In 2016, the United States traveled to Harbin, China to defend their U19 IFAF World Championship title from 2014. Team USA had won two of the three world championship tournaments held since 2009 and would be facing six other teams during the two-week event.
As Team USA underwent preparations to take on Canada, Japan, Mexico, Austria, Australia and China, USA Football documented the entire tournament following the team from training camp through to the championship final in a continuation of the wildly popular Football For Life series.
Game 2 and growth of football in China
Team USA has settled into life in China and beaten their first opponent, Austria, handily but now faces their international nemesis, Team Canada. Canada is the only team to have beaten the United States in previous tournaments.
Football For Life gives viewers an exclusive look into the lives these young men as they play in their second game against a much tougher opponent. And viewers will also get a fascinating glimpse of the explosive growth of the game in China as the founders of the American Football League of China – Zach Brown and Chris McLaurin – explain how football is changing the landscape of sports in the “Middle Kingdom”.
Will the travel still have an impact? Will the players suffer not only from jet lag but culture shock 7,000 miles away from home? Will Canada their second opponent get the win and shock the young players?
This is the third installment in USA Football’s Football For Life series which has already been seen by more than 12 million viewers. Each one has been written and directed by filmmaker Jason Johnson.
Johnson takes you behind the scenes to meet the players and coaches of Team USA as they get ready to take on the world in China.
Check out Episode 3 as Team USA battles Canada in Game 2 and Jason Johnson reveals how far the game has grown in China.
Football For Life: Episode 3
