Fort Lauderdale Strikers Prepare for 2016 Weifang Cup
The Fort Lauderdale Strikers have made strides in recent months to continue to develop the youth game in the United States as they prepare for their second trip to China since the turn of the calendar year. The Strikers will form a U-19 team to travel to Weifang, China, in July to participate in the annual Weifang Cup that includes the likes of Real Madrid, VfL Wolfsburg, S.L. Benfica and C.D. Guadalajara.
Soccer News: The Fort Lauderdale Strikers are set to make its second trip to China this year as the South Florida club prepares for the 2016 Weifang Cup. The annual youth international tournament will welcome eight teams including Real Madrid, VfL Wolfsburg, C.D. Guadalajara, S.L. Benfica, Desportivo Brasil, Shandong Luneng Taishan F.C. of China, China’s U-18 National Team as well as Fort Lauderdale’s under-19 side that will be formed for the tournament.
The 2016 Weifang Cup will be hosted by the Chinese Football Association and Shandong Luneng Taishan F.C. in the city of Weifang, China, and will held between July 24th and July 30th. Fort Lauderdale’s under-19 side will be led by Head Coach Olaf Henke of the club’s under-23 NPSL team. The Strikers’ traveling team will consist of local youth talent from the region along with first team and U-23 players that are of age.
Fort Lauderdale’s effort to continue to develop its youth program takes another stride with the announcement of the club’s NPSL side forming this year as well as the partnership with local youth club team Fort Lauderdale FC. The organization has put its efforts into building a full development pyramid in order to expand the club’s brand internationally by developing quality players that have access to the opportunities and resources provided by the Strikers.
SoccerToday discussed the goals for Fort Lauderdale’s second trip to China and future youth development expectations with Olaf Henke and Managing Director Luis Cuccatti as they prepare for the 2016 Weifang Cup.
Coach Olaf Henke Interview
Chris Rael: What are your expectations for the 2016 Weifang Cup?
Olaf Henke: The number one expectation is that it’s going to be a great opportunity for the players. The experience I think the players will get from playing teams such as Real Madrid, Wolfsburg and Benfica is a fantastic opportunity. As far as performance goes, we’ll have to see where we are at and certainly hope that with the talent we have on hand in South Florida we can put something together that goes out there and competes. But I think the most valuable thing is definitely the experience of such a trip and considering the opposition we’re up against.
Chris Rael: How many players are you taking? What traits will you be looking for in your selection for the U-19 side?
Olaf Henke: 18 players and 5 staff. If you look at the criteria of the tournament it has to be a high quality team that is going there. We will be looking at players and the development they have had so far; the environment they have been a part of and certainly some of the achievements they have had as individual players. Once we get to the final selection we will look at positions a little bit, which will play a role as well. It is a short time that we have, but I think with what’s available we hope that we can find the talent that brings quality. We certainly will be in touch with local development academy programs in South Florida and look at players from these programs as well.
Chris Rael: Being the only U.S. club attending, how do you feel your squad will matchup?
Olaf Henke: It will be difficult. We’re not delusional when it comes to that. For multiple reasons, I think from a talent point of view we do have the talent in the U.S. to compete at that level. If you look at our U15-U17 teams, they are matching up fairly well. Once they are a little older it sometimes gets trickier because development across countries is significantly different than what it is here, but from a talent perspective there is a possibility to match up. Will it translate into the time frame given for us to prepare and given the opposition of established teams? They obviously have more experience at that level being professional teams. So it will be quite a challenge, but I think the exciting part is that from a pure talent level I think there might be opportunities and if the players take it the right way then we’ll see. We’re going in there and we see it as a learning experience and opportunity for the club and that is mainly what it is.
Chris Rael: Why do you think there are no other clubs from the USA?
Olaf Henke: It’s a very selective tournament. Not just this year but in the past as well, which makes it even more exclusive. It’s not uncommon as tournaments outside the United States are run more exclusive with fewer teams but with a focus on higher quality.
If you look at it as why the Fort Lauderdale Strikers, it may have a reason with our relations with the local club in Weifang that our first team established during their trip in March. Also, possibly our relationship with Ronaldo and the connection he has over there with the R9 Academy.
Chris Rael: What will the exposure to high quality teams at the tournament do for the U-19 team/players as well as the organization?
Olaf Henke: For the players it is a very valuable experience. If you have the opportunity to step on the same field with teams from countries such as Portugal, Germany or Mexico, that is truly a significant experience our players will have. I would really not be surprised if in 5 or 8 years from now you go and look back at the rosters of the teams we will be up against and see some players that not just made it as a professional but have significant success.
As far as the club goes, being part of a tournament with teams such as Real Madrid, Wolfsburg and Benfica – to be on a list with those teams is fantastic for the club. It will help grow the relationship with Shandong Luneng Taishan F.C. and it will obviously help grow the brand of Fort Lauderdale Strikers.
Chris Rael: How will you prepare for the different styles of play between the competition you will face?
Olaf Henke: Well it definitely is going to be a challenge because we’re going to have to find our own style of players. In a coaching perspective, if you want to be successful on the field you have to be true to your own style. With such a short period of time it’s not that easy, but once you do you will adjust accordingly to the different opponent you are up against. Thankfully, the teams we are up against we will be able to study them a little bit and prepare the team hopefully to the best we can.
It won’t be easy but it’s a learning process for the players we are taking as well. If you are playing in Spain you are constantly competing at that level. Your adjustments are probably minor. We will have to make some bigger adjustments from game to game not just because we are a new team but because it is new competition. There will be some studying that the players will have to do probably more so than over teams because of the lack of experience.
Chris Rael: What is your coaching philosophy or style of your team?
