WVO Tournament

Mr. MUJAC

Manchester United Youth Historian
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Walter Crickmer started it all...
United are travelling to Holland tomorrow and will play a series of friendlies as part of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's preparation for the new season.

After playing Katwijk on Thursday night, the Reds will take a day off before participating in the Wout Van Overdam Tournament in Pijnacker-Nootdorp, around 15 miles north of Rotterdam.

The tournament is split into two pools of four teams and play in matches 35 minutes in duration. The top two teams then play in the final later in the day.

United are in Pool 2 and play the following teams:

10:20 Vitesse v United
11:10 BVCB v United
12:50 NEC v United
14:30 United v Sparta Rotterdam

15:10 3rd v 4th Place
15:30 1st v 2nd Place

United then travel to Belgium on Sunday and will face Antwerp on Monday night.
 
link


The squad:Ron Robert Zieler, David Gray, Thomas Heaton, Corry Evans, Daniel Simpson, James Chester, Oliver Gill, Joseph Dudgeon, Reece Brown, Scott Wootton, Magnus Eikrem, Sam Hewson, Oliver Norwood, Matthew James, Robert Brady, Cameron Stewart, Nicholas Ajose, Febian Brandy.
 
United arrived in Pijnacker this morning ready to add further silverware to the Old Trafford trophy room.

With a great pre-season record so far, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was looking to up the ante in a tournament against some crack Dutch opposition at the Oliveo FCS Training Complex.

Kitman Ian Buckingham was included and Richie De Laet joined up with the team that had beaten VV Katwijk 4-1 on Thursday night.

The official Squad List is:

1. Heaton
2. Simpson
3. Dudgeon
4. Chester
5. De Laet
6. Evans
7. Stewart
8. Hewson
9. Brandy
10. Eikrem
11. Brady
12. Gill
13. Zieler
14. Norwood
15. Wootton
16. James
17. Brown
18. Ajose
19. Buckingham

United started the first game on one of the minor pitches at 10:20 against Vitesse Arnhem, one of the stronger teams in the tournament. The games are only 35 minutes in duration with no half time, so Solskjaer started what is probably what is his most experienced side.

In a tough, scrappy game, United scored early and Corry Evans gave us the lead after only 6 minutes. From then on the contest was fairly even but we had more of the play and were deserved winners. We played 451 with Brandy up front watched by a small crowd of 114.

Vitesse Arnhem

1. Heaton
2. Simpson
3. Dudgeon
4. Chester (capt)
5. De Laet
6. Evans
7. Stewart
16. James
9. Brandy
10. Eikrem
11. Brady

8. Hewson (10) on '27
12. Gill
13. Zieler
14. Norwood (11) on '27
15. Wootton
17. Brown (7) on '29
18. Ajose (9) on '29
19. Buckingham

The second game started 15 minutes later and obviously the team and a completely different look, with most of the subs in the first game starting against BVCB, who were much lower quality than Vitesse.

The game was played on the main pitch which is synthetic, and although we do have artificial pitches at Carrington it was interesting to see how the Reds would cope with a slightly different game. I shouldn't have worried.......Cam Stewart gave us the lead on 7 minutes when he ran on to a through ball by Ajose and placed the ball calmly past the keeper into the bottom left hand corner. Scott Wootton made in 2-0 on 12 minutes when he scored with a glancing header from 12 yards into the top right hand corner from a Stewart corner. A much larger crowd of 327 were delighted when United made it 3-0 on 15 minutes. Stewart was having a good game and ran onto a through ball by Ollie Norwood. He raced towards goal before squaring it to Ajose who calmly slotted it into an empty net.

With the game virtually won, Ian Buckingham came on after the goal for Cam Stewart. Eikrem then missed an open goal from four yards and got into a bit of a slanging match with one of their defenders. He must of said something as he was immediately substituted. Then on 32 minutes the bench went crazy! Hewson was upended in the area and we were awarded a penalty. Up stepped Buckingham who drove the ball hard into the bottom right hand corner giving the keeper no chance. The management and subs were in stitches as Ian turned to celebrate.

The game finished 4-0 to the Reds who lined up again in a 451 formation with Ajose the lone striker, and we must now be one of the favourites for the competition.

