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New Zealand¡¦s Finest Young Soccer Stars Compete

New Zealand¡¦s Finest Young Soccer Stars Compete For Trip To Soccer World Cup

adidas +CHALLENGE final fever to hit Britomart


Twelve teams of aspiring young football players are gearing up to win the ultimate prize ¡V a trip to the FIFA World Cup in Germany, as they compete in the finals of the adidas +CHALLENGE competition this Sunday [14 May].

On a special Astroturf pitch laid in Britomart Square, twelve teams of 13-14 year olds from as far a field as Nelson and Dunedin will go head to head in the challenging competition that is +CHALLENGE. The overall winning team will travel to Berlin to compete against forty countries in the +CHALLENGE global final.

adidas New Zealand Managing Director, Greig Bramwell said that +CHALLENGE follows a challenging format that is sure to test the abilities of the young competitors.

¡§Each game consists of three components ¡V a five versus five-player match on a large pitch, a three versus three player match on a smaller pitch with four goals, and a one versus one-player match on an even smaller pitch enclosed by a cage.

¡§The first round is 15 minutes long, the second eight minutes long, and the final one-on-one round lasts just three minutes,¡¨ Greig said.

The final round of each game will be refereed by former All White and all round New Zealand soccer legend Wynton Rufer, who will also be providing coaching and training advice to the winning team as they prepare to compete in Berlin.

The winning team of six and their support person will travel to Berlin compete in the +CHALLENGE global final from 1- 4 July. They will also receive tickets to a quarterfinal match where they will see some of their heroes competing for glory on the international stage.

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The week long trip will also include a visit to adidas¡¦ World of Sport head office in Hertzogenarauch, the experience of staying in the +Challenge athlete village with kids from 40 other countries and the opportunity to meet heroes such as Zinedine Zidane who is the ambassador of the adidas +Challenge.

Greig Bramwell said that the +CHALLENGE concept has been developed by adidas as part of a fully integrated FIFA World Cup brand campaign that integrates the concept of +10, the biggest football marketing campaign in the history of the adidas brand.

¡§+CHALLENGE is a massive event that exemplifies the passion and inspiration of football to young players around the world. It is all about celebrating football, team spirit, and individual skill.

¡§With the chance to win a trip to compete against the world¡¦s best 13 and 14 year olds from forty different countries in Berlin, we hope the competition will inspire young football players to excel at their chosen sport ¡V football,¡¨ Greig said.

As well as displaying the skills of the nation¡¦s finest young football players, this Sunday¡¦s adidas +CHALLENGE event will be a great day out for all. A DJ, hip hop dancers and a ¡¥chill-out¡¦ zone will keep the crowd occupied, and there are some great prizes up for grabs, including an official 2006 FIFA World Cup football that will be personally signed and addressed to the winner by David Beckham.

Games kick off at 10.30 a.m. at Britomart Square, just one street back from the waterfront. The final game will be held at 3.20 p.m.

Competing Teams:
ć WYNRS Hamilton
ć Forrest Hill Milford
ć Central United - Auckland
ƒá Champs ¡V Auckland
ć WYNRS Auckland
ć Bucklands Beach
ć Central United Black - Auckland
ć Nelson Silencers
ć FC Vobrale - Napier
ć Central United Gold - Auckland
ƒá Kiwi Magic ¡V Dunedin
ć Predator Mania - Auckland


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