U.S. U14 Boys National Team head coach Hugo Perez dons his patented visor and stands on the touchline gleaning over the expansive green field.

His posture, his demeanor, and his voice – it all gives the same message: relaxed.

For Perez, this is fun.

He is instructing some of the best young talents in the United States, and he loves every minute of it.

Who could blame him though?

He took over the job at just the right time.

There is always some caution when projecting [and proclaiming futures for] players as young as 13 years old, but its difficult not to see the excitement from the U.S. Soccer staff that has carefully watched over this group for the past three training camps.

“I’m excited because you have footballers,” Perez told TopDrawerSoccer.com. “It is not only athletes. You have players who can play with the ball with confidence. We have creative players.

“We need to take care of this group – if WE do a good job for the next two years, it is going to be a solid team for the World Cup.”

It is difficult to really say how good this team could be – this is the first year the U14 BNT has not gone on an international trip – but the team did give the U15 BNT a run for its money in March.

By all accounts, the U14 squad held the possession advantage, but the U15s knocked in a goal off a turnover and withstood a late surge to claim a 1-0 win.

When asked about how this group caught on and implemented a cohesive style of play so quickly, Perez gave a succinct answer.

“You have to have talent and they have to believe in that talent.”

This group definitely has talent.

From the electrifying Joshua Perez to the powerful Elijah Rice to the commanding George Braima, the roster is laden with players who look every bit the part.

However, it is one of the guys who do the little things that really stood out this week.

Logan Panchot is not flashy. He just gets his job done and then lets everyone else capture the sparkle of the cameras.

“He is the type of player who is going to head back to his club and train six days a week,” Perez said. “He wants to stay at this level.”

With two older brothers, both of whom play in the Development Academy for St. Louis Scott Gallagher Missouri, it won’t be hard for Panchot to find competition to push him.

The younger sibling toughness from the center midfielder is evident, but it is the soccer intelligence that really sets him apart. The five-foot-four Missourian reads the game exceptionally well, which makes him the little commander on the field and lets others flourish around him.

And flourish, they have. The group cumulatively showed very well during last week’s training camp at the Home Depot Center, but there were a handful that stood above the rest.

Forwards:
Rice’s combination of power and skill separates him from the rest of the pack. The striker from Chicago Magic found the back of the net four times in two games last week.

Joe Gallardo is close on the heels of Rice for the #9 jersey. Gallardo is not nearly as dynamic as his counterpart, but he has better spatial awareness and opens the field for the midfielders with his well-timed runs.

Joshua Perez and Alejandro Zendejas were the class of the wingers.

Perez readily torched his mark off the dribble, which included a mesmerizing elastico on Thursday that left his defender with grass stains on his shorts.

Zendejas is less flash and more intrigue. The attacker is dangerous from distance on the shot, and cunning with the pass.

Haji Wright also impressed during the May camp with his move from striker to winger. The tall attacker looks more comfortable running at markers than playing with his back to the goal.

Midfielders:
Beyond Panchot, Luca de la Torre and Christian Pulisic are clearly the top choice midfielders. Hugo Perez has encouraged both to express their creative flair, but it is an ongoing process to help both take more chances on the ball.

Real So Cal’s Eric Calvillo is in the mix behind the top three. He looked much more comfortable with the group in his second camp.

Defenders:
Crew Soccer Academy’s George Braima is deft, languid, and explosive. Everything looks effortless to the center back who donned the captain’s armband in both games he played.

Daniel Barbir’s transition from forward to center back is in full motion. The former target man is still very inexperienced when it comes to tactical awareness, but he has quickly progressed with his 1v1 defending.

Goalkeeper:
Abraham Romero has clearly grabbed the top spot at keeper, and earned himself a chance at playing for the #1 jersey with the U15 BNT next month at the international tournament in the Netherlands.