Football Cantera

The future of La Roja is now.

Results – Fútbol Draft 2013

May 22nd, 2013

The 8th edition of the prestigious Futbol Draft award was decided on Tuesday, with the top 33 young talents in Spain being honoured by an independent panel of experts from the RFEF, LFP, AFE and more. Players born after 1992 were voted into three teams, Gold, Silver and Bronze, based on who the panel think are the most promising at this moment in time.

In recent years the likes of Thiago, De Gea, Fabregas, Pique, Mata, Javi Martinez and Busquets have all been honoured with places in the Gold XI, but who are the next generation of stars that could be unconvered by Futbol Draft? We take a look at the three teams.

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Gold

In goal is for me the obvious choice, Athletic Bilbao ‘keeper Kepa Arrizabalaga having had a great year in particular with Spain’s U19 side, where he kept goal for their European triumph and earned a promotion to the U21’s.

In defence, Bayer Leverkusen’s Dani Carvajal has taken the regular Bundesliga action with ease and is wanted back at Real Madrid, with Sevilla’s breakthrough star Alberto Moreno on the other flank. Catalan pairing Jordi Amat and Sergi Gómez make up the central pairing, the latter enjoying another solid campaign for Barca B, and Espanyol’s Amat having reminded us again of his quality on loan at Rayo.

Atlético Madrid duo Koke and Saúl Ñíguez are chosen in the heart of midfield. As an undisputed starter for the rojiblancos Koke picks himself and keeps his place from last year’s Gold XI, although 18 year-old Saúl is a little more surprising, but not undeserved nonetheless. Málaga’s Isco Alarcón is of course the playmaker, and is arguably the biggest talent in the team.

Despite an underwhelming campaign, Basque wonderkid Iker Muniain is included for a third successive year, with teenage star Gerard Deulofeu (Barcelona) and Álvaro Morata (Real Madrid) unsurprisingly making up the attack.

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Silver

A regular for struggling Racing Santander, Dani Sotres is chosen as goalkeeper for the Silver team. The youngster is likely to keep goal in the U20 World Cup for Spain next month.

Two more of last year’s Under-19 heroes are in defence, tough centre-half Derik Osede of Real Madrid, and Celta Vigo’s 19 year-old utility man Joni Castro, who has enjoyed a solid first campaign in La Liga this year. They are joined by Pablo Iñiguez, another teenager who is now a regular in Segunda with Villarreal, and Athletic Bilbao left-back Jon Aurtenetxe, who provides experience to the team.

The midfield is made up of three young talents who all debuted for Spain’s Under-21’s last February, Real Sociedad’s playmaking prodigy Rubén Pardo, tough tackling Pedro Obiang of Sampdoria, and the pearl of Atlético Madrid’s cantera, young Óliver Torres.

Ahead of them, another of this year’s La Liga breakthrough stars in Rubén García (Levante) makes the team, as does ex-Real Madrid wing wizard Pablo Sarabia. Now at Getafe, he is not their only representative in this team, with Paco Alcácer, the prolific centre-forward on loan from Valencia, the main striker.

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Bronze

For the bronze team, stopper Rubén Blanco, another of the sublime generation coming up at Celta Vigo, is included and is the youngest representative of all three teams.

Atlético right-back Javi Manquillo makes the team, with two of his Spain U20 teammates alongside him in edefence. Sevilla’s Israel Puerto scored in the recent friendly win over Paraguay and partners Jonas Ramalho of Athletic in the centre, with another La Masia graduate in Marc Muniesa at left-back.

Two of Barcelona B and Real Madrid Castilla’s main midfielders are in this team, Álex Fernández and Sergi Roberto, who despite being rivals at club level have played many times for Spain’s youth sides and have had impressive seasons respectively in the Liga Adelante. Liverpool’s supremely talented playmaker Suso makes up the midfield in the #10 role.

Surprisingly, the star of Real Madrid’s La Fabrica academy and ‘pichichi’ of the Under-19 Euro’s, Jesé Rodríguez, only makes the bronze team as a left-forward, with clubmate Raúl de Tomas (18) the striker. Making up the line-up is Betis winger Álvaro Vadillo, another in the long line of talented widemen from the 1994 generation in Spain.

