Latest news with #FourNationsTournament
New York Post
4 days ago
- Sport
- New York Post
Syosset soccer phenom preps for longtime dream debut with US national team
America is getting its first taste of Long Island's finest. Loradana Paletta, Syosset's soccer phenom who inked an NIL deal at age 14, is ready to showcase her star-caliber talents to the world by debuting with the USA's under-17 national team this week. Advertisement 'It's always been a dream when I was little — being on the national team,' Paletta told The Post just before joining training camp for the Four Nations Tournament vs. Mexico, Costa Rica and Canada, which begins Saturday in Mexico City. 'I really want to make the U-17 World Cup roster, which is coming up soon. … For long-term goals, definitely the [senior] World Cup — winning gold,' added the midfielder, who initially was 'really happy, excited, terrified, nervous.' 11 Loradana Paletta, 14, poses for a portrait at Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Park in Oyster Bay, N.Y. on July 21, 2025. Paletta signed her first NIL deal at age 14 with the Italian sportswear brand Lotto. Heather Khalifa for the NY Post 11 Loradana Paletta is debuting with the USA's under-17 team this week. Heather Khalifa for the NY Post Advertisement 11 Loradana Paletta, 14, poses for a portrait. Heather Khalifa for the NY Post Pitch perfect Paletta — the team's youngest member and a last-second call-up for the tournament — has been on the national U-16 team for about a year, where she has already thrived among the girls, many of whom are two years older than her. 'I try to stay humble and not really brag about it,' the soon-to-be ninth grader at Syosset High School said. Advertisement 'I do tell my close friends, but I don't really tell anybody else. They really just find out.' Now, her story resonates well beyond the teen cliques of the North Shore. Paletta became the first American athlete — professional or amateur — to sign a deal with the luxe Italian cleat and gear brand Lotto. She was plastered all over social media in a hype video for the mid-July announcement and received widespread praise from the soccer world. Paletta, who proudly sports tons of vividly colored cleats from Lotto, is interested in designing her own cleats someday as part of her branding portfolio. 11 Loradana Paletta shows off her cleats in a photoshoot. Heather Khalifa for the NY Post Advertisement 11 Loradana Paletta shows off her cleats in a photoshoot. Heather Khalifa for the NY Post 'Maybe in high school I could learn more about the business side of things,' she said. 'But right now, I just want to focus on my game and getting ready.' Girl power Paletta said that she doesn't balk at the pressure of playing the nation's best soccer stars who are years older than her — and the young teen has her family to thank for that. 'My dad always put me in teams with boys since I was little, even if they were two or three years older than me,' she said. 11 Loradana Paletta, 14, poses for photos at Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Park in Oyster Bay, N.Y. Heather Khalifa for the NY Post 'I always had a passion — I wanted to be better than them … playing with the boys makes me stronger.' Along with her soccer die-hard father Alain's eagerness of challenging Paletta to reach new heights, older brothers Gianluca, 17, and Leonardo, 15, also played their part. 'My brothers really toughen me up, and just really make me a better version of myself. I can be a leader around them,' said Paletta, who added her 5-year-old sister, Luvisa, is next in line for football greatness. Advertisement 11 Loradana Paletta pictured juggling a soccer ball. Heather Khalifa for the NY Post 11 Loradana Paletta pictured juggling a soccer ball. Heather Khalifa for the NY Post 'They motivate me. They're always there for me whenever I need them, especially when it comes to soccer. They would always pull me and go out to the field. It's just nice to have big brothers there to support me.' The family boot camp was so successful that Paletta was in such high demand with male teams that one even adjusted its schedule so she could play with them. Advertisement Aside from Team USA, Paletta is also part of NYCFC's boys U-14 academy squad, just like her brother Leonardo, who plays on the U-18 team. 11 Loradana Paletta shoots the ball into the net. Heather Khalifa for the NY Post 11 Loradana Paletta Heather Khalifa for the NY Post 'My family is just my biggest supporters — my mom, my dad, my brothers, my little sister, they just all really connect to my story.' Advertisement And whether it's at home or abroad, keeping a top-tier standard is priority number one for the future World Cup hopeful. 'I'm going to give it my all and play the best that I can because I don't want to disappoint anybody,' Paletta said. 11 Loradana Paletta blasts a soccer ball into the goal. Heather Khalifa for the NY Post 'Also, I just want to be myself. Soccer brings me joy and love — and that's the sport that I fell in love with, too.'
