US Soccer hold its second national identification camp of 2024 as part of the Under-14 Talent ID program. Eighty players, 20 each from U.S. Soccer's four scouting regions, East, Central, South and West will gather from May 25-30 at the Chula Vista Elite Athlete Training Center in Chula Vista, California.

US Soccer Talent ID Director, Garrett Biller will oversee the event alongside U.S. Soccer Soccer’s Talent ID Managers, Rob Irvine (East), Arturo Alvarez (Central), Chris Kranjc (South) and Roberto Gimenez (West). The TID Managers will coach each of the four regional teams, while U-15 Men’s Youth National Team head coach Tom Heinemann will also be on hand. Seventy-eight of the 80 players were born in 2010, with two born in 2011, defender Isaiah Fabunmi of DC United and midfielder Jackson Gordon of Supreme FC.

The U-14 ID Program is designed to discover and introduce a larger base of top talents at the U-14 age group into the scouting funnel of the older U-15 to U-20 MYNTs. The mini-camp format helps to evaluate and inspire high-potential players while accelerating their development in an engaging and challenging environment.

In addition to expanding the YNT player pool at its early stages, this scouting and identification structure allows top players at the U-14 age level time to absorb core principles of the YNT philosophy and accelerate their development.

The program also offers the opportunity to bolster U.S. Soccer's national network of scouts. US Soccer scouts serve as assistant coaches for the regional teams, furthering their education and development while also building the Federation's connection with clubs across the country.

Among the players who will participate in this event will be Robert Turdean who has been a fundamental piece for Chicago Fire U15 and has participated internationally with the United States U15 in the UEFA Development Tournament playing all three games. Also notable is forward Da'vian Kimbrough who is the youngest player to debut in the history of soccer in the United States and the trio of LA Galaxy players, Enrique Salazar, Vicente Garcia and Juan Martinez who have participated with the national youth team of Mexico U15 recently. Other players such as Matthew Arana, Dylan Reyes, Alex Soria, Anthony Juarez, Adriel Daurte and Lisandro Torres have also been part of Mexico's youth national team structure.

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Cutting it Close on Qualifications

One of the most striking duels this weekend was the match between Queen City Mutiny FC and Southern Soccer Academy U15. Both teams were only one point apart, with the winner advancing to the playoffs. Southern Soccer Academy secured a 2-0 victory with goals from Tito Akerele early in the game and Tucker Moreland in the 57th minute. This result allowed Southern Soccer Academy to advance in the Southeast Division in first place, earning a spot in the playoffs next month.

FC Cincinnati achieved a convincing 3-0 victory over Austin FC, aiming to secure its place in the playoffs. Chance Malilo opened the scoring in the 6th minute, followed by Jared Cardenas's goal in the 43rd minute. FC Cincinnati dominated the game, and Christian Ruiz added the final goal to seal the 3-0 win.

A similar result occurred in the match between New York City FC and Orlando City U15. Both teams, already qualified for the playoffs, played cautiously. Orlando City took the lead in the 32nd minute with a goal from Landon Mellecker, followed by Jakob Garcia's goal. Alberto Perez scored the final goal in the 78th minute, ending the game 3-0.

The New England Revolution secured a crucial 1-0 victory over CF Montreal U15 to advance towards the playoffs. Sheridan McNish scored the only goal in the 36th minute, bringing the New England Revolution closer to their playoff goal.

Young Players Continue to Thrive in the Professional Enviornment

The weekend in MLS NEXT Pro featured significant moments. During the match between Austin FC II and LAFC 2 on matchday 11, Mexican-American forward James Arteaga scored his first professional goal in his debut game. Arteaga entered the match six minutes before the end and managed to score the equalizing goal for a 1-1 draw. The game also saw notable performances from Ervin Torres, who started for Austin FC II, and Luke Spadafora, who entered in the second half. For LAFC, Decarlo Guerra, Matias Wanchope, and Charlie Rosenthal started, with Emir Ponciano and James Arteaga coming on in the second half.

The East Coast derby featured numerous young American talents. The New York Red Bulls suffered a 5-1 defeat against Philadelphia Union. Central defender Neil Pierre, born in 2007, started for Philadelphia Union, while young prodigy Cavan Sullivan entered in the 63rd minute, quickly controlling the game's pace. For the New York Red Bulls, Aidan Stokes, Devi Alexandre, and Julian Hall started and played the full 90 minutes.