Pro Prospects: An American at Chelsea

Pro Prospects: An American at Chelsea
by J.R. Eskilson
September 12, 2012

Of the dozen or so new names on the U.S. U15 Boys National Team Camp roster last week, one name stood out from the rest due to his club and hometown.

Kyle Scott, a midfielder, plays his club ball with Chelsea FC in London. The 15-year-old is the younger brother of Stoke City academy’s Kristian Scott, who has appeared in a couple of U.S. youth national team camps before and is currently in camp with the U18 Men’s National Team in the Netherlands.

“We have been keeping tabs on Kyle,” U15 BNT head coach Tony Lepore told TopDrawerSoccer.com last week. “Obviously, we know his brother, Kristian who is with the 1995s, so we are familiar with the family. This is a great week for him to get to know us and for us to get to know him.”

club soccer player Vincent BordenVincent Borden

Lepore went on to say both of the Scotts have dual citizenship.

“My mum is American and my dad is British,” Kyle told TopDrawerSoccer.com about his lineage. “My grandparents live over here [Chicago] and I come over all the time.”

While the trips to the Windy City are frequent, last week was Kyle’s first journey out to Southern California, which is eight hours behind London.

“The first two days were rough,” Kyle said about the time zone difference and travel. “I was kind of out of it, but Tony [Lepore] and the rest of the staff helped me get adjusted.”

Beyond the body clock hold ups, it was a very good introductory camp for the younger Scott.

He looked at ease within the style of play and tried to bring some creative flair to the attack. He ended the week with a goal and two assists in two scrimmages against local club teams.

“It has gone well,” Kyle said. “Everything has been good – the play is the same as England, so I am pleased.”

He continued, “it is exactly the same [as Chelsea’s style of play], we try to keep the ball instead of trying to kick it over the top.”

Lepore was very complimentary to the rookie at camp.

“Over the last few days, he has had to adjust, but he has fit in really well in terms of the way he plays,” the coach said after Tuesday’s scrimmages. “He has some special attacking qualities.”

Kyle returned to England on Sunday and resumed training with Chelsea this week. He said that he missed the first two games of the season, but would be back in the lineup for this weekend.

The midfielder played in the no. 10 role for the U15 BNT and explained that he plays in the same spot for his club.

“It has been great,” Kyle assessed about his first camp. “It was good to come and play for the USA. It was a good experience.”

U14 Boys National Teamer in Croatia

It did not take long for Vincent Borden to make it onto the U.S. Soccer Federation’s radar. The 13-year-old midfielder is one of the youngest Americans in a European youth Academy, and received a call-up for the first U14 Boys National Team camp for this cycle of players born in 1999.

Borden, who is originally from Ithaca, New York, is a member of the Dinamo Zagreb (Croatia) academy.

“Now, I know Croatian so it is easier,” Borden told TopDrawerSoccer.com in August about adjusting. “I just became fluent in the last month or two.”

The midfielder said that style of play in the U.S. focused more on pressing where he was used to passing at his club team. The difference did little to keep him from standing out during the August national team camp at the Home Depot Center.

Former Pro Prospects Subjects receive Call-ups

Bayern Munich’s Julian Green and Amiens FC’s Piakai Henkel received their first call-ups last week to the U.S. U18 Men’s National Team camp in the Netherlands. Both Green and Henkel were featured in the Pro Prospects column earlier this year.

The duo started in the U.S.’s 4-2 win over the Netherlands U18 MNT on Tuesday. Green scored the final goal in the victory.

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