Young soccer players from across the Caribbean face off against South Florida’s best at the Caribbean American Soccer Association’s (CASA) annual Youth Soccer Classic, at the Lauderhill Sports Complex. U20 contingents from Jamaica and Barbados will compete with six local teams.
For the tournament’s first match, game one went to the U.S. side, as local team Lauderhill Juniors confidently defeated the U20 team from Barbados 3 nil. For the other matches of the night, Albion/Plantation emerged victorious against Coral Springs 3-1, while CASA U20 defeated Miami U20 2 nil.
The next international match is set for Thursday at 6:30 p.m., when Jamaica U20 faces Coral Springs U20, and Barbados U20 plays FUTSOC. The tournament was meant to include an U20 team from Haiti, but again the team was prevented from attending due to visa issues.
CASA President Richard Campbell expressed disappointment that “the talented players from Haiti were not able to attend our tournament.” In all, Campbell expects the local players and their Caribbean cohorts “to bring a very strong contingent” to the tournament.
As for Team Jamaica’s strategy, Coach Miguel Coley says his first goal “is for them to enjoy football. To go out there and play as a team. Play with a lot of pride and courage.”
Coley also has high expectation for his team for the tournament, as “it’s a well-rounded team. We have players with confidence who have done well in the U19 competition in Jamaica.”
In addition to the chance to play a diverse set of teams, the CASA Youth Soccer classic also provides further development opportunities, as both College and professional team scouts will be on hand investigating the promise displayed by these young players.
“It’s a great opportunity for them to showcase their talent,” says Coach Coley. A lot of players come here to get scholarships and advance themselves as persons and go out to become winners in life.”
And “apart from the potential scholarship opportunities, this tournament was designed to have an exchange between the Diaspora and Caribbean teams,” says Campbell. “They can measure themselves against players elsewhere. It’s an extremely important part of their development, and we are happy to be playing that role.”
In the coming years, CASA also plans “to invite as many Caribbean teams as possible here [in South Florida], so that they can interact and compete with the youngsters we have here.”
