UEFA Champions Youth League 2016-17
          Hotspur Way, Bulls Cross, Enfield
          Wednesday 14th September 2016, 2pm

               SPURS     v     AS MONACO
            (White/Blue)     (Blue/White)
              4-2-3-1           4-2-3-1

                 2(1)             3(2)

  Alfie Whiteman(GK)     1     Loic Mukinayi Badiashile(GK)
       Timothy Eyoma     2     Yannis N'Gakoutou-Yapende
         Tariq Hinds     3     Julien Serrano
  Kyle Walker-Peters     4     Safwan Mbae
    Jonathan Dinzeyi     5     Dylan Ouedraogo
        Anton Walkes     6     Tristan Muyumba Nkita(C)
Tashan Oakley-Boothe     7     Kevin Appin
        George Marsh     8     Ibrahima Diallo
      Marcos Edwards     9     Irvin Cardona
       Shilow Tracey    10     Adrien Bongiovanni
          (16)60Mins
          Jack Roles    11     Moussa Sylla
   Zenon Stylianides    12     Amilcar Silva
           (8)75Mins
 Thomas McDermott(GK)   13     Mehdi Zerkane
     Shayon Harrison    14     Jalil Enjolras
       Reo Griffiths    15     Maroine Mohoubi
     Samual Shashoua    16     Yanis Henin(GK)
        Aramide Oteh    17     Abdoulaye Kote
          (15)84Mins
     Keanan Bennetts    18     Delphhierre Davy

Scorers:-
         Shashoua 23           Cardona 6, 42, 61
     Harrison pen 77

Booked:-
   Walkes 45(Holding)          Ouedraogo 25(Foul)
                               Nkita 70(Foul)

Coach:-
         J. McDermott          F. Barilaro

Referee:– A. Dallas
Assistants:- J. Stokoe & D. Doig
Fourth Official:– J. Busby

It was a very warm afternoon at the training ground for the opening match in the Champions Youth League. This is the tournament that UEFA set up following the success of the NextGen competition organised by Mark Warburton, the current manager at Glasgow Rangers. It was so successful that UEFA quickly set this up giving the Champions League clubs a place in the competition instead of inviting the champions of the various countries' U-19 leagues. The visitors AS Monaco finished second last season and are currently top this season unbeaten after four games. Our U-18's had a poor season finishing a lowly 16th. The game was played on the second Academy pitch which had tempory seating on the north side.

Because we do not complete at U-19 level in England the squad for this competition is made up of mainly U-18 Academy players plus some of the younger U-23 squad. Ugo Ehiogu joined the spectators to watch some of his charges. Spurs lined up with Whiteman in goal behind Eyoma and Walkes with Walker-Peters at right back and Hinds on the left. Oakley-Boothe joined Marsh in front of the back four while Harrison was in front of them. He was flanked by Edwards on his right and Shashoua on his left in support of Griffiths up front. Monaco obviously had a more settled squad with the first eleven named starting.

Spurs kicked off attacking the East end and quickly found that the visitors defended in numbers and attacked quickly. Spurs did not settle quickly and were soon under pressure with Sylla getting on the end of a cross, firing wide. Bongiovanni fired wide before a quick turn in the area saw Cardona fire home for the opening goal. Eyoma headed a corner wide as Spurs pushed forward looking for a goal. A Harrison run was stopped just outside the area to give Edwards a chance with a free kick, but he hit it over the bar. Oakley-Boothe had a shot that went wide for a corner.

Monaco were looking to counter and Bongiovanni drew a save from Whiteman before Spurs were level. There was good work by Griffiths who battled with two defenders and squeezed the ball through to Shashoua who curled it into the top corner.

Ouedraogo was booked for a foul on Harrison as Monaco tightened up their defence winning the ball and countering at pace. Bongiovanni fired wide and Whiteman saved a header from Cardona. Cardona got his second when he met a cross from Sylla when he got down the line. Walkes was booked for pulling back N'Gakoutou-Yapende when left exposed at the end of the half.

There were no changes for the start of the second half which saw Monaco happy to sit deep and counter. Griffiths had an early chance that he put wide. Bongiovanni, who seemed to always shoot on sight, fired over before Spurs made their first change replacing Shashoua with Tracey. The visitors increased their lead when Sylla broke down the left. Whiteman saved his effort but the ball fell kindly for the advancing Cardona to complete his hat-trick. Cardona could have had another as he powered through the Spurs defence but Whiteman got a touch to concede a corner.

Sylla fired wide and Serrano also got forward to shoot wide. Nkita was booked for a foul on Marsh as he tried to advance through the middle. Cardona set up Bongiovanni for a chance that he put wide. Tracey drew a save before Cardona had a first time volley on the turn which flew just over after a throw into the area. Griffiths had an effort blocked for a corner before Spurs made their second change. Stylianides came on for Marsh who had had a good game making a number of vital tackles.

Stylianides added more vision to the midfield and began to prompt the attack feeding Harrison for a chance that was blocked for a corner. From the corner, taken short, Edwards drove into the area and won a penalty. Harrison stepped up and sent the keeper the wrong way putting the ball into the left corner. Bongiovanni fired wide before Stylianides played in Tracey for a chance that he put over the bar. Edwards played in Harrison for a chance that he hit straight at the keeper.

The visitors decided to hold on to what they had, dropping deeper and taking off Bongiovanni and Cardona. Spurs made their last change replacing Griffiths with Oteh up front. Twice Monaco made breaks, whipping in crosses that could had produced more goals. Stylianides played in Edwards at the other end but the little midfielder fired wide. The last chance of the game saw Sylla break down the left to win a corner which was cleared before the final whistle.

Spurs came up against a top youth side and were found wanting. The close scoreline flattered Spurs as the difference between the two side was large. It did not help Spurs' cause that their squad is made up of two groups that have different training programmes. With more time they should get stronger and we will see a better team performance. In the other group game Leverkusen beat CSKA Moscow 2-1. The next game will be away to Moscow and then away to Bayer Leverkusen. I hope to be in Germany for that one and see how Spurs have improved.

Ray

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