underside of the bar from a tight angle and seeing the ball bounce up off the line.

         Spurs  v  Real Madrid

Spurs(4-3-3) (All Black) – McGee, Walkes, Maghoma, Carter-Vickers, Walker-Peters, Goddard, Amos, Pritchard(Stylianidies 48), Azzaoui(Daly 48), Harrison, Georgiou(Loft 40)

Scorer:– Harrison 46

Booked:– Harrison 13(Foul), Amos 43(Foul), Walkes 54(Foul), Harrison 56(2nd yellow), Loft 60+1(Foul)

Sent off:– Harrison 58

Real Madrid(4-3-3)

Scorer:– Dorado 90+2

Booked:– Bas 21(Foul), No.6 52(Foul), No.5 55(Foul), Bas 57(2nd Yellow)

Sent off:– Bas 57

In the group decider Spurs lined up with McGee in goal behind Maghoma and Carter-Vickers with Walkes at right back and Walker-Peters on the left. Amos anchored the midfield trio with Goddard and Pritchard while Loft led the line with Harrison and Georgiou.

The game was played mainly in the midfield with early efforts from the Spanish off target before Azzaoui put in a dangerous centre. Harrison was booked for a challenge that saw the victim dive theatrically.

Georgiou had two efforts in a minute from the right corner of the area. The first was a volley that was cleared off the line and the second was turned over the bar by the keeper. Bas picked up a yellow for a foul on Pritchard before McGee had a simple save near the end of the half.

Real made a couple of changes for the second half which started much as the first did. Georgiou drew a save before McGee saved from Mario. After Real went wide Spurs made their first change with Loft replacing Georgiou. Amos was booked for a foul on the edge of the area from which the free kick was curled wide.

Spurs took the lead when Harrison headed home a free kick by Goddard. Stylianidies came on for Pritchard and Daly replaced Azzaoui. The whole complexion of the game changed with the goal as the Spanish began to look for trouble with niggly fouls and other spoiling tactics.

After a player was booked for a foul on Daly there was a bout of pushing between the players which saw Walkes booked then another Madrid player went into the book, before Harrison was booked for an off the ball scuffle. I was sure Shayon had been booked in the first half but the referee did not produce a red.

Walker-Peters made a run down the left before being stopped by Bas who was booked for a second time and shown a red card by the referee. The Real coach called the ref's attention to the fact that Harrison was still on the field having been booked twice upon which the ref showed the Spurs striker a yellow followed by the red and sent him off.

With both sides down to ten we got back to football with Stylianidies firing over before Loft was booked tussling with a defender. A slip in midfield allowed Real to break through on goal. McGee made a save but only succeeded in pushing the ball into the path of Dorado who fired in to draw the Spanish team level. That's how the game finished. The draw means that Spurs top the group having scored more goals than Madrid and meet Benfica, who won both their games in Group 2.

        Group 1            Group 2
Everton 0 Real Madrid 1    Liverpool 0 West Ham 2
Everton 1 Spurs 5          West Ham 0 Benfica 1
Spurs 1 Real Madrid 1      Liverpool 0 Benfica 2

Tomorrow (Saturday 6th September, 2014) Liverpool play Everton for the wooden spoon while West Ham take on Real Madrid for third place before Spurs play Benfica in the final.

Ray

· U-18 Champions Cup Final (Spurs beat Benfica) - 06.09.14

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