July 1st - Tryouts
It was a hot summer day in the north of Yaounde, the capital of Cameroon. The Rishta Hills, home to the city's unofficial football pitches, were filled with noise and commotion. Why? Because today was the trials for Africa's finest youth talents to prove to the world that they deserved to enter the greatest football competition yet. Zidane's Best, that's what the players could call themselves. They had to prove to all of the footballers across the globe that they were ready to shine, to be among the best. But for now... tryouts had begun.
Sao Paulo, Brazil:
The Estadio de Morumbi, home to the most storied club in Brazil, Sao Paulo, had spectators and scouts alike sitting in the stands. But, there was no game today for the Soberanos, so why were people in the stadium. The simple reason was, they were there to witness history. Trialists from around the continent had journeyed to the stadium to compete for their chance at entering the next generation of top footballers. Players from favellas and the beachfront alike all joined together to earn the right to call themselves Zidane's Disciples. As mosquitos and fleas flew around the pitch in the not-so-hot temperatures of South American Winter, the whistle for the first match blew and what pace the game had. The sweat, the exhaustion, would it be enough? Only time would tell.
With city-sponsored trials for North American competitors being held at Trillium Field, contestants from Canada, USA, and Jamaica arrived in buses to take part in the continent's trials. With the matches and teams being organized very quickly, tryouts began earlier than usual as players attempted to shine and stick out from their peers. One thing is for certain. The scouts were definitely watching.
Asia's trials; where technique is king. With the flags of all the participating nations hanging from the banners, the players must have felt a certain sense of pride in representing their nation in this awesome quest. A quest in the search of fame and reputation, and most importantly, a quest to see out a footballer's dream. Each player wants it more than the next, and as the whistle blew for the first training match, it was unclear who would progress to the next level of recognition. Only time will tell.
In the land down under, the winter day made it hard for the players participating in the trials to breathe easily. It was quite tough to play, but only the best were meant to be chosen, and they did distance themselves from the rest by conquering these tough and grueling conditions. After all, only the best could advance on to professional football.
The third largest stadium in Europe and by far one of the most important. Today, after all, was a very important day, so it is fitting that the trials for Europe, the last trials of the competition, be held at this very important stadium. And these trials were held with larger anticipation than the rest, not just because they were in Europe, but because the legend himself, Zidane, would be arriving to watch the final fixture. Journalists, scouts, and parents all sat on the edge of their seats as the first match began, knowing that today, history would be made.