BVCB

13. Zieler
17. Brown
3. Dudgeon
12. Gill
15. Wootton
7. Stewart
8. Hewson (capt)
14. Norwood
10. Eikrem
11. Brady
18. Ajose

1. Heaton
2. Simpson
4. Chester (11) on '20
5. De Laet
6. Evans
9. Brandy
16. James (10) on '22
19. Buckingham (7) on '16

We now play NEC in about twenty minutes so another update later this afternoon.
 
then on 32 minutes the bench went crazy! Hewson was upended in the area and we were awarded a penalty. Up stepped buckingham who drove the ball hard into the bottom right hand corner giving the keeper no chance. The management and subs were in stitches as ian turned to celebrate.
Click to expand...

:lol:
 
The hosts Oliveo were in Group 2, and they showed that although they may be a small provincial junior team, their facilities are top division in all respects and their set-up puts many English clubs to shame.

As the tournament is progressing, what is becoming clear is that the Dutch teams are using the games to give match time to many of their first team regulars as well as their reserves.

As a consequence, the result against an experienced Vitesse team was even more encouraging.

The Reds then faced a very strong NEC side with first team players listed on their team sheet. United lined up in last season's kit of white shirts and blue shorts. However, Febian Brandy wore the Number 20 shirt as the Number 9 jersey had been ripped to shreds in the match versus Katwijk on Thursday. United had a back four of Simpson, Chester, De Laet and Gill, with Stewart and Dudgeon playing out wide. Hewson, James and Evans were the middle three with Brandy again the lone striker.

Starting on the outside grass pitch, the opening ten minutes saw NEC over-power United in most areas. They were a strong physical side and went ahead early in the game when one of their forwards lobbed Zieler from the edge of the area. After 17 minutes, Eikrem came on to replace Gill and De Laet moved from centre-half to left back. Corry Evans moved from midfield to central defence and Magnus took the central midfield role.

It was a sign of good tactical awareness by Solskjaer and Joyce, as Eikrem started to get a grip on midfield and Evans strengthened the defence. Eikrem nearly scored with his first touch, forcing a great save from the keeper with a free kick. Cam Stewart was again doing well on the right, while Brandy was continually busy up front and pressurising the NEC defence.

Then on 24 minutes, United drew level when Ritchie De Laet scored with a header at the far post from another Eikrem fee-kick. For the remainder of the game it was pretty even with a 1-1 draw being a fair result.


NEC Nijmegen

13. Zieler
2. Simpson
12. Gill
4. Chester (capt)
5. De Laet
6. Evans
7. Stewart
8. Hewson
16. James
3. Dudgeon
9. Brandy

1. Heaton
10. Eikrem (12) on '17
11. Brady
14. Norwood
15. Wootton
17. Brown
18. Ajose
19. Buckingham

We are now guaranteed to finish in the play-off places but a win over Sparta Rotterdam will see us through to the final. Interestingly, Sparta are on the same points and goal difference as United so if the next game finishes in a draw, a penalty shoot-out will decide who will go through.

At first I thought that these games might be a bit of a breeze for the Reds and not much competition. However, this is a very competitive tournament which our next opponents have won for the last two years!
 
United's reserves reached the final of the Wout van Overdam Youth Tournament with an impressive 2-0 victory over Sparta Rotterdam, who featured players with first team experience.

With Robbie Brady injured, United played Joe Dudgeon on the left and teh back four were Brown, Chester, De Laet and Simpson. Stewart was again wide right, Evans, James and Eikrem in the middle with Febian up front.

It was a tight opening ten minutes with United not giving anything away and the only shot of note was a 30 yard effort from Corry Evans which was easy for the keeper to collect. It remained fairly even for the first twenty minutes and then United upped the tempo. Sam Hewson replaced Reece Brown so Simpson went to right back, Dudgeon to left back, and Magnus went wide left.

In the 24th minute the 461 crowd saw a clear penalty decision turned down as Brandy went down in the box. Whatever frustration he felt was soon forgotten as Febian scored a cracking solo goal two minutes later. Receiving the ball from Dudgeon on the edge of the area, he spun past one defender, burst in between another two and slotted the ball under the keeper to give United a deserved lead. On the half hour mark, Gill came on to replace Stewart and went to outside left with Eikrem switching wings.

Then on 33 minutes, Danny Simpson released Magnus on the right and he raced down the wing before knocking a great ball to the far post. Oliver Gill met the ball and headed it back for the on-rushing Matty James to hit it with his left foot. The Sparta keeper made a great save but James scored from the rebound to give United a 2-0 lead.

