CARY, N.C. (July 20, 2018) – On a breezy Wednesday afternoon at WakeMed Soccer Park, a collection of players from NCFC Youth Academy, NCFC U-23 and North Carolina FC faced off against the United States U-20 Men’s National Team in a scrimmage.
On one side, NCFC’s deeply rooted pipeline was displayed with Academy, U-23 and professional players representing the same team. Additionally, U.S. Soccer returned to the area yet again, using the Triangle as a hub and recruiting ground for talent. The visitor’s roster featured three players with ties to NCFC with Academy products George Marks and Manny Perez and former NCFC U-23 player George Acosta all getting valuable minutes in the match.
CARY, N.C. (July 20, 2018) – On a breezy Wednesday afternoon at WakeMed Soccer Park, a collection of players from NCFC Youth Academy, NCFC U-23 and North Carolina FC faced off against the United States U-20 Men’s National Team in a scrimmage.
On one side, NCFC’s deeply rooted pipeline was displayed with Academy, U-23 and professional players representing the same team. Additionally, U.S. Soccer returned to the area yet again, using the Triangle as a hub and recruiting ground for talent. The visitor’s roster featured three players with ties to NCFC with Academy products George Marks and Manny Perez and former NCFC U-23 player George Acosta all getting valuable minutes in the match.
While the game itself ultimately will not impact the record books, the scrimmage represented over-arching club values that the North Carolina Football Club has been building for years – its youth-to-pro pipeline and relationship with U.S. Soccer.
In the 70th minute, the club values came together for a microcosm of the strides that NCFC has made in youth development.
With the U.S. U-20 team leading 1-0, current NCFC midfielder Cameron Steele, stole the ball from Acosta – his old teammate.
Steele, who came through the NCFC pipeline and played for NCFC U-23 and TFCA (now NCFC Youth), placed a perfectly-weighted through ball into the path of a sprinting Donovan Ewolo. The forward’s pace led him into a one-on-one situation with Marks – an NCFC Youth Academy product that had also spent time with NCFC U-23 and was a part of the North Carolina FC first team for nearly two seasons.
Ewolo won the head-to-head battle, depositing his shot past Marks and into the far corner of the net to level the game at 1-1.
While the U.S. U-20s would go on to eventually find a late winner, the game was more about North Carolina Football Club connecting the dots in the youth-to-pro pipeline and providing a great experience to its Academy and U-23 players.
While the game itself ultimately will not impact the record books, the scrimmage represented over-arching club values that the North Carolina Football Club has been building for years – its youth-to-pro pipeline and relationship with U.S. Soccer.
In the 70th minute, the club values came together for a microcosm of the strides that NCFC has made in youth development.
With the U.S. U-20 team leading 1-0, current NCFC midfielder Cameron Steele, stole the ball from Acosta – his old teammate.
Steele, who came through the NCFC pipeline and played for NCFC U-23 and TFCA (now NCFC Youth), placed a perfectly-weighted through ball into the path of a sprinting Donovan Ewolo. The forward’s pace led him into a one-on-one situation with Marks – an NCFC Youth Academy product that had also spent time with NCFC U-23 and was a part of the North Carolina FC first team for nearly two seasons.
Ewolo won the head-to-head battle, depositing his shot past Marks and into the far corner of the net to level the game at 1-1.
While the U.S. U-20s would go on to eventually find a late winner, the game was more about North Carolina Football Club connecting the dots in the youth-to-pro pipeline and providing a great experience to its Academy and U-23 players.
“First of all, it’s fantastic to be able to host U.S. Soccer,” said North Carolina Football Club President and General Manager Curt Johnson. “No matter the age group or the time of year, this is part of what our community and our facility is all about. Bringing in and competing against the best of the best. Having players from our Academy, U-23s, and our pros, to be able to test themselves against the best U-20 players in the country, is fantastic.”
The sentiment from Johnson was echoed by several notable soccer figures in attendance.
“When I went to college here, I never thought that Raleigh would develop into such a hub for soccer and a hotbed for good players,” added U.S. U-20 National Team Head Coach Tab Ramos. “Then, to have a club like this, North Carolina FC has done a tremendous job both on the men’s and the women’s side.”
“I think it clearly shows that it’s a place of opportunity,” said NCFC Youth Academy Director John Bradford. “Whether that means through opportunity with the national team shown by the players that are currently with the U-20s, or a professional opportunity where Academy players are able to play alongside professional players, I think the pipeline is continuing to evolve. For a player that is looking for top development, this experience is here for them.”
