CARSON, California - The final scrimmage of the U.S. U14 Boys National Team camp at the National Training Center in Southern California ended in a 1-1 draw against Real So Cal. The 48-player camp was broken into three teams with the U.S. Youth National Team going 1-1-1 through the games.
The youngest national team had some good moments, but they also struggled against players a year older. The physicality of the older Development Academy sides gave the U.S. trouble in the midfield. When the YNT was forced to play under pressure, there were more mistakes and a lack of maturity in trying to solve the problems.
This was the first and only camp for this age group so much of the evaluation from this event will be based on the individual and how he fits into the system that U.S. Soccer hopes to utlize with the Youth National Teams for the foreseeable future.
Saturday’s final scrimmage against Real So Cal was a great example of the struggles of the night for the U14 BNT. Real So Cal did well in keeping the ball and winning it back quickly. The U14 BNT went direct when the immediate options were taken away. There were not many sequences of more than five passes-in-a-row during the game.
The U.S. defense did a nice job as a unit in limiting the chances for Real So Cal. The outside backs, Joel Brown and Jacob Greene, limited mistakes and forced the opposition into difficult spots. Center backs Kayden Pierre and Reece Fragle were solid as well.
The U.S.’s goal came on a scramble in the box in the first half. Real So Cal equalized late, but had the majority of possession throughout the game.
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Standouts from U.S. U14 BNT Scrimmage