Olaf Henke: If things come together I like an attacking style. I like teams that are capable of performing in a very compact way. I like short distances between lines whether that is offensively or defensively. I like teams that function and are disciplined in a very compact way. I do like if teams are capable of varying the pace of the game. Whether you defend compact and are able to absorb the pressure, but also in other situations able to apply high pressure. To go into the attack and once you have transitional moments to execute quickly and to find the right way into the opposition’s final third.
That’s my philosophy, but are we going to be able to implement this philosophy in a short time and if players can execute this perfectly under the circumstances with the teams we are facing? Maybe not. Maybe we will have to be a lot more careful there and our focus may be a bit more defensive oriented.
Like they say, “offense wins games, defense wins tournaments”. We’re going in there and we want to compete, we want to be competitive. That’s the game plan so the main focus will be to create a compact and disciple team that can execute on the defensive end.
Chris Rael: Please discuss the youth development program at Fort Lauderdale and the future steps you hope to take.
Olaf Henke: With the partnership between the Strikers and Fort Lauderdale FC and the opportunities that have come along with the NPSL team, it gives youth players a very transparent model of game development path. Something in my opinion we are lacking a little bit in this country. There is a high emphasis on youth soccer and we’re trying to get it right. Once these players get out of high school they play college soccer or there is not really a lot of other options.
The problem with the various semi-professional leagues is that they are very seasonal. They are structured around the college program and not everybody goes to college. So what happens to the players that have to ambition to continue playing but they just don’t have the opportunity.
I think that part between the youth and the highest level of professional soccer is something that we are missing. This is happening at clubs all over the country that provide kids with the path to what development could look like. Kids are able to see the path and steps players take from youth programs to make it to the professional team.
Luis Cuccatti Interview
Chris Rael: Please discuss the youth development program at Fort Lauderdale and the future steps you hope to take.
Luis Cuccatti: About six months ago we started talking about our academy and youth programs. Do we go organic and start this from scratch and develop our brand or do me go non-organic. When I took that to the board, we decided to look around and see some of the programs in the community and if we tried to go non-organically to look at a partnership with someone.
We began with two or three things and one of those was Fort Lauderdale Select. We started looking at board of directors and put out posters up for partnerships. We were able to bring Fort Lauderdale FC to our organization. By doing that we had the base of the pyramid, but from Fort Lauderdale FC to professional we saw a gap. We decided to close the gap by creating the U23 team and now with the opportunity in China we decided there’s an opportunity to build here between the 17 and 19 years old. By taking that action we try to have the whole pyramid with the NASL, NPSL, U19, and the academy of Fort Lauderdale FC as well as training camps and other things.
Everything we are doing for the professional side we are doing for the kids. With our infrastructure they have access to almost everything. I do expect three or five players from the U23 side to be with the first team next year as we move forward.
Chris Rael: What are your expectations for the 2016 Weifang Cup?
Luis Cuccatti: It’s huge for the kids. It’s a single opportunity for the kids who are going there to play against Real Madrid, Benfica, etc. It’s good for our brand. We went there two months ago and started to establish the brand there. We did some work with the R9 Academy to open some doors and we are now going back to where our opportunities are.
It’s good to keep your brand out there and we’re trying to be present as a club and show our stuff. When you go into a tournament you want to be the champion, but that’s not my goal for this year. My expectation is to be there and for them to see the way the Strikers develop and compete in order to come back next year.
Anytime you’re associated with organizations such as Shandong Luneng Taishan F.C. is impressive. We’re building our relationships there and I like how they are responding to some of those things we are putting together for them. There’s more things to come; we started this relationship two months ago and this is an awesome facility with everything that a kid needs to develop.
Chris Rael: Being the only U.S. club attending, how do you feel your squad will matchup?
Luis Cuccatti: One thing since we got here is how we can be unique. I think we showed to other U.S. clubs and even MLS clubs our quality. After four days of camp we played against FC Schalke 04. You do need to have some guts to take that action and I recall myself reacting to that game in disbelief. That was a unique experience and now we are doing the same with the kids and we will continue to do that. I do expect to take the kids to Brazil in January to play in one of the most important championships in Brazil and we will continue to take those actions because I want to be in those markets. I want to expose my players and assets to those markets abroad.
Chris Rael: Why do you think there are no other clubs from the USA?
Luis Cuccatti: I am not sure how active they are looking for opportunities in the United States. We are an international brand that is always active and looking for opportunities abroad. Given our track record, we do have several companies that are part of our network. Some markets we benefit from relationships with certain companies.
Chris Rael: The first team traveled in March for its preseason tour. What is the synergy like with the Chinese Football Association?
Luis Cuccatti: The way they are investing and giving incentives to companies who invest in soccer by receiving tax breaks definitely helps. Not only from the Chinese Football Association but the other companies who want to put some dollars in funding for soccer.
When you look at Shandong Luneng’s system for their academy – these guys are serious. They receive those things almost in every city. When you have a government and associations all aligned for a cause good things will happen.
Chris Rael: What will the exposure to high quality teams at the tournament do for the U-19 team/players as well as the organization?
Luis Cuccatti: For this particular tournament you are measuring yourself against the best. How they structure their program and also the type of players they have. The bar is very high and we will bring back a lot of lessons on some adjustments we have to do in our youth program. I have high expectations not from a performance view but from a learning point of view. I like the dynamic there, but also I am happy for the kids. They will be around not only one of the best infrastructures on the planet but they will be playing against Real Madrid.
My job is to create opportunities and I believe when I made the decision to accept the invitation I am creating opportunities not only for my brand but for my product and my kids to go there and spend ten days with what is best to offer.
Photo Credit: Rosa Cavalcanti /Fort Lauderdale Strikers
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