The second half is underway and the United States Under-15s are leading England’s equivalents 3-1.
“I think a few people are surprised,” an agent, sitting in the stands, tells The Athletic. “This U.S. group have very strong technical boys, athletic and dynamic.”
The U.S. went 3-1 up 20 minutes into the contest despite conceding a penalty inside the opening 60 seconds. It was not until changes were made after the break and England introduced players who heads of academy recruitment, scouts and agents believe are leading talents, that momentum was reversed.
Ultimately, on the final day of the seven-day international camp in Cyprus, the U.S. ran out of steam and succumbed to a 4-3 defeat. Yet they still posed stylistic and physical challenges to England throughout the game.
The under-15s roster is strong. Led by head coach Ross Brady, the week-long camp was an extension of ‘the U.S. Way’ philosophy, designed to increase training programmes and pathways through the youth age groups.
The quicker coaches can identify precocious talents, the sooner they can nurture their development and offer a step-by-step process through the ranks, in line with their age.
The U.S. played two matches during the camp, initially facing Cyprus on February 12 — a 4-0 victory — before England.
(Jacob Tanswell/The Athletic)
Brady named a 20-player squad, all of whom were born after January 1, 2011. There were 15 clubs represented in the roster, with 13 players from Major League Soccer outfits.
Intriguingly, three of the teenagers came from the Barca Residency Academy, a full-time residential programme based in Arizona and, with the clue in the name, allied with FC Barcelona of Spain.
The relationship involves access to the La Liga club’s coaching methodology, with full-time Barcelona coaches, strength and conditioning experts and sports science staff. Players live on the campus, annexed to a 58,000-square-foot training facility containing eight pitches. Education is provided by Arizona State University Preparatory Academy.
The Barca residency is, in essence, a satellite academy, with the best players then offered the opportunity to train or trial at Barca’s academy in Spain. Bournemouth right-back Julian Araujo, currently on loan at Celtic in Scotland, is the archetype for this, having been the first alumnus to come through its pathway.
Two of the three players included on the Cyprus trip from the residency, Easton Odom and Diego Ros, started the fixture with England.
Odom lined up at left-back, with Ros in a deep-lying midfield role, tasked with constructing highly-sophisticated build-up schemes in the U.S’s 4-3-3 formation.
Many of the players’ families travelled for the match, and they could be heard throughout. The two No 8s pushed high when the defence built play in deep areas, with England, particularly early on, uncertain how to counteract tactical blind spots.
One England player continued to point towards the U.S. left No 8 — Sporting Kansas City’s Zamir Loyo Reynaga, a left-footed, athletic midfielder who was involved in the MLS club’s pre-season this year — knowing he was unmarked. An indication of Loyo Reynaga’s talent and advanced physical development is that he has signed a contract with Sporting Kansas City until 2031 and that he also became the youngest player to appear for the team’s reserve side when he made his debut aged 14 years and 251 days last year.
England’s attempts to press high were foiled by Loyo Reynaga’s intelligent positioning, picking up pockets of space. This forced England to alter plans in the second half and reduce their pressure from the front, instead holding their position and blocking passes into the U.S. midfield.
Odom, meanwhile, was marking England’s brightest first-half spark, Chelsea winger Eden Mahoney-Smith. “He’s excellent defensively,” said an English agent after Odom intercepted a pass into England’s wide player.
Odom is one of five United States Under-15 players who have signed with worldwide sports agency Wasserman.
Technically, U.S. soccer players can sign with an agent at any age, but for players under 18, a parent or guardian must sign the representation contract. Often, though, agents working with minors require special FIFA authorisation, and they can generally only approach or sign a player born after January 1 of the academic year the player turns 16.
Odom is highly-regarded. His Instagram shows paid partnerships already, even though he does not turn 15 until October. He is a quick and aggressive left-back, joining Barca’s residency academy in June 2025 from Rebels Soccer Club, California.
Odom is a natural sportsman, with his all-round athletic skills appearing to be helped by a combination of inherent talent and cross-training in other sports (he also plays basketball and baseball).
Previous studies demonstrate that cross-training in sport from an early age develops positive and progressive physical and coordination skills.
Practising a diversity of sports targets different movements and mobility patterns, as well as muscle groups. In Odom’s case, this has developed strength and agility, which is evident in his skill set as a left-back.
Basketball will have assisted his fast-twitch, explosive movements, while baseball, similarly, develops reaction speed and coordination.
Further upfield, the U.S. were progressing the ball through the lines before switching the ball incisively towards their wingers.
Houston Dynamo’s Kenzynton Pierre was operating down one flank, a left-footed right-winger who recognised when to hold width and when to drive inside onto his stronger foot, as well as expertly playing sliding passes for Atlanta United centre-forward, Santi Suarez-Couri. One move ended with Suarez-Couri hitting the post with a powerful strike.
Agents and heads of recruitment in the Premier League noted how slick the U.S. were in the first half.
The teams lined up ahead of the game (Jacob Tanswell/The Athletic)
Ros was stationed in central midfield, wearing the No 6 shirt. His specific profile is a result of more finessed coaching and tactical understanding in North America, and he is immediately identifiable as a metronomic, positionally-aware player who was first scouted as one of a select few boys to be part of the U.S. Under-14’s USYNT ID camp.
The midfielder plays up an age group at the Barca residency academy, with his eye for a pass chiming with the U.S. cohort of dynamic, technically gifted players who cover ground swiftly, despite each being at varying stages of their development.
They appeared refined and well-coached, with their natural power base, some assisted by experiencing differing sports, providing the foundation.
Bringing alignment to the vast and unique operation of the youth game in the U.S. has been a complex task for Matt Crocker, U.S. Soccer’s second-ever sporting director. It is no surprise that during an interview with The Athletic in September 2025, Crocker described the landscape as “disjointed.”
He cannot implement a one-size-fits-all model for the various sanctioning bodies, but the ‘U.S. way’ is built on educating coaches in how best to develop young players. Crocker has discussed solutions such as six or eight “regional youth national teams” to cast the net of talent as extensively as possible, as well as drafting a coaching playbook for coaches to lean on.
However, the 20-player roster was made up of individuals at several different clubs from several different states, suggesting that U.S. soccer is becoming more efficient.
Illustrated by the seven days in Cyprus, the under-15s are among the first iterations of the U.S.’s improved, detailed approach to creating youth pathways and raising the expectations for soccer in the country. Tactical and technical understandings reflect European trends and, as shown against England, are competing well against more traditional and experienced nations.
The question is whether this has a consequential effect on success at senior level and if the sport continues to grow in popularity in the country. A lot could hinge on the impact of the legacy from the 2026 World Cup.