DOHA: Aspire Academy’s youth football Tri-Series came to a thrilling conclusion evening as the Academy’s u-16 and u-17 teams pitched themselves againsteliteEuropean and South American opposition. Though the Academy students were unable to defeat their international counterparts, the players produced spirited performances against Brazilian u-17 side Palmeiras and Denmark’s u-16 national football team that suggested huge progress has been made this past season. Since it began in September last year, the Tri-Series tournament has pitted some of the world’s strongest young teams against theQataristudent-athletes currently enrolled at Aspire Academy. Over this nine-month period six mini tournaments have been staged at the Academy in Doha featuring some of the most i illustrious clubs in the game, including Liverpool, Benfica and Ajax. The competition has produced a hugely impressive standard of football, with some of the world’s most promising youngfootballersbattling it out for one of the coveted Tri-Series tournament trophies. Aspire Academy’s youngsters have clearly benefited from testing themselves against top-level teams with varying footballing styles. Over the past ten days the sixth Tri-Series tournament, featuring 15 highly competitive matches, has taken place. With the edition split into five age groups, last week saw the U-15, U-14 and U-13 Aspire Academy teams compete against youth sides from AS Monaco, Club Brugge and VfB Stuggart. Meanwhile, as part of the same edition, last week saw Aspire Academy’s Under-16 and under-17 teamsface their counterparts from the Denmark national team and Brazilian side Palmeiras.