US Club Soccer’s id2 program scouts elite youth soccer players

JC Lewis and Matthew Belgodere-Santiago went on the soccer trip of a lifetime last month. They were on a roster with 16 other boys from across the country, hand-picked by U.S. Club Soccer to participate in their annual international tour.

ORLANDO, Fla. - JC Lewis and Matthew Belgodere-Santiago went on the soccer trip of a lifetime last month.

"I was excited when they picked me," Matthew Belgodere-Santiago said.

They were on a roster with 16 other boys from across the country, hand-picked by U.S. Club Soccer to participate in their annual international tour. This year the team traveled to different sites in England.

The players trained with clubs toured stadiums, went to pro soccer matches, and ended the trip with a win over Oxford United FC.

"It was a really good experience because it’s a lot different over there, and the people are a lot bigger," Lewis said. "I already had chemistry with my teammates, so it helped a lot."

U.S. Club Soccer founded the id2 program nearly two decades ago.

It’s a development program targeting elite youth soccer players. Their goal is to identify and develop players for U.S. Soccer’s National Team programs.

For these players, this trip was another step towards national team goals."Yeah, it will be realized for sure," Lewis said.

Lewis will join Orlando City’s development academy in the coming year.