The U20 squad are currently in Portugal. Their pre-season training camp, which is funded by the Leonardo da Vinci Project, lasts about two weeks.

U20 coach Paul Sheerin is accompanied by coaches Scott Anderson and Gavin Levey as well as physio Aimee Clark. The squad are staying at the Browns Sports and Leisure Club in Vilamoura, Portugal.

Squad in Portugal: Marcus Campanile, Lewis Dunbar, Cem Felek, Kieran Gibbons, Daniel Harvie, Jamie Henry, Michael Jones, Michael Kelly, Conor Mackey (GK), Scott McKenna, Robbie Mutch (U17 GK) Aaron Norris, Kalvin Orsi, Richie Petrie, Sam Robertson, Michael Rose, Frank Ross
 

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Leonardo da Vinci Project | Fixtures

11/07/2014
Portimonense 0-3 Aberdeen
KO 20:00

15/07/2014
Nath Boys 0-0 Aberdeen (Aberdeen win 4-3 on penalties)
KO 18:15

18/07/2014
Hull City 0-0 Aberdeen (Hull City win 6-5 on penalties)
 

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Match 2 Summary | Tuesday 15th July

Aberdeen U20s this evening won through to the final of the LDV Cup in Portugal after a dramatic penalty shootout victory over Nigerian side Nath Boys. The game finished 0-0 but Aberdeen kept their nerve to win 4-3 on penalties. They win now meet English Premiership side Hull City in the final on Friday.

Aberdeen lined up with Mutch in goal, Dunbar was at right back with Harvie at left back. The centre backs were Michael Rose and Scott McKenna. The midfield four were Gibbons, Kelly, Campanile and Ross. Jones played up front with Norris.

Nath Boys were a decent side with a lot of pace and were very unpredictable. It took the young Dons a while to get to grips with their African opponents. Aberdeen at first struggled to get a footing in the match and in the end they had to show a lot of character to get the victory.

It was a very tight game throughout.

In the first half Paul Sheerin's side did not pass the game as well as they can but defended very well. Captain Scott McKenna, who was singled out for praise after the first game, was outstanding again. It was a tough test for the all the defenders but they stood up to their task well. AFC Youth Academy U17 Goalkeeper Robbie Mutch, making his debut for the 20s, did very well and looked assured throughout. In the second half Aberdeen played better and territorially shaded it although their opponents probably had the better of the chances.

As early as the second minute the Dons very nearly took the lead. They had a corner and from it Daniel Harvie had a chance that was cleared off the line. On 13 minutes Nath Boys had a one on one with debutant Robbie Mutch but the keeper saved well. In the 17th minute Aberdeen got a break when the Nigerians had a goal disallowed for offside after a fast break. It was a close thing but it did look the correct decision. Shortly after that Nath had a penalty appeal waved away after a last ditch McKenna tackle. On the 27th minute Mutch made another good save, this time from a free kick.

HT 0-0

The first chance in the second half came in the 52nd minute. A long free kick was played in and McKenna, arriving late, was not far away but he could not get a vital touch. In the 59th minute Nath Boys had their best chance and very nearly scored after a fast break. The ball was whipped into the six yard box and their striker really should have found the net. In the 76th minute great play by Sam Robertson set up an opportunity. He slipped the ball to Jamie Henry who delivered a great ball across the penalty box but Norris could not get onto the end of it. Aberdeen piled on the pressure in the closing stages and went looking for a winner. Michael Kelly put a great diagonal ball into the box from the left side. Jamie Henry met the cross but his header was just off target. They kept the pressure up but could not get a winner and the match went to penalties.

FT 0-0

In the penalty shoot-out Nath went first and scored. The first Dons penalty was taken by Michael Rose and he scored. Robbie Mutch then saved the next Nigerian penalty and Marcus Campanile scored the Dons second to put them ahead. Nath scored their third, as did Michael Kelly. Nath scored their fourth but Scott McKenna found the net to keep Aberdeen ahead. The pressure was then really on Nath and their fifth penalty taker hit the bar.
 

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Match 1 summary | Friday 11th July

Portimonense 0-3 Aberdeen

Aberdeen (4-2-3-1) |  Mackey, Robertson, Dunbar, McKenna, Harvie, Henry, Kelly, Rose, Ross, Felek, Jones

Aberdeen's U20 side defeated Portimonense this evening by three goals to nil in the first match in Portugal. The Dons did well not to concede early on, particularly on 14 minutes when Mackey saved well from a free kick. However, on 24 minutes Paul Sheerin made a tactical change and switched to a diamond formation to cope with the early pressure from Portimonense.

