• GAME RECAPS: 11-0 win Tottenham Academy / 6-0 win vs. Chelsea Academy

The 2026 id2 International Tour began last week with a one-day domestic camp in Atlanta at U.S. Soccer’s National Training Center before the girls and boys teams departed for England. The girls have remained in London for the duration of the tour, while the boys split time in Liverpool and London. The boys’ experience was highlighted by a second-place finish at the Merseyside International Cup, and they play their final match Friday afternoon in a friendly against Chelsea Academy. The id2 National Selection boys and girls teams return stateside Sunday.

In addition to international competition, the id2 National Selection teams also train at various facilities in the area, attend professional matches and participate in sightseeing excursions that are curated to create a multi-faceted experience that benefits the players on and off the field.

The id2 National Selection International Tour is part of a multi-stage progression for targeted players, of which the outgoing year’s targeted age group was 2012-born athletes. Dating back to summer 2025, over 12,000 players were scouted by US Club Soccer’s scouting network. This included national and regional events, as well as localized scouting in club environments, where players are most comfortable. As players were monitored, US Club Soccer hosted two national camps in February and April/May. In February, at the id2 National Training Camp, more than 200 players participated in a week-long camp in Chula Vista, California. Then, the player pool narrowed further to about 70 players, who competed at the id2 National Selection Camp in Fairfax, Virginia. Now, the id2 National Selection International Tour is the ultimate reward for players in this process, and 18 girls and 18 boys are traveling to England later this week.

US Club Soccer is growing its scouting network to be the biggest in the country with currently more than 90 scouts contributing. Local and regional scouting over the past year has included: Player Development Programs (PDP); events within the NPL, ECNL Regional League and ECNL; showcases; and more. The 2026 cohort is led by id2 head coaches Darel Russell (boys) and Hue Menzies (girls) in close collaboration with US Club Soccer technical director Ross Paule.

The id2 Program is a leader in player identification and development, as it provides opportunities for elite athletes to be identified, developed and scouted for inclusion in U.S. Soccer’s youth national team programming. The id2 Program is an Olympic Development Program approved by the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee and the U.S. Soccer Federation. There is no cost for players to participate or be scouted, and all meals, lodging and gear are provided by US Club Soccer. For the id2 National Selection International Tour, all travel expenses are also provided. This approach to eliminating barriers to entry helps ensure the best players are able to participate. The id2 Program was created in 2004, and today, has grown to be recognized as reserve teams for USYNT. Id2 alumni include Christian Pulisic, Tim Weah, Brendan Aaronson, Tyler Adams, Diego Luna, Lindsey Heaps, Trinity Rodman and Mallory Swanson.