For the fourth summer in a row, Sounders Academy will be in Sheffield, England, taking on some of the top young players from Europe.
The Sounders Discovery Program 2006’s are across the pond for the next week to compete in the Sheffield Trophy, formerly known as the Youdan Trophy.
SDP invites the top local talents from around Washington State to train twice per week with Sounders Academy coaches while continuing to play for their respective club teams, which both accelerates development and increases the efficacy of the club’s youth scouting.
Billed as a showcase for the future stars of the global game, Sheffield Trophy has yielded plenty of success and exposure for Sounders youth prospects in the past. Sounders FC Homegrown striker Alfonso Ocampo-Chavez, who is currently with the U.S. U-17 men’s national team, took home the tournament’s Golden Boot in 2017 as Seattle won the title by defeating the likes of Wolverhampton, Celtic FC, FC Basel and Everton FC.
Sounders U-17 midfielder Ethan Dobbelaere, who scored in a 2-0 friendly win over OCSC in his first camp for the U.S. U-17s, scored in the 2017 Sheffield Trophy final against Everton. Even more top talents from the youth system have used this event as a proving ground, with Tacoma Defiance prospects Azriel Gonzalez, Danny Robles, Josh Atencio and Alec Diaz all competing in the past.
As the three-time reigning champs, the young Sounders enter the tournament among the favorites. They’ll take on Maiden City FC, Hearts of Midlothian and Sheffield United in the group stage.