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There were a few perhaps surprising omissions, for example Barcelona’s fabulous young left-back Alejandro Grimaldo didn’t make the cut, although he has suffered a lot from injuries lately. The same can apply to Sevilla’s José Campaña who had an excellent tournament in the U19 Euro’s last year, and to a lesser extent Manchester City youngster Denis Suárez, although other players from that team were overlooked on a different basis. For example, Juanmi (Racing, on loan from Málaga), who has sadly regressed a lot in the last 18 months, and the very impressive Juan Bernat of Valencia were also not included.

Of course though, with the huge amount of talent coming through in Spain right now, it is always going to be difficult to make decisions like this, and there will always be quality left out. Looking at the three teams though, you can be sure that the current generation have a line of successors that have the potential to match their success and knows, maybe even emulate it. Two of the Golden XI, Isco and Muniain, have already represented La Roja at the highest level, but you can be certain they will bet the first of many of the names you see on this page.

What next for Arsenal’s young Spaniards?

May 21st, 2013

It’s been a season of mixed emotions for Arsenal’s three young Spaniards – Jon Toral, Ignasi Miquel and Hector Bellerin. First team debuts, cup runs in the NextGen series, injuries, match-winning goals, last ditch tackles. The trio has had their highs and lows. While they may head off now on summer holiday and to sunny climes, they will all probably be thinking about what’s next. So what do we think?

Ignasi Miquel: Made 4 appearances in the Premier League in the 2011/12 season and was probably looking to push on this term but has found his opportunities limited. Able to operate as at centre back or left back, he scored his first career goal in Arsenal’s 6-1 win over Coventry City in the League Cup.

The arrival of Nacho Monreal as competition for Kieran Gibbs meant the Gunners had sufficient cover at left back, while opportunities in the first team squad have been hindered by the continued fine form of more senior players such as Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny.

Johann Djourou was shipped off for a temporary spell in Germany in the January transfer window. Should he leave the club permanently, Miquel may well find himself in and around the first team squad next year as back up. Probably needs a season out on loan at a Championship or Premier League club to get more regular football and prove he can make it at this level.

Hector Bellerin: Has made the right back spot his own in the Arsenal reserve side and has impressed all season long with his rampaging runs forward. Scored a brilliant late winner against Manchester United in April and Wolves earlier this month. Bellerin was also a key part of the NextGen side that went all the way to the semi finals of the competition.

The 18-year-old experienced being in the first team squad for the Carling Cup fixtures against Coventry and Reading, although he’s yet to make his full debut for the Gunners.

Despite his young age, next season may be the time to promote him to first team duties to compete with Carl Jenkinson for the right back spot, particularly if Bacary Sagna leaves.

Jon Toral: Signed from Barcelona at the same time as Bellerin, Toral made a promising start to his Arsenal career with some impressive displays in midfield last season and in the early part of this campaign.

The second half of the season has been frustrating, as he’s had to watch events from the sidelines due to injury.

Will most likely have another season in the Reserves next year to find his form and fitness again, while a loan spell somewhere may also help his development.

Canteranos of Jornada 35

May 17th, 2013

Jon Aurtenetxe, Athletic Bilbao

Aurtenetxe assisted Aritz Aduriz’s opener as Athletic defeated lowly Mallorca 2-1. The 21-year old left back joined Athletic’s famed Lezama youth academy at the age of 10. This season he has three assists in La Liga; he seems to be Athletic’s left back for the future. Last season he appeared in over 50 matches, which propelled him to the starting lineup (usually).

Dani Carvajal, Bayer Leverkusen

The Bundesliga’s best young Spaniard contributed once again, getting an assist in Leverkusen’s 3-1 win over Hannover. Carvajal, just 21, has played admirably in his first season abroad. With a goal and eight assists from the right back position, he has gained many supporters. In fact, there are rumors of him returning to his old club Real Madrid over the summer; keep an eye on this.

Recio, Granada

The loanee from Malaga did his part, crashing home an equalizer as Granada stole a point from Real Sociedad with a 2-2 draw. After only playing in three matches for Malaga in the first half of the season, the 22-year old midfielder was loaned out in the middle of January. He now has two goals in 13 games.

Alejandro Arribas, Osasuna

Having just turned 24 years old earlier this month, Arribas’ time in this section should be up. But this weekend he headed home the only goal of the game from a corner kick as Osasuna defeated Getafe in a testy 1-0 affair. He has been solid for Osasuna all season long in the back and he has a bright future there. In the 2012/13 campaign he now has two goals in 32 matches; the goals have came in the last three weeks.

