The next generation of budding All Whites are ready to hit the pitch running with this weekend's kickoff of the national youth league.
All eight New Zealand Football Championships franchises will be represented in the Lion Foundation League. They will be joined by a ninth team representing the strong AucklandManukau federation and coached by All Whites assistant coach Brian Turner.
Most of the country's best young talent, including many who have already played in the NZFC, will be on show in the league, which is split into northern and southern conferences.
The five-team northern division, which includes defending champions Auckland City, starts tomorrow with home games for Waikato FC (against Auckland Manukau) and Waitakere United (who play Hawkes Bay United). City have the bye.
The southern conference, hosting Team Wellington, YoungHeart Manawatu, Canterbury United and Otago United, starts on February 21.
Semifinals will be played on April 4 with the grand final a week later.
City, coached by Jose Figueira and with Peter Martin and Michael Bird as his assistants, again will be the team to beat.
Heading that squad is East Coast Bays' Daniel Morgan, who played the second half of City's fifth-place triumph over African champions TP Mazembe at last month's Fifa Club World Cup. He is joined by other useful players including Jacob Mathews, Thomas Spragg and Nikko Boxall.
Waitakere too have a promising lineup including Fifa Under-17 World Cup hero Zane Sole, regular centre-back Tim Myers, Dakota Lucas, Luke Adams, Jason Hicks, Ryan De Vries and Tom Edwards - all have had game time in the NZFC this season.
Waitakere United coach Neil Emblen has no doubt Auckland City will be the team to beat as they chase their fifth title in the six years of the youth league.
"They beat us in the thriller of a final last year when we came back from 0-3 to draw level at 3-3 and take the game into extra time. In the end they won 7-4. We drew 1-1 in a friendly last weekend so I expect both teams will be there or thereabouts come the end of the season."
NZ YOUTH LEAGUE
Northern First Round
Tomorrow
* Waikato FC v Auckland Manukau Centennial Park, Ngaruawahia, 10am
* Waitakere United v Hawkes Bay Fred Taylor Park, Whenuapai, 11am
* Auckland City, bye