Ottawa Citizen
02-07-2025
- Sport
- Ottawa Citizen
Spitfires' prospect Bergeron to play for America's national U17 team
Article content USA Hockey has selected Windsor Spitfires' draft pick Ty Bergeron to play for its national under-17 team at the Four Nations Tournament. Article content The six-foot-one, 175-pound Bergeron was a third-round pick by the Spitfires in the April's OHL Draft. Article content Article content 'This is great news for Ty,' Spitfires' general manager Bill Bowler said. 'This guy's a gamer and anytime you get to wear your country's colour and the fact some has recognized his ability is huge.' Article content Article content Bergeron, who is from Flat Rock, Mich., posted 45 goals and 104 points in 67 games while serving as captain of the Detroit Honeybaked 15's this past season. Article content Article content Bergeron attended camp for the U.S. national team development program in March, but did not make the roster for the under-17 team. Article content The 16-year-old Bergeron has signed a tender to play in the United States Hockey League ifor the Muskegon Lumberjacks in 2025-26, but attended the Spitfires' development camp in May and has not ruled out playing for Windsor in the future. Article content 'I'm just trying to take in whatever I can, but I think my game translates really well to this league,' Bergeron said of the OHL after attending development camp in May. Article content
The Hindu
25-06-2025
- Sport
- The Hindu
Four Nations Tournament: Indian junior men edge Australia 2-1 to finish third
Indian junior men's hockey team defeated Australia 2-1 in the battle for third place at the Four Nations Tournament in Berlin on Wednesday. Both teams were locked in a tense battle through the first half, with neither side managing to find the back of the net in the opening two quarters. Strong defensive structures and disciplined play from both ends ensured that goal-scoring opportunities were not converted, keeping the scores level heading into the third quarter. ALSO READ | Hardik Singh interview: Inside the mind of Indian hockey's midfield maestro Australia eventually struck in the third quarter when skipper Toby Mallon scored a field goal to put it ahead 1-0 in the 40th minute. India responded swiftly via Rohit, who scored following a penalty corner to restore parity in 45th minute. With the momentum on its side, India rallied to find the winner in the final quarter. In the 52nd minute, Ajeet Yadav found the back of the net in open play to give India the lead and secure the victory.
The Hindu
22-06-2025
- Sport
- The Hindu
Indian junior men's hockey team beats Australia 3-1 in Four Nations Tournament
The Indian junior men's hockey team enjoyed a dominant 3-1 win over Australia in its second match in the Four Nations Tournament at the TC 1899 Blau Weiss stadium in Berlin. Shardanand Tiwari, Sourabh Anand Khushwaha and Amir Ali scored goals for India while Oliver Will scored the lone goal for Australia. India started the match strong and found an early goal in the 15th minute as Shardanand converted his penalty corner to give his side the lead. Both teams fought hard in the rest of the first half, but neither could break the deadlock again as India headed into the second half with a slim lead. ALSO READF | FIH Pro League 2024-25: Indian men lose 7th match in a row, go down 3-6 to Belgium India built on the momentum as it scored back-to-back goals in the third quarter. In the 36th minute, Sourabh extended the lead with a crucial field goal past the Australian keeper. Moments later, in the 43rd minute, Amir pushed India closer to the victory with another field goal. In the final quarter of the match, Australia too managed to score a goal with five minutes left on the clock courtesy of a field goal by Oliver however, in the end it was nothing but a consolation. The tournament features a round-robin format where each of the four participating teams – India, Germany, Australia, and Spain – will face each other once in the Pool stage. The top two teams at the end of the group matches will qualify for the Final, while the remaining teams will contest the 3rd/4th place playoff. India will next play Spain on June 24 at the same venue. Related Topics India
Hans India
12-06-2025
- Sport
- Hans India
Junior women's hockey team beats Belgium 2-1
Antwerp: The Indian junior women's hockey team continued their winning streak in the tour of Europe with a well-deserved win over Belgium. India edged past the Belgian side with a tight scoreline of 2-1 at the Hockey Center of Excellence, Wilrijkse Plein in Antwerp, Belgium. Lalthantluangi (35') and Geeta Yadav (50') scored goals for India. The first half remained goalless as both sides couldn't manage to break the deadlock in the tight contest. In the 35th minute, India finally scored the opening goal as Lalthantluangi successfully converted a fortunate penalty stroke. In the last quarter, Van Hellemont (48') scored the equaliser through a field goal for Belgium. However, just two minutes later, Geeta Yadav replied with a field goal herself and grabbed the winner for India. India then defended well to fend off the Belgian attacks in the final 10 minutes of the game and ensured they enjoyed another win over Belgium. After wrapping up the promising outing at the Four Nations Tournament in Rosario, Argentina, the Indian team has now reached Europe for the five-match tour, which they kicked off their tour of Europe with a fantastic win against Belgium on Sunday. The Indian side won the game 3-2 at the Hockey Center of Excellence, Wilrijkse Plein. After two consecutive wins, the Indian junior women will next play Belgium for the third and final time in their Tour of Europe on June 12. In Argentina, the Indian side delivered strong performances against quality opposition. They registered a 2-1 win and a 2-2 (2-3 SO) loss against Chile, earned a 1-1 (2-0 SO) win and a 2-4 loss against hosts Argentina, and defeated Uruguay twice — 3-2 and 2-2 (3-1 SO).
