YOUTH Anderlecht took part in a U16 tournament organized by Arsenal in London this weekend. The purple-white U16, reinforced with four players from the 2008 generation, lived up to their international reputation by reaching the final. In this, however, they had to acknowledge their superiority to Sparta Prague, which won 2-0. Prior to the tournament, Anderlecht decided to forfeit their final U18 playoff match.
This enabled most of the players of the U16 team to participate in the prestigious tournament, where they were able to play six high-level matches over three days.
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Continue reading In the group stage, Anderlecht started strong by holding host Arsenal to a 2-2 draw. A draw against Norway's Rosenborg (0-0) was followed by a victory over Lech Poznan (2-1), with which they finished second in their group, equal in points with Arsenal.
In the quarterfinals, Anderlecht's U16 competed against Ireland's Shamrock Rovers. After a 0-0 draw, they won with penalties, which earned them a spot in the semifinals. There they defeated Avispa Fukuoka 3-1, reaching the final.
In the final, Sparta Prague, with four wins and one draw in the tournament, proved too strong an opponent. It became a 0-2 defeat. So in the end Anderlecht finished second in the tournament, an achievement that underlines the strength of their youth training.
The final ranking of the tournament were as follows: Sparta Prague Anderlecht Lech Poznan Avispa Fukuoka Arsenal Rosenborg Shamrock Rovers Derby County
