CARSON, California – The U.S. U15 Boys National Team capped its August camp on Saturday with a loss and a win against FC Golden State and Club Tijuana, respectively. It marked an end of a week of training at the Nation Training Center for some of the best players in the 1999 and 2000 age groups in the country.

Some of the players are headed off to the Residency Program following the camp as they hope to crack the U17 Men’s National Team, while others return to their clubs and angle toward future success with the youth national team.

The weekend games highlighted a high-intensity that head coach Hugo Perez brings to every camp.

“Both games were very good,” Perez told TopDrawerSoccer. “We had 12 new players that came into this camp. What satisfies us is that once they leave they get the idea of what we want to do and how we want to play and that is an accomplishment.”

“We are happy with all of them,” Perez said. “I think some of our guys – like five or six – are going to Residency now. That’s a good thing for this program. Our job is to prepare them as much as possible for [U17 MNT head coach] Richie [Williams] if he needs them, and they are ready if he doesn’t.”

U.S. U15 Boys National Team 3-1 Club Tijuana

Forward Lucas Del Rosario, one of the aforementioned players headed to Residency, put in a goal and two assists to lead the youth national team to a victory over Club Tijuana, which was borrowing a couple of players from San Diego academy side, Nomads, for the game.

Leo Marquez (Leon FC) started the sequence on the opening goal of the day in the 14th minute when he broke free of a pair of defenders near the midfield circle on the right channel. Marquez sprinted away from his trailing shadows and cut onto his left foot. Lucas Del Rosario (Capitol Area Railhawks Academy) made a well-timed diagonal run to open up the far side of the field for Marquez. The winger played the ball to Del Rosario who expertly rolled it back into the path of Marquez. The Leon FC forward tucked his shot into the back of the net for the opening goal.

The teams went into break with the U.S. holding the lead as neither team had a good look on goal over the final 26 minutes of the opening half.

U.S. jumped on Xolos to start the second half. Nicholas Taitague (Richmond Strikers Academy) delievered a cross to the far post that Andrew Carleton smashed into the post for the first good look for the second half.

Seven minutes later, Xolos punished the U.S. for a poor set piece and sloppy defending on a counter attack. The play started with a set piece 40 yards from the Club Tijuana goal. A Club Tijuana defender headed the ball away on a lofted service. The clearance led to a quick counter attack down the left side of the U.S. defense. Eventually, the ball made it to the center of the box for an easy tap-in after the U.S. defenders failed to pick up attackers on the break.

FC Golden State star Marty Raygoza came on in the 56th minute and immediately made his presense felt. Raygoza’s goal came four minutes after his entry when Jeanpaul Marin (New York Red Bulls) picked out Del Rosario on the far post with a nice chipped pass. Del Rosario brought the ball down and laid it off for Raygoza for a nice side-volley finish.

With only three minutes left in the game, Marin, Raygoza, and Del Rosario linked up again for the final goal of the game. Marin played the entry pass on the ground to Raygoza who cut past his mark. Raygoza then played it to Del Rosario who was wide open for the finish eight yards from goal.

U.S. U15 Boys National Team Starting XI:

Andrew Carleton --- Lucas Del Rosario --- Leo Marquez

Jose Carranza – Nicholas Taitague

Juan Torres

Sam Vines --- Matthew Real --- Mckay Eves --- Francisco Torres

Eric Lopez

 Subs: Andrew Aprahamian for F. Torres 30’

Chris Goslin for Carranza 41’

David Abonce for Lopez 41’

Adolfo Trujillo for Carleton 52’

Marty Raygoza for Taitague 56’

Jeanpaul Marin for Marquez 58’

Jose Alfaro Jr. for Vines 61’

Raul Aguilera Jr. for J. Torres 61’

 

FC Golden State 3-2 U.S. U15 Boys National Team

FC Golden State jumped out to an early lead with a goal in the eighth minute on a corner kick that was headed home after some miscommunication on the marking from the youth national team.

The local academy side doubled its advantage in the 26th minute when the center forward made a great run and a classy finish.

The U.S. went into the break with the two-goal deficit after a frustrating half of long-distance shots that never troubled the Golden State goalkeeper.

George Acosta (Weston FC) converted a penalty kick in the 50th minute to cut the deficit in half. Joshua Drake (Sereno SC) was fouled in the box to set up the shot from the mark.

Acosta assisted on the second goal from the U.S. when he picked off the ball in the midfield after some great defensive work. Acosta slotted in Matthew Huerta (Chivas USA), who placed his shot off the far post and into the goal for the second goal.

The equalizer was short lived though. FC Golden State put home the game-winner with 10 minutes left on the clock. Despite being down a man due to a red card, FC Golden State still capitalized on the mistakes of some poor marking from the center backs.

U.S. U15 BNT Starting XI

Hanif Wright --- Matthew Huerta --- Jonathan Amon

Joshua Drack --- George Acosta

Alan Salmeron

Chandler Vaughn --- Anthony Ruiz --- Mark McKenzie --- Cody Sundquist

Brady Scott

Substitutes: Edson Murguia for Amon 31’

Jake Arteaga for Ruiz 41’

Leonel Alvarenga for Sundquist 41’

Seth Stiebel for Scott 41’

Leonardo Zulli for Drack 60’