John Peacock is looking for his England U17s to continue their recent winning run and continue building momentum towards qualifying for next year’s European Championship.
The head coach and his Young Lions arrived in Tampa Bay, Florida on Sunday evening as they begin their preparations for the Nike International Tournament, facing the host nation USA, Brazil and Australia during their nine days state side.
Having defeated Italy 4-3 in August, Peacock guided his side to three wins out of three during October’s European Championship first qualifying round, and he believes that it is vital his youngsters maintain their momentum as they head towards the Elite Round in March.
USA v England
Nike U17 International Tournament
11pm GMT, Friday 28 November
Premier Sports Campus, Lakewood Ranch, Sarasota
He said: “It’s very important. It’s the first time we have had this sort of fixture at U17 level.
"Usually after October’s qualifiers we are not together again until the Algarve Tournament in February, so it’s nice to get it in – and I don’t think there comes a bigger test than playing the USA in their own country, along with Brazil and Australia.
“It’s going to be a great challenge, and one we are all looking forward to. It’s important to play teams from different cultures and backgrounds, as you don’t always get chance to.”
England have four days to prepare for their opening fixture against the hosts on Friday, and Peacock believes their preparation time will be key to their ambitions in the US.
He said: “The set-up here is first-class and we are looking forward to such an important competition. It is a friendly one yes, but it will provide us with exactly the difficult tests we want.
“The five-hour time difference made it important to get across early and allow the lads time to acclimatise. The weather will be better than in England too, so getting out here early was vital.”
And the tournament not only provides a different style of opposition for Peacock, it will also enable him to take a look at one or two new faces.
“We have three newcomers in the squad, and they will all get a chance to perform,” he explained.
“It gives us an opportunity to look at the depth of the squad which will help us to prepare for the Elites in March, and ultimately the Euros in May.
“Everything is geared towards that.”
