FC Sochaux academy director Jean-Luc Ruty expects nothing but victory from his talented young players who will showcase their French flair in the Clyde Best Invitational Youth Tournament.

The top-flight team are recognised as one of the best sources of talent in France, with former French internationals like Benoît Pedretti, Pierre-Alain Frau and Franck Sauzee coming off their production line.

The pre-tournament favourites take on MLS Colorado Rapids' academy side and two Bermuda Under 14 national teams, starting from tonight at the National Sports Centre.

Ruty, who was caretaker of the FC Sochaux's senior team during the 2007 season, believes exposure to different cultures and styles of play are crucial early in a player's career.

"It's necessary to have a good structure at your club," said the former French Under-21 international, now aged 49.

"We have an academy of four grounds of both natural and synthetic grass and a dome due to the elements such as snow in our country.

"We also have a good coach and educators who all possess diplomas and we have a philosophy - we try to allow the younger players to play at the top."

Ruty believes it is too early to determine how good the players who arrived in Bermuda earlier this week will become.

According the ex-Toulouse defender most players do not hit their stride until they reach 16.

But one thing is for sure, his players have already been instilled with a winning mentality - and FC Sochaux are on the Island to win.

"It's too early to know about the talent in this team," Ruty continued. "The year we will look at the talent is in the Under-16's.

"This tournament will be a new challenge, we don't know the kind of teams we will be playing against, but we always hope to make progress with our young players.

"But we need to win because in our competition in our league the objective is to win. In the professional league the object is to win.

"We will prepare the young players with experience and competition.

"It's important, very important for them to get the experience at a young age at the international level because it's a different culture of football when you play outside of what you know.

"When we have some players in the French national team, it's good so when they play the likes of Italy, Germany and others, they can adapt.

"How they adapt to playing in a different country, different climate and long travel is important for later in their lives when they reach the international stage or leave France for another country."

The club was founded in 1928 as a works team for the Peugeot motorcar factory in the village of Sochaux.

The Ligue 1 side has finished in the top half of the table three out of the last four years and competed in the 2007 UEFA Cup, as well as winning the French Cup in 2007.

FC Sochaux take on Colorado Rapids at 7 p.m. while the two Bermuda Select teams go head to head at 9 p.m.