Watertown’s Samuel Deossa was chosen from players from around New England to be part of the the New England Revolution’s Under 14 Academy squad, the Major League Soccer team announced this week.
Deossa, a midfielder/forward, will play with the Revolution Academy against other development teams from across the country in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy league. They also receive invitations to play in international tournaments.
The academy is part of the program to develop players to play professional soccer.
The Revolution Academy sent out the following release:
The New England Revolution have announced their Academy rosters for the 2015-16 U.S. Soccer Development Academy season. In total, 57 players from the New England region were selected for the Revolution Academy squads: 15 on the Under-18s, 21 on the Under-16s and 21 on the Under-14s. The players were scouted by the youth development staff over the past year and selected after both invitational training sessions and open tryouts this summer.
The Revolution Academy is coming off the 2014-15 season which saw the Under-16s advance to the U.S. Soccer Development Academy Playoffs Quarterfinal for the first time in program history and will return 36 players, while 21 new players have been added. The Under-18s are made up entirely of returning players, with all 21 new players added to the Under-16s (5) and Under-14s (16).
“We’re very pleased with the progress of our Academy program and believe that this group of players will represent the Revolution’s high standards,” Revolution director of youth development Bryan Scales said. “The returning players have earned their spots on the team and helped improve the Academy each year, while our new players have accepted a fantastic opportunity. We’re excited to get started in just a few weeks as we look to build upon last season’s success.”
Entering its eighth season, the Revolution Academy is the only fully-funded youth soccer program in New England, and competes in the prestigious U.S. Soccer Development Academy. Qualified and talented players are accepted into the program without regard to their financial situation. All players’ needs and expenses related to soccer activities – training, facilities, equipment, uniforms, travel associated with competitions – are provided by the Revolution at no cost to the players or their families.
Of the 57 players selected for the Academy rosters, 44 have completed the Revolution’s elite training programs, where the most impressive players are selected for the Academy’s youth teams.
Players born January 1, 1997 or after are eligible for the Under-18 team, while players born after January 1, 1999 are eligible for the Under-16 team and players born January 1, 2001 or after are eligible for the Under-14 team. Full rosters for each Academy age group can be found by clicking here.