Opposition is provided by two top South American clubs in Estudiantes de La Plata from Argentina and Club Atlético Mineiró from Brazil.
Bayer 04 enjoyed perfect conditions in Orlando in 2015 and 2016 and the Werkself will again be based at the Hotel Omni Orlando Resort at ChampionsGate. At the start of this year the Werkself played Santa Fe (Colombia) and SC Internacional (Brazil). A 1-0 win against Santa Fe was followed in the second match by a 3-3 draw with SC Internacional.
Werkself striker Chicharito, who was followed by several hundred fans at the training camp, scored two goals in the tournament and was voted the Most Valuable Player (MVP) at the 2016 Florida Cup.
In addition to Bayer 04, Estudiantes de La Plata and Clube Atlético Mineiró, the third tournament in 2017 also involves VFL Wolfsburg, FC Corinthians, Flamengo (both from Brazil), Barcelona SC (Ecuador) plus the Tampa Bay Rowdies from the American Major League Soccer.
The first opponent for the Werkself next year will be Estudiantes de La Plata on eight January at 14.00 (local time) at the A1 Lang Stadium in Tampa. In 2009 the club won the Copa Libertadores de América, the most important club competition in South America, and they currently lead the Primera Divisíon in Argentina ahead of Boca Juniors.
Clube Atlético Mineiró are the second opponents for Bayer 04 on 11 January at 19.00 (local time) in Orlando at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Stadium. In 2013 Atletico Mineiró won the Copa Libertadores, in 2014 club lifted the Recopa Sudamericana and went on to win the domestic cup competition in Brazil. This season the team is currently fourth in the Brazilian top-flight. One of the stars of the team is the former Brazil international and Real Madrid striker Robinho.
Video games manufacturer Electronic Arts (EA), together with the German Football League (DFL), has announced the six nominees for the Bundesliga Player of the Month award for October - including Werkself player Alejandro Grimaldo. Black and Red fans can vote from now until Sunday, 2 November (23:59 CET).
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A Leverkusen player is a step closer to winning the UEFA Women's Nations League tournament after the semi-finals, and another Werkself player secured her nation's place in League A. A trio also impressed for the German U23s, while another made her debut for the U19s. Read on for updates on the most recent international appearances of the six members of the Bayer 04 Women’s first team squad.
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90 football-loving girls and special support in autumnal weather: The third Bayer 04 Women’s team junior talent day was a hive of activity at the Kurtekotten Performance Centre on Sunday, 26 October. Under the watchful eyes of Sofie Zdebel and Charlotte Voll, talented youngsters born between 2010 and 2017 showed off their skills on the ball - and received valuable tips from the professionals.
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Bayer 04 Leverkusen will have to manage without midfielder Ezequiel Fernández for the next few games. The Argentinian suffered a ligament injury in his left knee during the Bundesliga match against SC Freiburg (2-0) on Sunday 26 October.
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"We left everything on the pitch and fought every minute. It's all the nicer to be rewarded for that in the end and to celebrate a title!" declared Marc Landwehr after the end of a thrilling final against RB Leipzig. The #B04eSports team won the final of this first showdown of the new VBL Club Championship season against the current champions in two high-scoring duels. They had previously defeated SC Paderborn 07, the 2023/24 double winners, in the semi-finals.
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