For NCFC, the team sheet consisted of a diverse mix of players from across the organization. A few professional players logged minutes for training, experience and opportunity, while three Academy and six U-23 players were given the chance to play in the scrimmage and grow from the opportunity.
For current Academy standout Adam Armour, the experience was a massive opportunity to grow as a player and showcase his skills. At 16 years old, Armour was by far the youngest player on the field that day.
“It was a really good experience because there were a lot of older players that led me and helped me through the game,” said Armour. “It was also a good opportunity to play against the U.S. U-20s and see what the best players in the country are like for this age group. I’m glad I got the opportunity to show what I can do against them and to compare myself to them.”
“First of all, it’s fantastic to be able to host U.S. Soccer,” said North Carolina Football Club President and General Manager Curt Johnson. “No matter the age group or the time of year, this is part of what our community and our facility is all about. Bringing in and competing against the best of the best. Having players from our Academy, U-23s, and our pros, to be able to test themselves against the best U-20 players in the country, is fantastic.”
The sentiment from Johnson was echoed by several notable soccer figures in attendance.
“When I went to college here, I never thought that Raleigh would develop into such a hub for soccer and a hotbed for good players,” added U.S. U-20 National Team Head Coach Tab Ramos. “Then, to have a club like this, North Carolina FC has done a tremendous job both on the men’s and the women’s side.”
“I think it clearly shows that it’s a place of opportunity,” said NCFC Youth Academy Director John Bradford. “Whether that means through opportunity with the national team shown by the players that are currently with the U-20s, or a professional opportunity where Academy players are able to play alongside professional players, I think the pipeline is continuing to evolve. For a player that is looking for top development, this experience is here for them.”
For NCFC, the team sheet consisted of a diverse mix of players from across the organization. A few professional players logged minutes for training, experience and opportunity, while three Academy and six U-23 players were given the chance to play in the scrimmage and grow from the opportunity.
For current Academy standout Adam Armour, the experience was a massive opportunity to grow as a player and showcase his skills. At 16 years old, Armour was by far the youngest player on the field that day.
“It was a really good experience because there were a lot of older players that led me and helped me through the game,” said Armour. “It was also a good opportunity to play against the U.S. U-20s and see what the best players in the country are like for this age group. I’m glad I got the opportunity to show what I can do against them and to compare myself to them.”
In addition to the many benefits for the organization’s future stars, NCFC Head Coach Colin Clarke was also pleased with the opportunity that it presented for all parties involved.
“It’s beneficial for everybody, from the coaches to the players. We’re connecting the dots with all the age groups. We had some young kids out there, from the U-16s on up [to the first team]. It was also fun to see kids on the other team that have played for us and moved on. It was a fun day for a lot of different reasons. It shows where we are as a club and how much we’ve grown over the years. It’s great.”
As North Carolina Football Club continues to develop its youth-to-professional pipeline and extends its relationship with U.S. Soccer, expect even more opportunities for the growth of the sport and the development of future soccer stars in the area.
Additional Notes:
Six players from NCFC U-23 played in the contest for North Carolina FC.
Three NCFC Youth Academy players – Adam Armour, Colton Pleasants and Daniel Wu played for NCFC.
Academy products George Marks and Manny Perez played for the U.S. U-20s along with former NCFC U-23 player George Acosta.
Photos courtesy of Lora Charles – Offsideshots Photography
In addition to the many benefits for the organization’s future stars, NCFC Head Coach Colin Clarke was also pleased with the opportunity that it presented for all parties involved.
“It’s beneficial for everybody, from the coaches to the players. We’re connecting the dots with all the age groups. We had some young kids out there, from the U-16s on up [to the first team]. It was also fun to see kids on the other team that have played for us and moved on. It was a fun day for a lot of different reasons. It shows where we are as a club and how much we’ve grown over the years. It’s great.”
As North Carolina Football Club continues to develop its youth-to-professional pipeline and extends its relationship with U.S. Soccer, expect even more opportunities for the growth of the sport and the development of future soccer stars in the area.
Additional Notes:
Six players from NCFC U-23 played in the contest for North Carolina FC.
Three NCFC Youth Academy players – Adam Armour, Colton Pleasants and Daniel Wu played for NCFC.
Academy products George Marks and Manny Perez played for the U.S. U-20s along with former NCFC U-23 player George Acosta.
Photos courtesy of Lora Charles – Offsideshots Photography
