FC Barcelona Sport

The coaches from Manchester United Soccer Schools (MUSS) in Abu Dhabi have announced the top 10 skills challenge winners from their second programme during the end of course presentation ceremony for children and their parents at the Dome@Rawdhat.

More than 200 children who participated in the second MUSS module, which focused on developing techniques used by Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs and Darren Fletcher in the midfield area, received certificates and player evaluations from their coaches while the top 10 point scorers in the skills challenge competition – a test of the children’s dribbling, short passing and ball control techniques – were announced.

Two children from each age group will now join their peers from the inaugural MUSS programme to take part in the Abu Dhabi Skills Final in autumn 2011.  They will be joined by a further ten participants from module three which starts on 9^th April 2011.

“All of the skills challenges are age handicapped so the seven year olds can compete fairly against the 16 year olds and they really test the technical abilities of the players,” said Andy Dixon, head coach at MUSS Abu Dhabi. 

“Of the 30 children who will participate in the Abu Dhabi Skills Final, the top two point scorers will receive an all expenses paid trip to Manchester to represent Abu Dhabi in the World Skills Final and compete against their peers from around the world, playing in front of 75,000 people at Old Trafford.”

The latest batch of winners includes the first girl to join the finalists.  Jasmine Dougherty, a Japanese American, topped the leader board alongside Mohamed Ayyash from Jordan in the 13 to 14 year old category.  Jasmine and Mohamed are joined by peers from the UK, Lebanon, Bahrain and Palestine.

7 to 8 year olds:          Euan Dalley (UK); Omar El Attar (Lebanon)

9 to 10 year olds:        Fadhel Sameer Barakat (Bahrain); Ahmed Saleh (UK)

11 to 12 year olds:      Jad Ghazali (Lebanon); Joseph Kouadio (UK)

13 to 14 year olds:      Jasmine Dougherty (Japan / USA); Mohamed Ayyash (Jordan)

15 to 16 year olds:      Ben Rose (UK); Saleh Jaffal (Palestine)

All participants registered for the third MUSS module which course kicks off on Saturday 9 April, 2011, will have the opportunity to take part in the Skills Challenge competition. Module 3 will teach UAE children how to master the skills required by modern strikers, using Wayne Rooney, Javier Hernandez and Dimitar Berbatov as model examples. 

The “learn to finish with style, the United way” module will encourage children to display a positive attitude on and off the pitch, build and maintain confidence in their own ability and develop composure in front of the goal.

All participants who register for third module will have the opportunity to win two match tickets and return flights from Abu Dhabi, to watch Manchester United’s final home game of the season against Blackpool at Old Trafford.

MUSS will host a free family open day at the Dome@Rawdhat on 7^th April from 6:00pm until 7.30pm for parents with children aged between seven and 16.