US Club Soccer hosts 68 standouts at 2026 id2 National Selection Camp

Rosters – Boys / Girls | Photos on Instagram

FAIRFAX, Virginia – US Club Soccer hosted its id2 National Selection Camp for top girls and boys players born in 2012, April 29-May 3 in Northern Virginia.

On the boys side, 32 players participated, representing 25 clubs and 12 states. For the 36 girls that competed, they hailed from 23 clubs and 11 states. Athletes were challenged on and off the field, competing in field sessions at the James Long Regional Park and learning from various presentations in a classroom setting. The id2 National Selection Camp featured games against Virginia Development Academy, Arlington Soccer Association and Richmond United. Both the boys’ and girls’ camps included matches against older age group players.

The id2 National Selection Training Camp serves as the penultimate progression of this age group cycle. In February, more than 200 players participated at the id2 National Training Camp in southern California. The player pool then narrowed to the camp this past week, and the final programming element will be the heralded id2 International Tour, which will be held in August. More information, including dates, location and opponents, will be announced soon.

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Athletes enter the id2 player pool after an extensive scouting process that begins at the local level. A core tenet of the id2 Program is that players should be first scouted in environments most comfortable to them. This typically includes the club level. US Club Soccer is growing its scouting network to be the biggest in the country with currently more than 80 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.

In Virginia, players were treated to instruction from a collection of the country’s best club coaches. Curriculum was designed by id2 head coaches Darel Russell (boys) and Hue Menzies (girls) in close collaboration with US Club Soccer technical director Ross Paule. Russell, representing Heat Surf LV, and Menzies, representing Florida Kraze Krush, were complemented by three coaches apiece. On the girls’ side that included Hannah Shepard (Rebels SC), Alyssa Tallent (VDA) and Brittany Cameron (Wake Forest University & U-19 USYNT). The boys’ staff was rounded out by Matt Lacey (VDA), Nicholas Mantha (Concorde Fire) and Ryan Thompson (RTG Academy). Several U.S. Soccer personnel were on-site throughout the week to scout for invitations to future U.S. youth national team programming.

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 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. 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.