Action from the Al Kass Cup semi-final match between Aspire Academy and Red Bull Salzburg on Saturday.
Aspire Academy and Ral Madrid will clash in today's final of the Al Kass Cup International Under-17 football tournament at Aspire Zone.
In Saturday's second semi-final, Aspire Academy produced their finest performance in Al Kass’ history to come from behind and defeat Red Bull Salzburg by two goals to one in a dramatic last four clash.
In the first semi-final, Real Madrid defeated Eintracht Frankfurt, 3-1.
This is the sixth year the Al Kass International Cup has invaded the pitches at Aspire Academy, and every time a visiting team has raised the championship cup at the end of the tournament. That could all change in 2017.
The Aspire Academy team has put together a stunning run of form to reach tonight’s final, where they’ll take on Real Madrid. The home side’s previous best finish was in 2013, when they finished seventh.
This year, Aspire will finish in the top two and they did so by beating some of the biggest clubs in football, including PSV Eindhoven, Espérance de Tunis, Raja Casabalanca, and Red Bull Salzburg.
“I am happy for the players and also for my staff, who always believe in the work we put in developing and training our young players. Everyone should be proud of Aspire Academy’s performance in the tournament and especially, in this game,” says Aspire coach Bruno Nogueira.
It’s a performance that has consequences far beyond the outcome of today’s match.
When Qatar hosts the FIFA World Cup 2022, the players on the current Aspire Under-17 side may very well be ready for consideration for the Qatari national team.
“In my opinion, this means a lot. In the end we are preparing players for the future, and especially the FIFA World Cup 2022. Qatar will compete against the best players in the world, and this means a lot because in this moment we have started to compete against the best,” says Nogueira.
From its establishment in 2004, Aspire has made a point of seeking out the toughest competition available. They regularly host the Aspire Academy Tri-Series, which brings clubs from around the world to Qatar to play matches, share their football styles and exchange philosophies on developing youth players.
A remarkable lineup of clubs has participated in the Tri-Series, including Arsenal, Paris Saint-Germain, Ajax, and youth national teams from Europe and South America.
In their most recent Tri-Series before the Al Kass tournament, Aspire faced Sporting de club Portugal and Thailand’s Buriram United.
Though the Doha club had mixed success,struggling against the Portuguese side, Nogueira believes the experience was valuable preparation for Al Kass.
