Twelve Teams Of Teenage Footballers One Step Closer To 2006 Fifa World Cup Trip

Twelve teams of teenage soccer players are one step closer to winning a trip to the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Berlin after being named finalists in yesterday's adidas +CHALLENGE qualifier competition in Auckland.

Today at War Memorial Park, Mt Roskill, Auckland, 34 teams from around the country showed their finest skills at adidas +CHALLENGE, a unique five-a-side football tournament for 13-14 year old budding soccer stars.

The twelve finalist teams comprise eight Auckland teams and 1 team each from Nelson, Dunedin, Napier and Hamilton. Their success has earned them a spot in the final on Sunday 14 May in Auckland where they will compete for an all-expenses paid trip for to Berlin, Germany to compete in the +CHALLENGE Junior World Cup competition from 1 - 4 July 2006.

adidas New Zealand Managing Director, Greig Bramwell said that it was great to see the excitement of all of the teams who competed at +CHALLENGE, a unique soccer tournament which was designed to exemplify the passion and inspiration of football to young players around the world.

The competition was fierce and everyone gave it their all. I can't wait until next week's final where the challenging competition format will make an excellent spectacle, Greig said.

The finals consists of three components 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.”

As well as competing in the +CHALLENGE global competition, while in Berlin the young Kiwi hopefuls will also experience the fever of an international football match when they attend a FIFA WC semi-final match.

Former All Whites star and New Zealand soccer legend Wynton Rufer will be managing the winning team and providing overall coaching and training advice.

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