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Young soccer player heads to England
Michael Balzan will play famed academies
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April 08, 2009 | 02:53 PM
Michael Balzan of Stony Brook is about to embark on the soccer experience of his young life when he travels to England to play against the famed soccer academies of Liverpool, Manchester City and Fulham. Michael, 12, is a member of the Long Island Junior Soccer League, Long Island United program that selects the top young players from each club on Long Island and trains them under the guidance of college coaches from St. John's, Hofstra, Adelphi and Stony Brook University.
The LIJSL is one of the largest youth soccer leagues in the world. Thirty-two players from Long Island United will fly to England on April 8. During their visit they will train with the Premier League coaches of Liverpool, Manchester City, Bolton Wanderers and Fulham, as well as play three representative games against the clubs' academy teams.
"We are absolutely delighted to host the LI United players," said Liverpool Academy manager John Owens, who nurtured international soccer stars Michael Owen, Steven Gerrard and Robbie Fowler and mentors today's crop of rising talent. "Liverpool's relationship with Long Island soccer and the LIJSL is unique and means a great deal to the club. We hope that our English lads will also gain from the experience and that in later years we will bring our teams to Long Island for a return game."
The trip will also allow the players exclusive access to see the team's professional players train — a rare opportunity. The players will be guests of honor when watching two top-level English Premier League games, Liverpool v. Blackburn and Manchester City v. Fulham. The players will also take a behind the scenes tour of the famous Anfield Stadium in Liverpool and Old Trafford, the world-renowned "theatre of dreams" at Manchester United.
When not involved in the soccer side of the tour the players will have time to take in the scenic culture of the ancient town of Chester, plus the magnificent Warwick Castle and the sights of London.
"This is a quite unbelievable experience" said LIJSL Technical Director Gary Book. "I do not think the players are fully able to comprehend what it all means at the moment. The access that Long Island United has been provided is totally unheard of; it requires special dispensation from the English Football Association to play against a Premier League Academy team and to be allowed play against three speaks volumes for their respect of Long Island Soccer. This will be an experience that will impact and last these young players forever."
Michael is likely to have plenty to relate to his Nassakeag Elementary sixth-grade schoolmates upon his return from across the pond.
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