Javier Espinosa, Barcelona B

The 20-year old midfielder scored an equalizer in the 79^th minute as Barca B earned a 1-1 draw with Liga Adelante leaders Elche. The talented native of Talavera de la Reina now has five goals this season. Not only is this Espinosa’s second straight game with a goal, it marks a three game stretch that also includes two assists. He has found regular playing time hard to come by in the 2012/13 season but is primed to become a starter in due time.

Iago Falque, Almeria

It has been a long career for the Galician at age 23. Starting his football formation at Real Madrid, he moved to Barcelona, where he scored in his only game for Barca’s B squad. He was signed by Juventus, where he did play a single Serie A game, as he was loaned out to Villarreal’s B side. A move to Tottenham Hotspur followed, where he is now permanently owned by the London club. Currently at Almeria on loan, the attacking midfielder scored a goal in the club’s wild 5-3 win over Lugo, taking his Segunda Division totals to two goals and four assists. Earlier this season he was dynamic for Spurs’ reserves, notching five goals and five assists in the U21 Premier League.

Canteranos of Jornada 34

May 10th, 2013

Alvaro Gonzalez, Real Zaragoza

Gonzalez made his 29^th start of the season for Zaragoza in an important 3-0 victory over Rayo Vallecano. The center back played all 90 minutes without a booking as his defense kept a clean sheet. Gonzalez, 23, began his youth career with Racing Santander but moved to Zaragoza in the summer of 2012. The native of Potes has had a solid season and looks to be a permanent option for the future.

Alberto Moreno, Sevilla

The promising 20-year old has become Unai Emery’s top choice at left back and his recent performances have justified his selection. He played the entire game without being cautioned as Sevilla defeated RCD Espanyol 3-0. Born in Seville, he ascended through the youth categories at his hometown club before making his La Liga debut in late 2012. Moreover, he has picked up two caps for Spain’s U21 squad. He has been impressive the last two months as a starter and there is no reason he can not maintain his starting spot next season.

Nosa Igiebor, Real Betis

Nosa assisted Ruben Perez for Betis’ second goal in an unfortunate 4-2 loss at the hands of Barcelona. The 22-year old midfielder has had a busy year between fighting for playing time in Betis’ midfield and playing for his native Nigeria in the African Cup of Nations earlier this year. The highlight of his season so far was his dramatic equalizer in the derby match against Betis. He is a bright prospect but his future at the club is up in the air.

Fede Vico, Cordoba

Vico was at it again, scoring the go-ahead goal in Cordoba’s 3-1 victory over Xerez. The attacking midfielder now has six goals and four assists in 30 Liga Adelante matches. At 18 years old, he is one of Spain’s most impressive teenagers. He has already made appearances for Spain’s U19 and U20 squads; with potential like this, he may not be at his childhood club for much longer.

Victor Machin Perez, Las Palmas

Perez, who goes by the nickname Vitolo, scored two goals as Las Palmas beat Sporting Gijon 4-2. Vitolo was born and raised in Las Palmas and started playing for the local club’s reserves at 18 years old. He made his first-team debut in August of 2010. Being right-footed and preferring to play on the left wing, Vitolo has been prolific this season, amassing 14 goals and seven assists; he is tied for sixth among all goal-scorers in the Segunda Division.

Borja Gonzalez, Huesca

Borja “Baston” scored for the second straight week as Huesca fell to Hercules 2-1. Gonzalez has nine goals in 27 appearances for Huesca on loan from Atletico Madrid. The 20-year old striker is a raw talent and may need another season on loan before breaking in to Atletico’s squad.

Real Madrid Castilla’s Duo

The Castilla squad handily defeated Real Murcia 2-0 thanks to goals from Alex Fernandez and Jese Rodriguez. Fernandez has not received regular playing time for the squad, as the midfielder now has three goals and three assists this season. Named the best player of the 2011 UEFA U-19 Championship, the 20-year old still has a ton of potential as a dynamic midfielder. Meanwhile, Jese is arguably the most prolific young Spanish scorer out there, and his record this season is no joke. He has 21 goals, second in the Liga Adelante, and 10 assists, a testament to his playmaking ability. All comparisons to Cristiano Ronaldo aside, he is an immensely talented player who can play centrally or on the wing. I would like to see him play in one of Real Madrid’s last games of La Liga this month.