Brandy and Eikrem were immediately replaced by Ajose and Norwood for the last two minutes. As Brandy was coming off the pitch he was berated in no uncertain terms by Warren Joyce for lashing out at a Sparta defender a few minutes earlier. Brandy received strong words from the referee but no card was shown. If Brandy picked up a booking he would have missed the final, and as our only forward, the coaching staff were not too happy with his impetuosity.

Regardless of his 'mad moment', Brandy was easily the Man of the Match, working his socks off and causing the Sparta defence loads of problems.

The game finished 2-0 to the Reds and the final table looked like this:

1. Manchester United - Played 4 Won 3 Drew 1 Lost 0 GF 8 GA 1 Points 10
2. Sparta Rotterdam - Played 4 Won 2 Drew 1 Lost 1 GF 6 GA 3 Points 7
3. Vitesse Arnhem - Played 4 Won 2 Drew 0 Lost 2 GF 3 GA 3 Points 6
4. NEC Nijmegen - Played 4 Won 1 Drew 3 Lost 0 GF 7 GA 2 Points 5
5. BVCB - Played 4 Won 0 Drew 0 Lost 4 GF 1 GA 16 Points 0

It was hard on NEC who were one of the better teams in the tournament, but they, like United were in the toughest groups, and their three draws cost them.

United now face Groningen in the final.

Sparta Rotterdam

1. Heaton
17. Brown
2. Simpson
4. Chester (capt)
5. De Laet
6. Evans
7. Stewart
16. James
10. Eikrem
3. Dudgeon
9. Brandy (wore 20 shirt)

8. Hewson (17) on '23
11. Brady
12. Gill (7) on '30
13. Zieler
14. Norwood (10) on '33
15. Wootton
18. Ajose (20) on '33
19. Buckingham
 
Think we won the final 1-0 looking at the tournament website (I assume the kick-off times are CET so it's finished).
 
Magnus Makes his Mark!

And so to the final against Dutch Eredivisie side FC Groningen. Groningen have a a proud history of hosting a youth tournament of their own and Manchester United have competed in the Groningen Youth Tournament on many occasions down the years.

Continuing in our blue and white strip, the game took place on the main grass pitch and Solskjaer probably named his strongest line-up. The back four were 2-5 and Hewson was preferred in the middle with Eikrem outside left in the five man midfield. Brandy was the buttress up front.

The game kicked off at 15.40 and 795 spectators gathered to see the action.

In the first ten minutes we were on top but showed little penetration. The pattern continued until the 24th minute when Groningen had their best chance of the game. One of their forwards broke through the United defence and struck the ball with venom in the box bringing out an outstanding save from Tom Heaton. The Reds then raced down the other end of the pitch with Eikrem feeding Brandy on the edge of the box. Brandy took one touch, shimmied past a defender who brought him down in the area for a definite penalty. Eikrem stepped up and calmly placed the ball in the bottom left hand corner to give United the lead on 25 minutes.

Groningen had lots of possession in the final ten minutes as we started to tire, but our defence held firm. Gill and Wootton were introduced to help keep our goal intact and we ran the clock down to win the tournament at our first attempt.

Both Eikrem and Stewart had good games and, along with Febian Brandy, were our players of the tournament.

So, after nearly three hours of action, James Chester lifted the tournament trophy at the presentation ceremony.

FC Groningen

1. Heaton
2. Simpson
3. Dudgeon
4. Chester (capt)
5. De Laet
6. Evans
7. Stewart
8. Hewson
16 James
10 Eikrem
20. Brandy

11. Brady
12. Gill (8) on '34
13. Zieler
14. Norwood (7) on '26
15. Wootton (20) on '30
17. Brown
18. Ajose
19. Buckingham

So we leave Holland on a high note and travel to Belgium where the players can enjoy a day of rest before facing RSC Antwerp on Monday night. The tournament has been a great success with everyone delighted that such a prestigious club as United participated. Jan Reuwijk of the organising committee is hopeful that we will make this a regular occurrence in the years to come.

Apparently photos will be posted on the official website in the next few days.
 
Great stuff as always Mujac.

Good to see Brandy playing well, the spell at Hereford seems to have been really good for him. I like what I've seen of Eikrem, he's got a good football brain and a great right foot.
 
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