The U.S. Under-18 Men’s National Team is currently in Bosnia for its first training camp of 2015. Head coach Javier Perez and his 20-player roster already squared off with Bosnian premier league club Siroki Brijeg in a scrimmage on April 25, where they won with a convincing 6-0 final score line. Next, the team is poised for a pair of friendly matches with Bosnia’s U-19 National Team on April 28, followed by a second on April 30.
“This is a really important trip for us because it’s the before-last camp and we are doing it in a foreign camp,” Perez said. “We are going to play against Bosnia’s U-19 team which is one year older than us and for them, it’s a really important moment because they are close to the UEFA European U-19 Championship, so we expect very tough competition.”
“We have a good combination of players with a lot of experience with the National Team and we have some new players doing very well with club teams like with the case of Marcello Borges with New York Red Bulls. It’s his first time with any National Team. Mason Stajduhar, he’s with Orlando City SC – it’s his first international trip with us. Also, Jeremiah Gutjahr (Indiana Fire) is in his first cycle with the international team.
As the team continues to progress, it will also be put to the test when it takes on a Bosnian team that Perez expects to be very physical. Nonetheless, it is a challenge that the team is eager to take on.
Perez says the match will be a good opportunity for the players to work on their feet and to operate technically to move the ball around quickly, thus creating another occasion and possible moment of experience for the young team that is always looking to improve.
(Source: ussoccer.com)