Jairo Samperio, Racing Santander

Lost amidst the shipwreck that is Racing Santander is 19-year old Jairo. The winger/center forward is the club’s brightest jewel of its cantera. This past weekend’s game saw the best and worst of him, as he scored a goal and received his first red card of the season. He has six goals and two assists in the 2012/13 campaign. He was named to Spain’s U20 team earlier in 2013. With Racing on the brink of being relegated once again, the club may be forced to sell Jairo. Keep an eye on him.

Has Brendan Rodgers Failed Suso and Sterling this Season?

May 7th, 2013

Football Cantera favorite Jesús Joaquín Fernández Sáez de la Torre, also known as Suso has had a character building season. Suso started the season as a regular feature in Brendan Rodgers’ side in the first six matches of the season. He rarely played more than sixty minutes as stamina seemed to be an issue for the youngster. While he did not have much of an impact on the scoreboard (contributing only one assist to the first team this season) when he played he was reliable, worked hard on the wing, and was not afraid to run at defenders and take shots at goal. Since the New Year and the signings of Sturridge and Coutinho however, Suso has suffered. He has only started one game in 2013, in the FA Cup against Mansfield and has played with Liverpool’s U21 side for the most part.

This is not helping his development.

It was obvious at the beginning of the season that he could compete with men and even contribute, so why has he been sent down to play with other youngsters? Suso is the crème of the crop at his level and he is regularly on the score sheet, having scored a number of highlight reel goals this year already. Many, including myself, expected a loan for the Spaniard in January but it never came. Rodgers spoke to this in March.

“It’s very simple, neither of them are available for loan,” Rodgers told reporters regarding Suso and Sterling.

“I’m not sure where the stories have come from, to be honest. They’re both young players that have played a lot this year – they have been very much a part of our group. We’ve got a very small squad and those two boys are an integral part of the group. That [loan deals] won’t happen.”

There is an issue when an “integral” part of Liverpool and certainly the club’s future has only received seventy-one minutes of play in the English Premier League in 2013. It is frankly a poor use of one of your club’s top prospects. Even Raheem Sterling, arguably Liverpool’s top young player, has only started four matches in 2013, in all competitions. These players need to play at a top level in order to develop, sitting them on the bench or down in the U21 league are the two worst things for these players at this point in their careers. Rodgers has to decide this summer if his two young stars are really part of his plans or if he should sign some players in transfer market to allow him to loan them out. He has two of the top young prospects in the Premier League and has to prove that he has the managerial acumen to give them what they need to succeed.

Another draw for Barça B

May 6th, 2013

After a bittersweet draw away to Real Murcia, Barcelona B took on Lugo at home at the MiniEstadi this past Saturday afternoon. The first minutes of the game did not see too much action with the Barça boys controlling most of the ball. In the 8th minute however the first chance arrived after a great run from Planas and Espinosa made it 1-0 for the home team. Espinosa who would keep on impressing in one of his best games this season and later also winning his side a penalty, showed up great skills of technique as well as an eye for goal. Another Barça youngster who impressed was Sergi Roberto who created quite a few great chances but got to see the ball go just wide more than once. However the Barça boys would extend their lead in the 22th minute as Espinosa was brought down in the penalty box. Defender Lombán did not disappoint from the spot and it was 2-0. It looked like there were good odds for a comfortable win with Unibet, thanks to Edgar lé’s impressive performance in the Barça defense. However as the Barça boys relaxed a bit to much in the end of the first half, Lugo player Victor Díaz decided to make it 2-1 with a header in the 44th minute of the first half.

As the 2nd half started, Barça B decided to replace Sergi Roberto with Luis Alberto, who started very alert, creating a dangerous chance in his first minute on the pitch. But the game kept on in a very calm manner with the home team controlling most things but lacking a killer final pass. Although without creating to many chances in the second half, it did feel like MiniEstadi would finally witness a win this evening. The two giants on the pitch being Espinosa and Edgar lé, two players that haven’t seen a lot of playing time this season. Both showing why they should be starters with their performances. But just as FC Barcelona B have been doing more or less the entire season they relaxed to much and with one minute to go Lugo’s Óscar Díaz was left to free outside of the penalty box and with a perfect shot leaving Masip chance less the visitors in the end came away with a point and Barça keeps on having trouble winning.

