Inter Miami youth squad take Cayman’s U14 tournament

Inter Miami – the home club of international football icon Lionel Messi – hit the pitch running at the Ed Bush Sports Complex, where their youth squad claimed the Cayman Islands Under-14 Youth Football Tournament title after an impressive showing over three days.

Their title came after a riveting weekend of football, in which the country’s senior national men picked up a historic win, but when it came to lifting silverware, Inter Miami U14s were the centre of attention on Sunday, 9 June.

The Miami boys faced off against Cayman’s U14 national squad, Jamaica U14s and local team Academy SC through 7-9 June, in matches played under unrelenting rainfall.

“I would like to thank the fans for their unwavering support and commitment shown over the weekend, despite the inclement weather,” Arden Rivers, tournament director, told the Compass.

“It is an extreme honour to lead the most prestigious youth football tournament in the region, attracting and hosting the best regional national teams … as well as top UK academies … and the premier US academies.”

In the past, the tournament has featured squads like Cuba, Trinidad & Tobago, Manchester City, Charlton Athletic, LA Galaxy and DC United.

“The collaboration between sports and tourism has been the driving force behind this tournament,” Rivers said, noting that the football fraternity has an obligation to help provide opportunities for the next generation of players.

The 2024 U14 tournament kicked off with local club Academy SC defeating Cayman’s national team 2-0, followed by Inter Miami edging the Jamaican youngsters 2-1.

The next day, Inter Miami continued their winning ways, beating Academy 3-0, before the Cayman national boys suffered a 7-1 loss to Jamaica. On the final day, Academy were defeated 6-0 by the Jamaicans, leading to the last game in which Inter Miami thrashed Cayman 7-0.

Rivers thanked all those who supported the tournament, including the Ministry of Tourism and Ports, the Ministry of Youth, Sports, Culture and Heritage, and the Cayman Islands Football Association.