Tom D
Jr. Academy
Posts: 14
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Post by Tom D on Jul 27, 2016 6:00:43 GMT -5
Hello Friends of Georgia Soccer Park, Arrangements have just been made for a friendly match between the Nigerian Olympic Team (featuring John Obi Mikel) and Atlanta’s Nigerian All Star team to be played at GSP today, Wednesday, July 27, 5:00PM. There will be a $10/person entry fee to cover security and facility costs. Please pass this message onto your soccer groups today, asap. You can cut and paste from below. “ The Nigerian Olympic Team, featuring Chelsea FC midfielder John Obi Mikel, will be in action at Georgia Soccer Park tomorrow at 5:00PM, (Wednesday, July 27), playing an exhibition match vs Atlanta’s Nigerian All Star Team. There is a $10/person entry fee. Limited concessions will be provided but you are welcome to bring your own drinks and snacks. Georgia Soccer Park 3895 Ben Hill Road East Point, GA 30349 www.georgiasoccerpark.com“ (byob) Thank you and enjoy the park, Tom Tom Deaver Executive Director Georgia Soccer Park cell (404) 992-4928 tdeaver@georgiasoccerpark.com www.georgiasoccerpark.com
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Post by Soccerhouse on Jul 27, 2016 9:10:25 GMT -5
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Post by SoccerMom on Jul 28, 2016 12:27:38 GMT -5
The Battery game was played the next morning
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Post by Soccerhouse on Aug 3, 2016 9:23:26 GMT -5
more bad luck for nigerian team www.dirtysouthsoccer.com/2016/8/3/12367182/nigeria-soccer-olympics-atlanta-airplane-moneyA source close to the Nigeria Football Federation told BBC Sport: "The Nigerian government [sports ministry] is responsible for booking the tickets for the team to travel but we heard there is a logistical mix-up with payments," An unnamed player in the squad told the BBC: "We've been told to get ready to fly out in few hours but that's been the story since last week." CBS-46 in Atlanta reported that the team was supposed to depart Atlanta last Friday. Their story said that the Nigeria Sports Ministry is “in part responsible for booking the tickets” for the team.
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Post by Soccerhouse on Aug 3, 2016 20:24:37 GMT -5
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Post by zizou on Aug 4, 2016 10:31:49 GMT -5
In other Nigeria-related news, it appears there is a very good reason Nigeria have won the FIFA U17 World Cup a record five times (1985, 1993, 2007, 2013 and 2015): "Nigeria will be hugely depleted for Saturday’s U17 AFCON qualifier at home against Niger after a staggering 26 players out of 60 failed the mandatory MRI screening conducted last week. A top official told only AfricanFootball.com that what is disturbing is not only the high number of those who failed the age test, but the quality of those who will not be eligible as the Eaglets starting XI have been completely wiped out with only two surviving players." Nigerian Age Cheats
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Post by Soccerhouse on Aug 4, 2016 10:39:51 GMT -5
I never realized they were using this determine age! F-Marc performed MRI wrist scans of more than 500 players of different ethnic origins, between the ages of 14 and 19, with confirmed birth certificates. A six-point system was devised to grade the fusion of the growth plate. Typically, complete fusion is unlikely to occur prior to 17 years of age, with an accuracy at greater than 99 per cent. So, if MRI indicates complete fusion of a player’s wrist, it is 99 per cent certain the player is older than 17. If a player registers a Grade 6, they are considered older than 17. “MRI of the wrist is a simple, reliable, valid and non-invasive method of age determination in young male football players,” said Jiri Dvorak, the F-Marc chairman. “We can identify overage players at U17 competitions at no risk to the individual. This is of considerable help both to member associations and Fifa.” www.thenational.ae/sport/use-of-mri-technology-is-helping-fifa-in-age-battle
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Post by parentsoccerfan on Aug 4, 2016 12:33:45 GMT -5
This is fascinating and it looks like technology is catching up to the age-cheating many have claimed has been happening for some time now. There's a reason why Nigeria dominates at the lower age levels and at the Olympics but then is no where to be found at the upper ages and World Cup competitions.
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Post by jash on Aug 4, 2016 15:37:52 GMT -5
The age cheating argues even more strongly for bio-banding for competition. Other than the cost of doing the analysis each year, I can't see a downside.
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Post by zizou on Aug 4, 2016 16:28:44 GMT -5
Evidently this has been well known and admitted by Nigeria for some time. Consider this 2010 quote from the former head of the NFF: “I don’t see Nigerian football getting out of the quagmire, the problem it is in today is because it [corruption] is getting deeper and deeper and deeper. From time to time we get flashes where we do well in some competition with overage players and we celebrate. That was one of the issues I looked at, we can’t keep using overage players. We use over-age players for junior championships, I know that. Why not say it? It’s the truth. We always cheat. It’s a fact. When you cheat, you deprive the young stars that are supposed to play in these competitions their rights.” Wow. Nigeria U17 Fiasco
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Post by special1 on Aug 4, 2016 23:04:37 GMT -5
They did good tonight with all the drama, stress, etc, Props to those players.
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Post by zizou on Aug 5, 2016 8:20:17 GMT -5
They did good tonight with all the drama, stress, etc, Props to those players. Amazing brand of high octane, who cares about defense, throw caution to the wind footy. Hope they are planning on spending another night in an airport.
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Post by Soccerhouse on Aug 5, 2016 8:27:49 GMT -5
No doubt, score goals, out score the opponent, defense is for the Denver Broncos.
I'm sure they were totally gassed out there after what they have been through.
So are we to assume, the vast majority of their roster is > 23 years of age?
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Post by special1 on Aug 5, 2016 9:45:57 GMT -5
Not sure what their age is but since they passed the age litmus test by the regulating organization, I'm okay with it. Besides, I doubt that Nigeria is the only country that is using over-age players if it is true. The nigerian olympic team that won the gold meal here in Atlanta were very entertaining. Nigeria produces a lot of world-class players all over the world....I think once players get to u21, everything is even regardless of age. One could even argue that youth have an advantage
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