Mmmm....Blue....

With temperatures in the 90s under a full Florida sun, there's no shortage of exhausted athletes coming to the Gatorade bar to grab a cold drink. When the line starts forming, there's no time for our staff to say specific flavor names. But all the shorthand made us think: if "blue" were a flavor, what would it taste like?

Photos ho!

The first usssoccer.com photo galleries are up now, so take a look for your club. More will come throughout the weekend as matches continue, thanks to our awesome photographers at isiphotos.com.

Be sure to check back later as we bring you a new episode of Studio 90!

Look-alike Contest?

Day two of the Showcase is underway, and one of the first matches of the day is pitting the U-17/18 Columbus Crew against Match Fit Chelsea. The YNT Blog checked out the start of the game and the first thing we noticed is that the Chelsea keeper looks a LOT like Peter Cech—keeper of the real Chelsea F.C. of the English Premier League. Orange Jersey? Cech. Lanky arms? Cech. Short hair looking a little like a helmet? Ce--well, maybe from a distance. See for yourself, and call us crazy if we're wrong!

Day One in the Books

With a 3-1 victory by the Under-17 Men's National Team against an Academy Select team, the first day of the 2009 Development Academy Spring Showcase has come to a close. Both teams were closely matched at first and went into halftime with a 1-1 game off early goals from Riley Wolfe for the Academy team and George Malki for the U-17s. But the second half saw the national team cash in on their chances, with finishes from Andrew Craven and Stefan Jerome putting the game away. Check out a full episode of Studio 90 tomorrow for highlights of this match and many others from throughout the day as the Showcase rolls on into day two!

Rain Delay

After living up to its moniker for most of the day, the Sunshine State showed its darker side this afternoon as thunderstorms rolled in around us. With the safety of the players and referees foremost in their mind, Academy staff called for a suspension of games until the lightning passed. With teams off the field and under shelter, we waited out the worst and are happy to announce that games are back underway.

As for what's coming up, the YNT blog is off to watch the U-17 Men's National Team take on the first of two Academy Select teams. We'll be back after the game with more updates and news as Day 1 of the 2009 Development Academy Spring Showcase comes to a close.

USA Bid 2018/2022

One of the biggest items in the Athletes' Lounge is the Bid Map. Stretched out from floor to ceiling and about 12 feet wide, this gigantic map of the U.S. shows each state in white. Armed with markers and pens, players and coaches from across the country are signing their names near their hometowns to show their support for the USA's bid to host the FIFA World Cup in 2018 or 2022. Many players stated their desire to see a match near their hometowns, while others said they'd travel across the country for a chance to see their favorite stars. (And a few just wanted to show off their best professional autograph, we think). No matter what, the YNT blog is encouraged to see the support!

Loungin'

Here at the Showcase, the most popular area for players is the Athletes' Lounge—an air-conditioned tent with Men's National Team highlights showing on a video wall, a fully stocked Gatorade bar (every flavor you can imagine) and a timeline detailing the history of the Development Academy and U.S. Men's National Team.



But the most popular area by far is the EA Sports zone, where players can chill out on couches and challenge their on-field opponents to some off-the-field FIFA 2009. Early results included a rematch of the 1998 FIFA World Cup Final (with Brazil defeating France 2-1 after a PK awarded in the 116th minute) and a preview of next week's UEFA Champions League final between Manchester United and Barcelona.



For those of you wondering how the REAL games are going, head on over to ussoccer's Development Academy website to check out results as they come in throughout the day.

Studio 90 News

The first video from Sarasota is up as today's episode of Studio 90 News. Check out an interview with DA Select coach Hugo Perez, listen to some of the planned weekend events, and even get a look at our crack grounds crew getting the fields ready after a few days of fowl, err...foul weather. Enjoy!

2009 Development Academy Showcase Kicks Off

The YNT Blog is back in action this weekend from Sarasota, Florida as the 2009 Spring Showcase begins with 146 teams from 73 clubs across the country. Stay tuned to ussoccer.com for Studio 90 updates, player profiles, photos and more throughout the weekend.

The Field is Set!

It came down to the final group matches at the UEFA U-17 Championship, but the field of 24 teams for the 2009 FIFA U-17 World Cup is now set. Italy, Spain and Turkey will join Germany, the Netherlands and Switzerland in representing Europe. Here is what the complete field looks like:

Asia
Iran
Japan
Korea Republic
United Arab Emirates

Africa
Algeria
Burkina Faso
Gambia
Malawi

Europe
Germany
Italy
Netherlands
Spain
Switzerland
Turkey

Oceania
New Zealand

North America
USA
Costa Rica
Honduras
Mexico

South America
Argentina
Brazil
Colombia
Uruguay

Host
Nigeria

U-17 CONMEBOL Completed, UEFA Taking Shape

Colombia and Uruguay have clinched the third and fourth South American places at the 2009 FIFA U-17 World Cup by virtue of a four-team playoff.

As Brazil defeated Argentina in the regional championship to take the crown, with both teams already assured of a place in Nigeria, Uruguay, Colombia, Ecuador and Bolivia battled it out for the two remaining places. Uruguay made quick work of the final phase, drawing Bolivia before defeating Colombia and Ecuador to earn its World Cup berth.

Meanwhile, Colombia (home country of U.S. U-17 head coach Wilmer Cabrera) took it to the wire by bouncing back from a loss to Uruguay to top Ecuador 3-0 and Bolivia 2-1 to secure its passage to Nigeria.

Meanwhile, across the Atlantic, host Germany claimed the first semifinal berth at the UEFA U-17 Championship, thereby clinching the region's first spot in Nigeria. By virtue of a 3-1 win against Turkey and a comprehensive 4-0 win against England, Germany took control of Group B at home. The Netherlands outlasted Turkey to book their place in Nigeria as one of six European teams and are now looking for a place in the semifinals from Group B.

In UEFA's Group A, Switzerland has locked up the top place in Group A, along with a semifinal berth and trip to the '09 FIFA U-17 World Cup. Italy, Spain and France are all looking to secure trips to Nigeria on Tuesday when group play wraps up.

UEFA is the last region to finish qualifying for the event, and when the final three teams are decided on Tuesday, the 24-team field will be complete.

CONEMBOL U-17 Qualifying Update

CONEMBOL is staging its U-17 qualifying tournament, with the top four teams set to head to Nigeria for the 2009 FIFA U-17 World Cup. The way it looks so far: Argentina and Brazil are in. The two traditional powerhouses topped their respective groups to earn automatic berths to the World Cup, with Brazil winning Group A on nine points and Argentina leading Group B on 10 points.

Two more qualifying spots are up for grabs, and four teams are playing a round robin to determine who heads to Africa. Colombia, Bolivia, Uruguay and Ecuador are vying for the ticket to the World Cup and with one game out of the way, Colombia leads the pack. Next up, Colombia faces Uruguay while Ecuador meets Bolivia. You can see these games live tonight on Gol TV (along with the rest of the tournament as it happens).