U15 USYNT 2025 Concacaf Champinoship Tournament Recap

This U-15 cycle can only be described as disappointing. It highlighted significant issues in how U.S. Soccer manages its youngest youth national teams. Talent identification was among the worst I have seen. The staff prioritized players who, based on my evaluation, are unlikely to have a national team future, while overlooking several top prospects who never received a single camp call-up.

The lack of experimentation with the player pool was surprising for such a young age group. This reflects either a flawed selection process or poor evaluation of which players meet the stated criteria. Either way, the management of this class warrants serious reflection.

There was one positive: Mexico’s success was driven by five Mexican-Americans developed in the U.S. — Da’vian Kimbrough, Juan Martinez, Lisandro Torres, Paxon Ruffin, and Matthew Arana. They were among the tournament’s best players. Only Kimbrough and Torres appeared in U.S. camps this cycle. Whether the other three declined invites or were never recruited is unclear, but the U.S. may not have done enough to recruit them.

Garcia’s presence significantly improved the U.S. midfield. He won and progressed the ball well, often trying to take the game into his own hands. While his final ball let him down at times, his overall performance reinforced his status as one of the top players in this age group.

Chidebe started the tournament hot but faded, reportedly battling illness while enduring heavy fouling. Still, he was the U.S.’s most dangerous attacker, producing several bright moments and twice hitting the post in the semifinal against Panama.

Despite starting the 5–0 loss to Mexico, Nemo was only at fault for one goal and made several strong saves. Over the tournament, he showed excellent shot-stopping and calm distribution, and was key in the semifinal shootout win over Panama.

Tchoumba isn’t flashy, but the U.S. played much better with him on the field. He was dominant at times defensively and handled pressure well in possession, though he did have some costly turnovers and lost duels, he still showed why he is a top talent.

A major overhaul is needed. Several talented players were overlooked this cycle, and they could raise the group’s level. The next major competition for this age group will be the 2027 U-17 Concacaf Championship — now an annual event — which doubles as U-17 World Cup qualifying. To compete there, both the player pool and the selection process will need significant changes.