Strictly speaking, this is not a USSF YNT event. However, the representative roster as well as the quality of the opponents suggests that it's something worth following. A good number of the players are concurrently members of the U14 BNT pool. http://www.usclubsoccer.org/main.aspx?sec_id=19&guid=62c6c305-b811-442f-9a57-0a82819f24af ROSTER: Name: Hometown: Club: Birth Year: George Acosta Hialeah, Fal. Weston FC 2000 Valentino Ambrosio Roselle Park, N.J. New York Red Bulls 2000 Zico Bailey Henderson, Nev. Heat FC 2000 Alex Budnik Arlington Heights, Ill. Sockers FC Chicago 2000 Kelee Cornfield-Saunders San Marcos, Calif. DMCV Sharks SC 2000 Sebastian Cruz Kerman, Calif. Cal Odyssey SC 2000 JJ Foe Nuphaus San Jose, Calif. San Jose Earthquakes 2000 Nico Garcia-Morillo Key Biscayne, Fla. Weston FC 2000 Diego Gonzalez Las Vegas, Nev. Heat FC 2000 Colin Innes Olathe, Kan. Sporting Kansas City 2000 Curtis Johnson Daniel Island, S.C. SC United Mount Pleasant 2000 Ricky Mendez San Rafael, Calif. Marin FC 2000 Jacob Muchnick Newport Beach, Calif. LA Galaxy 2000 Ben Ofeimu West Bloomfield, Mich. Vardar SC 2000 Hunter Pinho Cranford, N.J. PDA 2000 Carlo Ritaccio Westbury, N.Y. BW Gottschee 2000 Tristan Weber San Clemente, Calif. United FC 2000 Joey Zarra Cheshire, Conn. Oakwood SC 2001 Head of Delegation: Phil Wright (Fair Oaks, Calif.) Head Coach: Gerry McKeown (Summit, N.J.) Assistant Coach: Benjamin Ziemer (Sebastopol, Calif.) Goalkeeper Coach: Matt Bernard (Roseville, Calif.) U.S. Soccer Technical Advisor: Rob Becerra (Corona, Calif.)
To elaborate further on the roster, it's instructive to see what's become of previous id2 int'l tour rosters. As an example, the tour group from two years ago that went to Spain are '98s, and should now be in the mix for U17 roster spots. As it turns out, over half of them from two years ago are solidly in the mix: US Club Soccer Roster Position: Name, Hometown, Club D: Harry Adanuty, Cary, N.C., CASL MF: Christian Albelo, Clarksville, Tenn., TSV Amicitia Viernheim 1906/09 F: Danny Barbir, Macungie, Pa., PDA MF: George Braima, Columbus, Ohio, Columbus Crew D: Chaz Burnett, Glen Ridge, N.J., PDA F: Jonathan Navarro, San Jose, Calif., PAC Atlas MF: Matthew Olosunde, Trenton, N.J., New York Red Bulls D: A.J. Palazzolo, O’Fallon, Mo., St. Louis Scott Gallagher MF: Logan Panchot, St. Louis, Mo., St. Louis Scott Gallagher MF: Christian Pulisic, Hershey, Pa., PA Classics F: Elijah Rice, Highland Park, Ill., Chicago Magic D: Juan Riley, Weston, Fla., Weston FC D: Chad Sahinkaya, Colleyville, Texas, Dallas Texans GK: Kevin Silva, Bethlehem, Pa., PDA MF: Jack Skahan, Memphis, Tenn., Sunrise SC F: Raheem Taylor-Parkes, Wesley Chapel, Fla., Brandon FC D: Suniel Veerakone, Caledonia, Mich., Michigan Wolves GK: Andrew Verdi, Ivyland, Pa., FC Delco
Yeah these id2 trips seem to filter directly into the youth national teams, starting with the U14s. 3 players that have impressed me in the past are Ricky Mendez, Zico Bailey, and Jacob Muchnick. By the way, I really hope George Acosta's father is the Miami based house DJ also named George Acosta. https://www.facebook.com/officialgeorgeacosta
The Alex Budnik kid (goalkeeper from Sockers FC) and I are from the same town (also the town Brian McBride and Jonathan Spector grew up in). Before moving for school last year, I was a referee and linesman for a number of his matches, both in regular league games and in far more competitive tournaments. To put it in the best way possible, his inclusion in a program like this is a pretty big shock to me. Not that he wasn't a good goalie. He was just never a standout at the elite level, as far as I saw.
