Throughout the season, the old gold welcome teams from across the country to participate in the successful Wolves Cup, but variation and fresh formats are key for the players.
3v3 is a perfect alternative to the Wolves Cup, which is beginning to get a reputation of being a well-organised and highly-challenging tournament.
The concept is simple. 3v3 is a small-sided training and game format with three players on each team and no goalkeeper, which increases ball touches, passing and scoring.
Wolves, Manchester United, Cardiff City and Newcastle United under-8s each entered 20 teams of three between them at Compton Park.
There was no shortage of entertainment throughout the day as 418 goals were scored in the 37 games played, with Man Utd lifting the trophy after a 7-3 victory over Newcastle in the final.
U7-U10 foundation phase lead coaches, Paul O’Brien and Nathan McConville, said: “The fast-paced format fits perfectly with the philosophy at the academy and creates an ideal environment for players to individually create and deny in 1v1 scenarios.
“The matches were intense 10-minute battles, with lots of skills, goals and, more importantly, smiles on faces.
“The ball doesn’t go out of play so there’s no time to rest or switch off and the rules mean it’s extremely fun for the players.
“The afternoon saw the second phase of the tournament as it moved into 6v6 and furthered the experience for the players, again seeing a difference in objectives and outcomes.
“It’s these kind of experiences that keep players running through the door at the academy and that’s really important to us.”
