As many as nine US teams will be invited to play in next year’s Clyde Best Tournament which returns in April after a two-year hiatus.Bermuda Football Association hope to enter three Academy teams, including a girls side for the first time, to take on youth outfits from the East Coast.Matches will be held at the National Sports Centre, North Field and BFA Field from April 12-14.BFA youth director Devarr Boyles said the tournament would give the Academy players, aged between 13 and 16, much-needed competitive match action.“The next local focus for us is the Clyde Best Tournament where we plan to enter three Academy teams; a 1996 group, a ‘98 group and ‘95 group,” said Boyles.“The teams we’re trying to attract our US-based sides which will allow us to be more competitive in the funding level.“We need to improve our training to games ratio at the Academy and this tournament will help us do that.”Earlier this year The Royal Gazette reported that The Clyde Best Tournament had been shelved due to organisational difficulties and funding problems.The tournament was last held in February, 2010, when youth teams from West Ham United and FC Sochaux played against two Academy sides.Two of Bermuda’s current World Cup squad, Zeiko Lewis and Quadir Maynard, took part in that competition which Boyles said emphasised the importance of the tournament in terms of player development.“Last year the Academy graduated our 1993 group which included the likes of Quadir Maynard, Daniel Andrade and Rakeem DeShields,” he said.“From the ‘94 group we have Zeiko Lewis, Jair Minors and Tre Ming who have all played for Bermuda Hogges, while Zeiko made his national team debut away against Trinidad.“People will be able to look back now and connect the dots and see how the Academy is progressing. We want to function like a professional side and bring through at least one player each year into the senior programme.”The National Academy has also signed a new kit deal, with the BFA to announce more details shortly.