No nothing about the kid. But the Sockers jumped into The Sockers have pushed US Club in Northern Illinois which is the sponsor of the ID2. I know nothing about the player and I am not saying anything about his ability. Just a little information about the business of soccer.
Trip is under way, I believe they practice a couple of days in New Jersey starting yesterday and leave saturday morning to Italy...Good Luck boys.
id2 National Selection 7, AC Siena Giovanissimi Regionali 0 http://www.usclubsoccer.org/program...gramming/2014-nsit/2014-id2-nsit-game-recaps/
J.R. Eskilson @JREskilson 17h .@marin_FC's Ricky Mendez 2 goals, 3 assists in id2 National Selection's 7-0 win over AC Siena (via @USClubSoccer) http://www.topdrawersoccer.com/club-soccer-articles/id2-tour-opens-italy-trip-with-big-win_aid32617 … id2 NATIONAL SELECTION SCORING: 1st min. | George Acosta (Nico Garcia-Morillo) – cross on ground for one-time finish 5th min. | Garcia-Morillo (Ricky Mendez) – cross in air for header into net 18th min. | Acosta (Mendez) – cut-back cross; Acosta around defender and slotted on ground past GK 23rd min. | Ben Ofeimu (Mendez) – short corner; Mendez cross to Ofeimu header finish 35th min. | Mendez (unassisted) – 1v1, beat keeper and slotted into net 37th min. | Valentino Ambrosio (Colin Innes) – after corner kick 75th min. | Garcia-Morillo (Diego Gonzalez-Ruiz) – header top corner from corner kick
Here's the roster for what may be that squad; no birthdates given. http://www.acsiena.it/giovanili/rosa-giovanili/?ids=34 I looked up the same squad at Inter Milan and it's mostly '00s and a few '01s. Siena also has a "Regionali B."
US Club Soccer@USClubSoccer22 mins Halftime: #id2 National Selection 3, ACF Fiorentina Giovanissimi Regionali 1. Own goal + tallies from Ricky Mendez and Zico Bailey.
US Club Soccer@USClubSoccer1h Final from Impianti Sportivi La Trave: #id2 National Selection 3, ACF Fiorentina Giovanissimi Regionali 1.
US Club Soccer @USClubSoccer 2h #id2 starters: Budnik, Acosta, Bailey, Cornfield, Foe Nuphaus, Garcia-Morillo, Innes, Mendez, Ofeimu, Ritaccio, Weber pic.twitter.com/6v6uTcqQdL US Club Soccer @USClubSoccer 31m Final from Centro Sportivo Giacinto Facchetti: #id2 National Selection 0, FC Inter Milan Giovanissimi Regionali 0.
Final from Juventus Training Center: #id2 National Selection 2, Juventus FC Giovanissimi Regionali 0. Goals from Kelee Cornfield-Saunders (66') and Jacob Muchnick (68') give #id2 National Selection 2-0 lead over Juventus FC.
The id2 team surrendered 1 goal in 4 games vs Siena, Fiorentina, Inter and Juventus. I believe Budnik played most of the first team minutes. He seemed to have played well by that stat alone. I've seen some highlights and really can't make any definitve statements but seemed big, mobile, with good hands. We'll see how he develops.
It's very possible he's improved a substantial amount in the past year and a half since I stopped refereeing games.