Over the next five days more than 25 of the nation’s best girls youth teams will play over 40 games in the 2008 Women’s Nike Friendlies at Home Depot Center.

Teams will participate in the Under-15, Under-16 and Under-17 age categories, although the Under-14 Girls’ National Team will participate in the Under-16 age group, and the U.S. Under-15 Girls’ National Team will participate at the Under-17 level. Got that?

“This is the kind of event that the best young soccer players in the country should be playing in,” said U.S. National Staff Coach Mike Dickey, who oversees the Under-14 Girls’ Development Program. “The Women’s Nike Friendlies provide players an opportunity to play the sport in the right environment and for the right reasons, which ultimately helps players develop and reach their full potential.”

U.S. defender Cat Whitehill and USC Women’s Soccer Head Coach Ali Khosroshahin will address the teams at a 6 a.m. Thursday breakfast at the HDC Stadium Club to watch the U.S. Women’s National Team battle Brazil for gold at the Olympics.

Not surprisingly, there’s a healthy California presence among the participating teams.

Here’s the schedule (and the public is welcome and invited to the free event):
Wednesday
Under-16
Team Field Time
U-14 GNT Stripes (2) vs. Real So Cal 1 7 p.m.

Thursday
Under-17
Team Field Time
Birmingham United vs. Real So Cal 3 10 a.m.
Surf vs. Colorado Rush 4 10:45 a.m.
FC Delco vs. U-15 GNT 1 12 p.m.
Seacoast vs. Real Colorado 4 12:45 p.m.

Under-16
U-14 GNT Stars (1) vs. Surf 1 10 a.m.
Irvine Strikers vs. PDA 2 10:45 a.m.
Slammers vs. Sereno 3 12 p.m.
Real Colorado vs. Mustangs 2 12:45 p.m.

Under-15
PDA vs. Slammers 5 10 a.m.
Sereno vs. Mustangs 6 10:45 a.m.
Real So Cal vs. Surf 5 12 p.m.
Crossfire vs. Irvine Strikers 6 12:45 p.m.

Friday
Under-17
Team Field Time
U-15 GNT vs. Irvine Strikers 1 10:45 a.m.
Colorado Rush vs. Seacoast 3 12 p.m.
Real Colorado vs. FC Delco 5 12 p.m.

Under-16
No games scheduled

Under-15
Sereno vs. PDA 2 10 a.m.
Mustangs vs. Crossfire 5 10 a.m.
Slammers vs. Real So Cal 4 10:45 a.m.

Saturday
Under-17
Team Field Time
Irvine Strikers vs. Real So Cal 4 10:45 a.m.
Surf vs. Birmingham United 4 12:45 p.m.

Under-16
Real So Cal vs. Irvine Strikers 3 8 a.m.
PDA vs. U-14 GNT Stars (1) 1 10 a.m.
Mustangs vs. Slammers 5 10 a.m.
Sereno vs. U-14 GNT Stripes (2) 1 12 p.m.
Real Colorado vs. Surf 5 12 p.m.

Under-15
Surf vs. Irvine Strikers 2 12:45 p.m.

Sunday
Under-17
Team Field Time
Birmingham Utd. vs. Colorado Rush 5 8 a.m.
U-15 GNT vs. Real Colorado 4 8 a.m.
Seacoast vs. Real So Cal 5 10 a.m.
FC Delco vs. Surf 6 10 a.m.

Under-16
U-14 GNT Stripes (2) vs. PDA 1 8 a.m.
Slammers vs. Real So Cal 2 8 a.m.
Surf vs. Mustangs 6 8 a.m.
Real Colorado vs. U-14 GNT Stars (1) 2 10 a.m.
Irvine Strikers vs. Sereno 4 12 p.m.

Under-15
Irvine Strikers vs. Mustangs 3 8 a.m.
Crossfire vs. Surf 1 10 a.m.
Slammers vs. Seren 3 10 a.m.
PDA vs. Real So Cal 4 10 a.m.