Line ups

Barça B:

Masip, Balliu, Ilie, Planas, Lombán, Espinosa (Lobato m.70), Sergi Roberto (Luis Alberto m.46), Rafinha, Kiko (Joan Román m.82), Edgar lé and Araujo

Bench: Bañuz, Sergi Gómez, Luis Alberto, Patric, Lobato, Gus Ledes and Joan Román

CD Lugo: José Juan, V.Marco, C.Pita, Javi Rey, Airam (Óscar Díaz m.55), Manu, Victor Díaz, Diego Tonetto (Iago Díaz m.82), R. Durán (Héctor Font m.60), M. Pavón and Iván Pérez

Bench: Joel, Fran Pérez, Óscar Díaz, Héctor Front, Melli Belfortti, Iago Díaz and Tena

Cards:

Yellow
Barça B: Planas ’65, Luis Alberto ’70
CD Lugo: Javi Rey (m.38), Pita (m.48) and Tonetto (m.67).

Spectators: 3.585

Preview: Copa de Campeones 2013

May 4th, 2013

The league season may be over at youth level and the title winners decided, but for Spain’s top Under-18 sides, the hard work has only just begun. For those who are not familiar, the highest youth division in Spain (División de Honor) is split into 7 regional groups, and after the season ends in April, two national competitions are held to determine who are the overall champions of the country.

Later on this month we will see the Copa del Rey, but first up is the Copa de Campeones on Monday, a 5 day knockout tournament that this year will be hosted in Vigo. As the name suggests, only the seven regional champions get to take part, as well as the best runner-up to make up the numbers. Unlike the Copa del Rey, games are one off instead of being played over two legs, and they are also televised live by MarcaTV to give extra significance. The current champions are Sevilla, who overcame Espanyol in last year’s final with a 1-0 win.

Barcelona celebrate winning the Copa de Campeones in 2011

They are back this year to defend their title as Group IV winners, as well as 2011 winners Barcelona, Athletic Bilbao, Celta Vigo, Real Madrid, Villarreal, Las Palmas and Atlético Madrid, who despite finishing second in Group V qualified as best runner-up across the 7 divisions. The action kicks-off early on Bank Holiday Monday, Barca first up against Las Palmas. The winner will take on Sevilla or Athletic in the semi’s, who play at lunchtime, with the other to be between the winners of the later games, Atletico vs. Villarreal and Celta vs. Real Madrid. They will all be played at the Madroa complex, Celta’s training ground and home of their Juvenil A side, before moving to the first team’s Los Balaídos stadium for the semi-final and final.

Below, we take a look at the 8 sides bidding to win the competition, and also some of the players who will hoping to follow in the footsteps of the countless number of star names to have played in previous versions of the competition.

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Celta Vigo

The home side and runaway winners of Group I, Celta are without doubt one of the favourites for the tournament. Their main obstacle will be the fact they have been drawn against a very strong Real Madrid side, but they are full of attacking talent themselves, as shown by the fact they scored 102 goals in their 30 league matches. The main news is that they will have the predatory Santi Mina available, who has been on fire for Celta B lately. Having started the season with Juvenil A, 17 year-old Mina hit an incredible 27 goals in 17 matches, earning him promotion to the reserves as well as a first team debut against Getafe in La Liga. However, he is now back and ready to help out the youth side, who still managed to storm to the title without their main man.

Ones to watch: Santi Mina, Yelko Pino, Jordan, Borja Fernández, David Goldar

Athletic Bilbao

Always strong at youth level, Athletic are back in the Copa de Campeones with yet another promising generation of players, and be hoping to make it to the final for the first ever time in Vigo. They are most likely to be the youngest team involved with the majority of their team born in either 1995 or 1996 (the age limit is 1.1.1994), as historically, players are promoted to their Tercera division side, CD Baskonia, early on to try and ready them for the step up. Top scorer Iñaki Williams is one to definitely keep an eye on, Ghanaian born, he has been dubbed ‘the Basque Balotelli’, and hit 31 goals in 30 games in the league this year. With their selection policy, you can bet a number of the players on show will find their way to the first team in the future.

Ones to watch: Iñaki Williams, Alejandro Remiro, Unai López, Jurgi Oteo, Yanis

Red-hot: Celta Vigo striker Santi Mina

FC Barcelona

Last year they competed as runners-up after losing out to a brilliant Espanyol side, but blitzed the competition this year, finishing 22 points clear of their local rivals at the top. Like Athletic, they have also been playing the NextGenSeries throughout the season, and also lost top scorer Sandro Ramírez to serious injury, but it didn’t stop them as they took 81 points from a possible 90. Having been drawn against Las Palmas, they are up there with the favourites to regain the title they won two years ago. As you would expect, they play with the exact same style you see from the first team every week, and many of their players will progress to Barcelona B in the coming years, with the likes of Sergi Samper and Adama already beginning the make the breakthrough.

