Philadelphia Union Academy trio part of Futures Camp in California

Three Philadelphia Union Academy teammates and two other local players from PA Classics and Continental FC were among the 64 players to receive invites to the U.S. Soccer’s Boys’ National Team Futures Camp over the weekend in Carson, California.

Union U14 defender Cole Verrico (Kennett Square, Pa.), midfielder Paxten Aaronson (Medford, N.J.) and forward Micah Cain (Pottstown, Pa.) were part of the four-day camp for players born in 2002 and 2003.

PA Classics midfielder Nathan Stricker (Sinking Spring, Pa.) and Continental FC midfielder Jackson Temple (Millville, Pa.) were also invited to the camp. All but two of the players invited play with U.S. Soccer Development Academy clubs.

The focus of the camp was, according to a press release, on “identifying the most talented players in the '02 and '03 birth years who appear to be on a later physical development path and/or are born in the second half of the year.”

The purpose of those specific parameters is to “reduce the impact of physical maturity and relative age effect on identification and evaluation of talent.”