On 26 minutes, Michael Kelly curled a long free kick inches wide of the post and a couple of minutes later Jones had a good chance saved well after good work by Frank Ross. The Dons pressure continued & on 29 minutes they got their reward with the opening goal. Kelly took a corner kick, Rose had a good corner header cleared before Scott McKenna headed into the ball into the net.

A minute before half time, Jones held the ball up well up front and laid it off to Felek but hisu20_Portimonense 0-3 Aberdeen_05 shot failed to beat the goalkeeper.

HT 0-1

On 55 minutes the Dons made two substitutions with Orsi replacing Felek and Campanile replacing Kelly and 7 minutes later they doubled their lead. Good play by Campanile played in Orsi who played a clever pass between the defenders for Henry to finish well into the far corner. A really good goal for Aberdeen.

Paul Sheerin made two changes on the 63rd minute, the first saw Kieran Gibbons make his return to action after 9 months out following ankle surgery. He replaced Frank Ross while Sam Robertson was replaced by Petrie.

Aberdeen continued the pressure and it was evident that their pre-season fitness programme was paying off. Towards the end of the match a Portimonense free kick came to nothing before The Dons scored a third on 89 minutes. Orsi played another through ball for the hard working Jones, who slipped it past the keeper.
 

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Match summary | Hull City 0 Aberdeen 0 (Hull won 6-5 on penalties)
Friday 18th July

Aberdeen u20s brought their successful pre-season training camp to a close this evening in Portugal but had to suffer the disappointment of losing the final of the LVD Cup to Hull City on penalties after the game had finished goalless. What was even more disappointing for Paul Sheerin's side was the fact they dominated against English Premiership opponents for much of the game and had by far the better chances.

Paul Sheerin looks on The young Dons this evening lined up in a 4-3-3 formation. Robbie Mutch was in goal, in front of him was a back four of Robertson at right back, Rose and McKenna in central defence and Harvie at left back. The midfield three were Henry, Gibbons and Petrie with Campanile, Jones and Orsi up front.

Once the Dons settled into the game and got their foot on the ball they started to use the ball match better than they had in the semi-final. A number of chances in the game went a begging. The young just needed to be a bit more clinical in the final third and they would have won this game.

The closest the young Dons came to scoring was in the seventh minute. Petrie played a great ball into Campanile at the back of the area. He had a great effort but was denied by the cross bar. The rebound then fell to Jones but his shot then came back off the post.

 On 26 minutes Henry picked up the ball in the good area. He beat two or three players before rolling the ball into Campanile's path and his powerful shot went just over the bar.

Meanwhile Aberdeen limited Hull to a very few minor chances. Both central defenders Michael Rose and Scott McKenna were absolutely outstanding.

In the second half Aberdeen again had a number of chances. Frank Ross, who impressed at the tail end of last season when he played for 20s, causes the English side major problems when he came on, as did Felek with his creativity.

The Dons also had a chance to win the game near the end. On 85 minutes a Michael Kelly free kick was cleared but only as far as Henry, however his shot went wide. Ross then put over a couple of great balls in the dying seconds but nobody could get on the end of them and for the second game in a row the match went straight to penalties after the 90 minutes.

The first five penalties were all scored by both teams but Aberdeen missed their first kick in sudden death.

Paul Sheerin this evening told afc.co.uk “I am very proud of the guys. In the four games I have been in charge we have had four clean sheets which is a fantastic effort. I am really pleased with everything the boys have done on the trip. Their attitude and work rate has been exemplary. They gave me everything this evening and I could not have asked anymore.”

 

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AFC Youth Academy News

Please be advised of the following international team selections which have recently been received:

PLAYER NAME(S):Daniel Harvie, Frank Ross & Aaron Norris
COUNTRY: Scotland
AGE GROUP: U16
MATCH/CAMP: International Tournament – 3rd Copa Mexico de Naciones 2014
DATE: 30th July – 12th August
VENUE: Mexico City 

PLAYER NAME(S): Reece Willison, Darren Hynes, Connor McLennan & Seyon Kosheodo
COUNTRY:Scotland
AGE GROUP: U15
MATCH/CAMP: Training Camp
DATE: 20th – 22nd July 2014
VENUE: National Centre, Inverclyde