Ones to watch: Sergi Samper, Adama Traore, Xavi Quintilla, Ebwelle, David Babunski

Sevilla

The reigning champions, Sevilla saw off fierce competition from Málaga and Almería to win the Andalusian group and qualify for the chance to defend their title. Most of last year’s side are now well established in their B and C outfits, but the current Juvenil A crop are arguably just as good, with plenty of Spanish youth internationals in the ranks. Although they have earned a reputation lately for producing attacking talent (mainly wingers), this team is built on a solid defence, and as shown by their record of just one defeat all season, a setup that makes them very difficult to beat. They are without Antonio Cotan, but do have 1996 born midfielder Fran “Curro” Sánchez, a Spain U17 international who has already played good minutes on Segunda B for their reseve side.

Ones to watch: Curro Sánchez, Juanje, Beto, Carlos Fernández, Modesto

Real Madrid’s excellent Juvenil A side

Real Madrid

For me the strongest team in the competition man-for-man, Real Madrid stormed to the title in Group V and for me are the team to beat. With 83 points, they were statistically the best team of all those involved this season based on league performance, and will be further strengthened by the additions of Álvaro Medran and in particular the fit-again Raúl de Tomas, both third division regulars for their C-team. Also, with four Spain U19 internationals, including goalkeeper Alfonso Herrero, in their backline, they are tough to break down, and are also filled with attacking creativity, hitting 101 goals in their league campaign. The club has worked hard to bring in quality players at youth level and this Juvenil A side has been labelled their strongest in years, so fingers crossed we will see some of them running out at the Bernabéu one day.

Ones to watch: Raúl de Tomas, Cristian Benavente, Ivan Saez, Álvaro Medran, Marcos Legaz

Atlético Madrid

Runners-up in Grupo V, last year Atlético were champions with the wonderful Óliver Torres in midfield, despite going on to underperform in the cup competitions. However, this year they managed the same amount of points and qualified on that basis. They have a lot of strength in their cantera, as seen by them providing 9 of the Madrid region’s squad that won Spain’s Under-18 territorial championships last weekend. Captain Borja Martínez is the undoubted star, although they also have Samuel Villa, who started recently in a first team friendly, and have drafted in promising centre-backs Fallou Gallas and Lucas Hernández (1996 born), to cover the untimely injury of defensive talisman Aitor Ruano.

Ones to watch: Borja Martínez, Jony, Samuel Villa, Chele, Ivan Alejo

Atlético Madrid qualify as best runner-up across the 7 groups

Las Palmas

Las Palmas will naturally be seen as outsiders as they are from the less competitive Canarias division, but they won Group VI convincingly and have proven down the years as regular representatives from their group that they can compete with Spain’s best. Known for producing creative players, their cantera has always had thriving success as a club who rely heavily on their youth set-up. Unfortunately, they will have to overcome the strength of Barcelona if they want to progress, but shouldn’t be written off still. Another team who are strong defensively, they finished comfortably ahead of runners-up Tenerife and only lost once all season. I’ll admit I know very little about their team, but from research have found there are a number of interesting players in their ranks, and other we will likely see for the first time in the Copa.

Ones to watch: Benito, Hector Hernández, Matias, Dani Ojeda, Stephane

Villarreal

They only just made it here having edged Levante on head-to-head record after finishing level on 72 points, but Villarreal, despite no longer having a top division first team, are a team known for their academy, and have great strength and depth throughout their youth ranks. From what I’ve seen, their most promising canteranos are not at this level yet, but they still have a very strong Juvenil A side and despite tailing off following a sublime start, will probably be slight favourites in their tie against Atlético. With former player Nihat Kahveci assistant to manager Eder Sarabia, we can fully expect the free-flowing attacking football that is a trademark of the Yellow Submarine.

Ones to watch: Pablo Larrea, Álvaro Fernández, Javi García, Alberto, Nahuel Leiva

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Quarter-final
Monday 6th May

10.30 – Las Palmas vs. Barcelona
13.00 – Athletic vs. Sevilla
16.00 – Atlético vs. Villarreal
18.30 – Celta vs. Real Madrid

Semi-final
Thursday 9th May

12.00 – Las Palmas/Barcelona vs. Athletic/Sevilla
17.00 – Atlético/Villarreal vs. Celta/Real Madrid

Final
Saturday 11th May

16.00

Late Bellerin goals hands Arsenal win over Wolves

May 4th, 2013

Arsenal 2 – 1 Wolves

Hector Bellerin was the hero as Arsenal U21s came from behind to beat Wolves U21s at Underhill on Tuesday.

