The Academy

Born and raised in a small town, 12-year-old Leo has never seen the ocean or stepped foot on a plane...but he knows his soccer dreams will take him far. Rock star, Olympic goal, dragon-slaying kind of far, with his pet lizard Messi by his side. So when a professional scout extends an invitation to try out for the London Dragons youth squad, the Academy for training younger players, Leo is more than game. But the world-famous English Premier League team only has eleven slots open...

Leo has beaten all the odds and made the roster of a Premier League youth squad. But he is far from the star player. In fact, he isn’t even a starter—and the U14 Lewisham Knights are the worst team in the league. They’re so bad that if they don’t improve this year, the owner will disband the team, and riding the bench will be the least of Leo’s worries. As he juggles pressure from his team, schoolwork, and (lack of) friends, Leo cannot help but feel like he is worlds away from home and all that he knows.

Last season, Leo and his teammates saved the Lewisham Knights...only to learn that their team is in jeopardy again thanks to a division reshuffle. And placing in their league is no longer enough to save the Knights or Leo's Olympic-sized soccer dreams. But all might not be lost. The team owner has entered the U14s in the Tournament of Champions, an ultra competitive, youth summer league for the top teams in the world. And the Knights aren't just playing for a trophy: a loophole assures the winner of the tournament will stay in the youth Premier League.

Riding high after their performance in the Tournament of Champions, Leo and his teammates forgot that their league ranking is bad. Like, really bad, and they don't have much time before they compete with the feared London Dragons. When a group of new players join the Knights, bad turns to worse as the team struggles to find its rhythm and a new player threatens Leo's central midfielder position.

Leo has big, dragon slaying, soccer pro-level dreams. But the Cup of Nations? As a team USA player? The biggest, scariest dream of all, even for a Youth Premier League star. But Leo is up for the challenge...or so he thinks. Terrible team chemistry, competition stress, and only a few weeks to prepare seem to spell disaster for Leo and his so called “teammates.” It doesn’t help that the United States is this year’s host nation, and the pressure is on to make a good showing. Will Leo and his teammates flame out, or rally themselves to scorch the competition?