[ad_1]
EnglandA goalless draw with United States IN World Cup it might have been a memorable encounter, but that was not the case when the under-16 teams of the two countries met in the FIFA Confederations Cup on Sunday.
The tournament, which was won by the hosts Spainit’s where young and talented players aim to make their mark and move on to bigger and better things.
The USA sealed fifth place with a thrilling 2-1 win over England after a 2-2 draw against Spain and an impressive win over Wales.
It was an eight-team tournament and not every nation faced each other.
England lost 1-0 to Belgium in their opener but sealed a 2-1 victory against Germany in their second game before the loss to the USA
here, Athletics takes a look at some of the most talented youngsters emerging from the England and United States youth teams.
The two most impressive Americans were striker Zavier Gozo, of Real Salt Lake Academy, and midfielder Ervin Torres, of Austin FC Academy, both of whom scored and stood out in the United States’ victory.
Gozo, 15, is widely regarded as the best player in his age group. He scored two goals in the tournament and looks to France Kylian Mbappe. It’s easy to see why the electric pace delivered is its main strength.
Gozo joined The real Salt LakeHis academy in the summer of 2021 and has become one of their key players, scoring 16 goals for them so far this calendar year.
Torres, also 15, has already represented Mexico at under-16 level and was invited to their training camp in October. However, he is now playing for the USA and his goal against England was a brilliant strike from long range.
After scoring, he joyfully ran into the technical area to celebrate and was embraced by his teammates and members of the coaching staff — suggesting he feels at home in the U.S. camp despite those Mexican advances.
As for England, who are coached by Greg Lincoln – the former midfielder who once was ArsenalHis books as a player – their standout performer was 15-year-old forward Mikey Moore.
He is in Tottenham’s academy and scored a superb brace against Germany in the tournament which helped him finish as the competition’s top scorer.
The young man did Cristiano RonaldoThe “Sleeping Old Man/Moment of Peace” celebration after scoring against Germany. And his performance was all the more impressive considering he only came on in the second half.
His amazing goal in TottenhamBrighton & Hove Albion Under-18s’ 3-0 win in September, combined with his assured performances in Spain, show why there is so much excitement about his potential.
An impressive win and a worldview from Mikey Moore 👏
Highlights from U18’s 3-0 win over Brighton ⤵️
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) September 18, 2022
In September, Moore played in the UEFA Youth League for Tottenham Under-19s in a 3–0 win over Marseille. Another notable achievement this season is the fact that he has scored two goals and provided two assists in the league for the U-18s.
Meanwhile, Shumaira Mheuka, Moore’s strike partner for the national team, is a highly-rated 15-year-old who plays for Chelsea. He was born in England to Zimbabwean parents and has also represented his native country at under-15 level. He joined Chelsea from Brighton in August.
Mheuka made his debut for the London club’s academy at this summer’s Euro Cup Youth tournament in Germany and was named striker of the tournament after scoring four goals.
This season has also seen him score back-to-back hat-tricks Everton and Port Vale in the U-16 Premier League Cup for Chelsea.
Another prospect worth keeping an eye on is Chris Rigg – who captained England in Spain. The 15-year-old midfielder plays for Sunderland and has attracted interest from Newcastle United and Everton.
Sunderland hope Rigg will sign a professional deal with them when he turns 16 in June and, in a sign of how highly rated he is, he has already trained with the club’s first team.
Not only that, but Sunderland manager Tony Mowbray invited the youngster to travel with the first team for the Championship game. Birmingham City on November 11.
Sunderland’s Chris Rigg shone for England U-16s (Photo: Ian Horrocks/Sunderland AFC via Getty Images
Rigg played for Sunderland Under-15s when they lifted the National Floodlit Cup in April and has already made three league appearances for the Under-21s this season.
On the international front, Rigg has already made the step up to England Under-17s – featuring in their 1-1 draw against Israel earlier this month.
(Photo: Tom Dulat/Getty Images)
[ad_2]