As the match seemed to be heading for a draw, Bellerin took matters into his own hands in the 88^th minute and scored a superb solo goal, securing three points for the Gunners.

The 18-year-old, who also scored a late winner against Manchester United U21s last month, will surely have forced his way into Arsene Wenger’s thoughts as he plans for next season, and how he’ll cope with the likely departure of Bacary Sagna.

Bellerin was the only Spaniard in the squad, with Jon Toral still missing through injury and Ignasi Miquel not being named in Steve Gatting’s side.

With neither side having anything to play for, the game took a while to get going. It wasn’t until the 26^th minute that the home side had a shot on target, with Sanchez Watt firing straight at Aljaz Cotman and Nico Yennaris going close shortly afterwards.

The rest of the opening period saw few chances of note created by either side, but the game exploded into life just after half time when Jake Cassidy headed home a Sam WInnall cross to put the visitors ahead.

Josh Vickers, making his debut in goal for Arsenal U21s, was forced into action immediately after the goal and made a superb stop to keep out Ethan Ebanks-Landell’s header.

Arsenal gradually started to impose themselves on the game and were rewarded in the 54^th minute when Chuba Akpom tapped home from four yards after good link up play between Jermaine Meade and Sanchez Watt.

Both sides seemed content to play out a draw. Bellerin had other ideas though, and when Nico Yennaris found the Spaniard after Wolves had failed to deal properly with a cross, he burst into the area and smashed the ball into the top corner of the goal.

Although there is no chance for the Gunners to finish in a play-off position, they will be looking to finish the season on a high when they take on Liverpool in their final match on Friday.

Spain To Miss UEFA U-17 Championship

May 2nd, 2013

The 2013 edition of the UEFA U-17 Championship begins on May 5^th in Slovakia, which means it’s literally less than a week before the tournament begins. An arduous qualification process took place last year; the initial qualifying round took place between September and November 2012 with 52 countries. 28 survived the first round and advanced to the Elite round, which concluded just last month in March.

Spain, as you can imagine, made it to the Elite round, albeit barely. They booked their place in the final round on the basis of being the best third-place team among the 13 groups. La Rojita ran out of luck in the Elite round, losing to group rivals Croatia and France. A third-place finish was not enough this time, as only group winners Croatia earned a place in the tournament.

Because of their lackluster conclusion to qualifying, Spain is ineligible to appear in this summer’s U-17 World Cup in Saudi Arabia. However, it is not the end of the world for these young players. Some of these guys are among the finest U-17 players in Europe.

Some of the players have already hit the radar and made waves in their club’s youth ranks such as Jose Angel Pozo and Adama Traore. In fact, here are seven other U-17 players you should keep an eye on:

Pedro Chirivella, Valencia

Chiri was the youngest player on the squad this spring, having been born in May of 1997. The midfielder scored a goal from the penalty spot in each phase of qualification (against Poland in the first round and France in the Elite round), adding an assist in Spain’s loss to Croatia. He is currently playing for Valencia’s Juvenil A side, with promotion on the cards. You can follow him on his very active Twitter account: @pedro5chiri

Rodrigo Tarin, Barcelona

Born in July of 1996, Tarin was chosen as captain of the squad by manager Santi Denia. He scored the only goal of the game in a friendly against Italy’s youngsters in January. A native of Valencia, Tarin plays for Barcelona’s Juvenil A squad, where is an imposing figure at center back. Twitter: @rodrigotarin

Francisco “Curro” Sanchez, Sevilla

Sanchez is a great midfield talent. Born January of 1996, he is already playing for Sevilla’s reserve squad in the Segunda B division (third tier). Having played as a wide man, he is most comfortable in a deeper role, perhaps as a holding midfielder. Twitter: @currito3_Lpm

Joaquin Fernandez and Antonio Marin, Almeria

It is amazing that Almeria, a second-division club in Spain, had two canteranos playing in the Elite round.

