Arsenal Under 16’s will take to the field at 9pm this evening against French outfit Marseille with the winners taking home the Zinédine Zidane Tournament trophy.
The Gunners booked their place in the final yesterday evening as they edged past Girondins Bordeaux on penalties. Benik Afobe’s strike handed Gatting’s boys the lead, but the physical French side equalised meaning the fixture would be decided on spot kicks.
Because of the age of the players the shoot out was limited to just three attempts each, but Arsenal already had previous experience after winning the Atalanta Cup from the spot earlier in the summer. Stopper Charlie Mann made two fantastic saves, allowing Emmanuel Frimpong the opportunity to win the game. He confidently stroked home and the Gunners were in the final.
Olympique de Marseille beat Lyon in the other semi, setting up this evenings exciting climax. You can read reports from the other two games of the competition below. With thanks to Thomas from Arsenal Academy for first hand Match Reports.
Arsenal 1-0 PSG
Arsenal 2-1 Nice
Article By – J.Sanderson
Who scored the other penalties?
Just wondering.
Oh, was the Thomas you mentioned Jay Emmanuel Thomas from the Arsenal U-18s? When you click on his name at the end of those match reports, it shows a French website that I translated via Google translator. Can you please explain what that website is about, how makes it, ect. Thanks!
Oh, and I’ve been reading this blog for a while now; ever since you started mentioning WILSHERE. I haven’t been commenting though but I might do it now and give my views on this young guns. However, I would watch the Arsenal youth matches online on Arsenal TV if it didn’t cost money that I can’t really afford right now.
Thomas is our close partner, it’s not a footballer, but he is a fan from France.
He runs Arsenal Academy, it’s basically a French version of this website. Young Guns is helping him set up, and we are sharing info.
Great site, hope the boys read it as they deserve much credit and make me proud as an AFC supporter, keep smiling and winning.
common lads its time to shine !!!
Great post
we still havent signed anyone!!! about an hour and a half to go
noo arsenal gooner the transfer window has changed , it closes tomorrow night
oh shii thnx m8 i dldnt knw that
The only thing worrying me is the racial segregation apparently featured in the photo…
4 real i saw that aswell ,apart from the lads on the right its like the mix race lads are in the middle
What racial segregation there just a bunch of kids posing for a photograph stop seeing things that are not there
Look at the left, check the colours of the guys skins, then do the same at the right. Notice most of the whites on the left and very few on the right?
Well, you’re right in one way. It can’t be too bad. It’s just a photo.
If there was any of that racist rubbish going on at in the Arsenal youth set up we would have heard about it by now, P.S and i know what the picture looks like, but like i said before that is all it is a bunch of kids posing for a photograph nothing more than that IMO
cant lie but its tru
jus like in the first team gallas, adebayor, sagna, toure, eboue, they all hang wid each other
thats ridiculous we should be proud that we have one of the most multicultural teams in the world and pride ourselves on that! as a young black man growing up in london I have always been really encouraged by the amount of black and other ethnic players we have had in our team since the days of David Rocastle–Micky Thomas_Ian Wright!! all legends and all in the squad nearly 25 years ago!! to look at a squad photo and judge this as a racist act is just ignorant in my oopinion!! I love my club and won’t hear anything of the sort!! And Sanderson I LOVE THE SIGHT!! FIRST THING I CHECK EVRYDAY WHEN I WAKE UP!! By the way for every1 worrying about the transfer window–we have been linked with both Christoph Metzelder of Real mAdrid in a loan move–and also Salomon Kalou of chelski!
Is it hard to understand that many black people prefer to be with each other?
They do have a different personality than the yellows and the whites… That has nothing to do with Rasicm, its just a fact!
Glad to see afobe score again!
great. last season young gunners won atlanta cup. now we’re in zidane tournament final. the future looking good. :)
I’m confused. Why are we only playing French teams? Is Arsenal now considered French enough to play in French tournaments?
(A humourous note)
so did we win the final or what??
There were teams from other countries but we were the only non french side to get through to the semi’s
Arsenal TEAM TODAY VS CHELSEA RES:
Wojciech Szczesny
Abu Ogogo
Kieran Gibbs
Francis Coquelin
Kyle Bartley
Gavin Hoyte
Jack Wilshere
Mark Randall
Jay Simpson
Rui Fonte
Fran Merida
Substitutes James Shea
Jay Emmanuel-Thomas
Paul Rodgers
Rhys Murphy
James Dunne
1st post.. just want to say what a fantastic site this is. you do a great job j keep it up. any news on how the boys got on last night in the final?
Good news, hope they win it and i cant wait to see Afobe in action for the U18s, and hopefully a full reserve debut if his performances warrent it, although i guess hes still a little young for that.
I dont get why players upto U18 level play 40 mins a half and only get 3 penalties in penalty shoot outs. Fkin stypid if you ask me. How can age mean that you can only handle 80 mins of football, and what has it got to do with the number of pentalties that can be taken??
the boys one 1-0 in the final