CenCal Cosmos soccer player Trey Cardozo has been selected to the 18 player roster for the USClub id2 National Team’s trip to England and Scotland next month.
“It was a really nice feeling because I have been working to get selected for this for a long time,” Cardozo said. “It’s good to know that I made it.”
The team consists of players born in 2006, representing nine states across the United States. Players were scouted from play with their club teams, as well as various talent ID programs around the country. Notable alumni of the id2 program include Chelsea Football Club and US National Team player Christian Pulisic.
Cardozo said that playing for a team that Pulisic once did was a validating feeling.
“It gives me some confidence because it shows that one of the players that got selected for this program made it pro, so it shows that I have a chance at doing that as well,” he said.
Cardozo and the rest of the team will meet in New Jersey for an abbreviated domestic training camp before leaving for Scotland on March 13. While in the UK, the team will compete against the player development academies of top professional teams.
Since its inception in 2013, Cardozo has played for the CenCal Cosmos, a Fresno-based youth soccer development organization that provides competitive teams and training for players aged 4 to 18 of all skill levels.
“This is a fantastic achievement for Trey and we are very proud of him,” CenCal Cosmos Director of Coaching Kevin Botterill said in a news release from the team. “Trey is a talented soccer player, but even more so he is a fanatically hard worker and an all-around great kid. This achievement is definitely a testament to his willingness to persevere and overcome any obstacles that are placed in his way”
Cardozo has consistently been considered one of the top young players in the Valley. He spent significant time in the Player Development Program (PDP) teams for NorCal Premier both at the regional and semi-state level, the release stated. PDP is NorCal Premier’s player development program.
But, just one year ago, it appeared that opportunity to continue playing there might have been dashed after he didn’t make the team following an injury and did not return after he recovered.
“What really impressed me about Trey and his family, is that they took the blow of not being named in the PDP squad head on, and used it as motivation to work harder. In these times, unfortunately, this is becoming a rare thing,” Botterill said. “He didn’t blame the club, he didn’t blame the program, he just put his head down and continued to challenge himself every day to reach his potential.”