Fernandez, born in May of 1996, has already played matches this season for the club’s reserves in the Segunda B. A deep-lying midfielder, Fernandez began training with Almeria’s first team in the summer of 2012: a testament to his talent. Marin, born in June of 1996, is playing with the Juvenil A side. As a defender, he started all of the matches in the qualifying round. I am curious as to how long these guys will stay within the Almeria organization, especially if the club stays in the second tier. Twitter: @MarinAntonio5

Roberto Nunez, Atletico Madrid

As a striker in Atletico’s cantera, it is extremely difficult not to compare this guy to Fernando Torres. Another young talent in the Colchoneros’ assembly line of young talent, Nunez has yet to break into the club’s reserves, seeing as how he is just 17 years old. He supplied two assists in the qualifying round against Poland and Croatia.

Nicolas Canizares, Juventus

Originally in Rayo Vallecano’s cantera, Canizares was swooped up by Italian giants Juve in the summer of 2012. There is a lot of potential for this defender born in February of 1996. He and Pozo were the only members on the team playing for clubs outside of Spain. Talking to AS about the move to Italy, Canizares said he was excited about getting the autographs of Andrea Pirlo and fellow defender Giorgio Chiellini. Twitter: @Nicolas5cgl

Canteranos of Jornada 33 – Carvajal, Martinez, Rafinha

April 30th, 2013

Dani Carvajal, Bayer Leverkusen

Carvajal’s first season of first-team football has been going extremely well, as he has been producing great performances at right-back for Leverkusen. This weekend he played all 90 minutes without a booking as the club defeated Werder Bremen 1-0. This season he has seven assists in 29 games, starting all but one of them. Carvajal, 21, came to Real Madrid as a ten-year old and played two seasons for the Castilla squad, helping achieve promotion to the Segunda Division. Last summer he left for Germany without having played for Madrid’s first team. He is a quality player and has been capped for Spain’s U18, U19 and U21 squads; he was a member of the victorious side from the 2011 UEFA U-19 Championship.

Borja Gonzalez, Huesca

The Atletico Madrid canterano netted for the eighth time this season for his loan club, scoring in a 1-1 draw with Ponferradina. He joined Atletico’s youth ranks in 2001 at the age of eight, making his way into the B squad for the 2009/10 campaign. After rupturing his knee in his only La Liga appearance in May of 2010, Gonzalez began rehabbing with the help of loan spells to Real Murcia and now Huesca. He is only 20 years old but has a lot of potential as a forward.

A Duo In Zaragoza

Real Zaragoza enjoyed a thrilling 3-2 victory over Mallorca thanks in part to two former Barcelona youngsters. 23-year old Victor Rodriguez assisted the first two goals; the winger joined Zaragoza in 2012, playing one game for the B squad before being promoted to the senior squad. The game’s winning goal was scored by Ruben Rochina, who was a part of La Masia for six years as a talented teenager. He was purchased by Blackburn Rovers in January of 2011 and has yet to reach his potential, therefore earning a loan to Zaragoza earlier this year. The 22-year old has a thunderous left foot and will come back to England with more experience under his belt.

Inigo Martinez, Real Sociedad

Martinez has been one of the finer canteranos this season and is arguably the best young Spaniard yet to receive a senior international cap. He scored in Sociedad’s 4-2 win over Valencia, and it was very well taken. Following a corner kick, the center back volleyed home a left-wing cross moving away from goal. It was Inigo’s fourth goal of La Liga and his seventh since the beginning of last season; only Guilherme Siqueira of Granada has more goals as a defender over the last two seasons. At 21 years old, Martinez is a highly impressive player and has helped anchor the back line for a Sociedad squad that is heading for a Champions League spot.

Rafinha, Barcelona B

Rafinha scored the equalizer in an eventual 2-1 triumph over Racing Santander. (Racing’s goal was scored by former La Masia standout Gai Assulin.) The 20-year old Brazilian has enjoyed a breakout season in the Liga Adelante, as he now has 10 goals and six assists. Playing in central midfield, he is an exciting player who could play alongside his brother Thiago for Barcelona’s senior squad in the very near future. Having played for both Brazil and Spain’s underage squads (but most recently Brazil), he must sort out his international future.

Fede Vico, Cordoba

Coming on as a substitute in Cordoba’s 5-1 victory over Las Palmas, Vico put the icing on the win, scoring the last goal of the match. The 18-year old now has five goals and four assist this season; the winger is a native of Cordoba and has already played a few games for Spain’s U20 selection. He is one of my favorite youngsters in the game right now, and it will be very interesting to see whether (or when, for that matter) he leaves his hometown club.