The showdown is looming, and both sides look prepared.

The U17 and U18 US Women’s Youth National camp teams will square off against one another Friday at the Home Depot Center in Carson, CA, but before they go head-to-head both teams warmed up with impressive scrimmages against outside squads Wednesday.

The U18s took on UCLA in a dominant display of skill and athleticism. Outmuscling the Bruins and beating them to every punch, the US team walked away with a 3-1 win.

Hayley Brock was one of the many standouts, her size and speed embodying the advantage her team enjoyed over their college competition. Mollie Pathman was active up top while former U17 Women’s World Cup veterans Elizabeth Eddy, Julia Roberts and Samantha Johnson shined per usual.

Though only challenged in the second half, the goalkeeping unit – which includes Vittoria Arnold, Anna Sieloff and Sarah Voigt - was solid and engaged through the match.

Watching the 18s physically dictate the play against UCLA made it clear that the onus will be on the 17s to bring their ‘A’ game Friday.

Playing against a U14 California-based boys’ team Wednesday, the U17 group made a strong statement of its own with an emphatic 4-1 win.

This wasn’t the first time coach Kaz Tambi enlisted a boys’ team to compete against his U17 roster as he brought in the U14 Irvine Strikers for last month’s camp.  

“Any chance that we get to compete against a high level U14 boys’ team, which I thought this was today, is a great contest for us and gives us a great opportunity to evaluate all of our players,” Tambi said. “We’re still in the early stages at this point in time in trying to identify players as opposed to putting the final pieces of the puzzle together - We’re still trying to get the pieces, and then later we’ll put it together. But we’re moving in the right direction, we’ve already looked at a lot of players and we’ll continue to do so.”

Of course, the individual talent of the 17s was evident: Caprice Dydasco showed the speed and composure that’s evident every time she steps on the pitch; goalkeepers don’t get more athletic or agile than Abby Smith, and Morgan Andrews is a pillar at midfielder who excels technically and tactically.

But what really stood out about the group was their cohesiveness. If a player wasn’t in the game she was passionately cheering on her teammates and yelling out encouragement. It was a rare sight for an interchanging group that doesn’t get together very often.

“We know each other real well because most of these girls have been to the other camps, and we just have so much fun together,” Andrews said. “It’s always fun to play against the guys teams because they’re skilled and good technically, and we get to play against the 18s Friday. It’s going to be an amazing game; the olders are like our role models.”

The camaraderie of the U17s might be the one advantage the team will have over their older counterparts.

“It’s exciting,” Tambi said. “It’ll be fun from a social aspect – I’ve coached a lot of these kids and to get a chance for us to scrimmage against them will be fun.”

Fun maybe, but also important for bragging rights; and don’t think for a moment that the 17s aren’t licking their chops at the prospects of beating the older group and bringing them down a notch.

“Yeah, you know it,” Andrews agreed.


U.S. U18 WNT Training Camp Roster
GOALKEEPERS (3): Vittoria Arnold (Dallas Texans; Stafford, Va.), Anna Sieloff (Vardar; Troy, Mich.), Sarah Voigt (Ponte Vedra SC; Middleburg, Fla.)

DEFENDERS (8): Torri Allen (Mclean; Stafford, Va.), Elizabeth Eddy (So Cal Blues; Costa Mesa, Calif., Megan Oyster (Windy City Pride; Naperville, Ill.), Mollie Pathman (Triangle FC; Durham, N.C.), Rachel Quon (Eclipse Select; Lake Forrest, Ill.), Kendall Romine (So Cal Blues; Coto de Caza, Calif.), Courtney Smith (Dallas Texans; Houston, Texas), Carrie Whigham (Sereno SC; Phoenix, Ariz.)

MIDFIELDERS (7): Kathryn Bennett (Crossfire; Clyde Hill, Wash.), Alex Crown (Space Coast United; Orlando, Fla.), Kaitlyn Fitzpatrick (San Ramon; Pleasanton, Calif.), Julia Roberts (Mclean; Frederick, Md.), Julia Sandridge (TCSYA Lady Twins; Winston-Salem, N.C.), Annie Steinlage (Michigan Hawks; Grand Haven, Mich.), Rebecca Twining (Challenge SC; Houston, Texas)

FORWARDS (6): Hayley Brock (FC Stars of Mass; Acton, Mass.), Michelle Cruz (Slammers; Thousand Oaks, Calif.); Kylie Facinelli (So Cal Blues; Del Mar, Calif.), Samantha Johnson (Real So Cal; Palmdale, Calif.), Natalia Ledezma (Slammers; La Mirada, Calif.), Rachel Nuzzolese (Rockville Centre; Melville, N.Y.)

U.S. U17 WNT Training Camp Roster
GOALKEEPERS (3): Bryane Heaberlin (Clearwater Chargers; St. Petersburg, Fla.), Molly Poletto (Storm-Copa; Englewood, Colo.), Abby Smith (Dallas Texans 94’ Red; Dallas, Texas.)

DEFENDERS (5): Olivia Brannon (Michigan Jags; Troy, Mich.), Whitney Church (Loudoun ’91 Real; Ashburn, Va.); Abby Dahlkemper (MVLA Avalanche; Menlo Park, Calif.); Sarah Molina (Ohio Premier; Rocky River, Ohio); Cari Roccaro (Albertson Fury; East Islip, N.Y.)

MIDFIELDERS (11): Morgan Andrews (FC Stars of Massachusetts; Milford, N.H.), Morgan Brian (Ponte Verda Storm; St. Simons Island, Ga.), Kaysie Clark (KC Select Scream; Liberty, Mo.), Alexandra Doll (Bethesda SC Dragons; Bethesda, Md.), Caprice Dydasco (HSC Bulls; Honolulu, Hawaii), Isabel Farrell (Crossfire; Bellevue, Wash.), Jessica Lee (Arsenal Fury; Tenafly, N.J.), Kylie McCarthy (San Diego Surf; Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.) Katie Speidel (Real So Cal G-U16; Oak Park, Calif.), Kaili Torres (PVSA; Orange Park, Fla.), Clarissa Wedemeyer (Dallas Texans; Colleyville, Texas)

FORWARDS (5): Alesha Blair (De Anza Force '92 Blue; Pleasanton, Calif.), Shea Groom (KCFC Alliance Intensity; Liberty, Mo.), Cate Parchinski (Pride Predators ’93; Colorado Springs, Co.), Sydney Payne (IMG Soccer Academy U-18; Lutz, Fla.), Courtney Proctor (Santa Clarita United Blazers; Santa Clarita, Calif.)