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YPT REACHES SEMI-FINALS OF PRO TOURNAMENT

As part of it's European Tour Program, YPT was invited to enter a u16 team in the Pro-Sassi tournament in Modena, Italy over Easter. The team reached the semi-finals before bowing out to Coventry FC of the English Premier League.

YPT earned respect from some, and shocked others, after upsetting FC Parma, of the Italian Serie A by a score of 1-0 in their first group stage match of the competition.

The next morning, among much fanfare and activity, and in front of close to 2,000 people, YPT played in the tournaments official opening match against giants Bayern Munich of the German Bundesliga. YPT lost the match by a respectable score of 0-2
against a team that boasted 11 national team members.

In its third, and final, group stage match YPT defeated Castelfranco, a very aggressive lower division Italian club, in an emotional battle in their home stadium on Easter morning. YPT fought back from being a goal down, drawing even late in the second half
then scoring the game winner with less than 4 minutes to go in the match.

In the semifinal round YPT squared off against a typically physical and very organized English side. Coventry pressured all over the pitch making it difficult for YPT to find the rhythm that had brought them this far. The match ended 0-2.

Over the last several years, YPT's European Tour Program has traditionally found success in friendly matches against professional youth teams all over Europe but this was YPT's first major competition. Being the only U.S. side in the u16 age group, not many of the European teams expected the Americans to advance out of the group stage. Considering just over half the YPT was u16 with the rest being u15, and one u14, it was a notable accomplishment.

The YPT players represented their country well, doing their part to raise the level of respect for American players at the highest level in Europe.