New York City Football Club celebrated four of its academy players competing in the U15 Concacaf Championship in the Dominican Republic this month.
Defender Sebasthian Chavez was called in to represent the United States Youth National Team, while Matthew Benavides, Andrew Reyes, and Adonis Campos were all called up by El Salvador’s U15 team.
Unfortunately, El Salvador were unable to advance from their group which contained Jamaica, Mexico, and Saudi Arabia. There was better news for the USYNT, however, as they recorded wins against Cuba, Haiti, and Qatar to reach the knockout stages of the competition.
That saw them earn a date with Guatemala at the Estadio Olímpico Félix Sánchez, during which they recorded a 4-1 win. A rematch against Haiti awaited in the semi-finals, with Chavez earning the nod to start the game.
A narrow 1-0 result saw the USYNT advance to the finals and a meeting with Mexico. Chavez was again handed the start and helped his teammates record a fantastic 4-2 victory to take the crown at the Estadio Olímpico Félix Sánchez.
Speaking on the quartet of call-ups, Academy Director Morten Grahn said, “We are happy for our Academy players to receive this experience competing for their country in a top-level tournament.
“Playing Youth National-Team soccer is a great learning experience for our players and something we encourage and are proud of. Competing at a high level is great for their development.
“We wish them all good luck and hope they perform well.”
The Club would like to congratulate all four players on their selection, and commend Sebasthian on his victory with the USYNT.
