As in previous years, three players from Barça Academy Residency Arizona have been training with the Barça youth teams to see how they are developing in terms of performance and attitude. The youngsters who were especially chosen this year by the US-based coaches are Graham Ford, Makai Wells and Jorge Padilla. All of them were involved in last year’s MLS playoffs, a competition that is getting stronger and stronger every year.
Three big promises
Graham Ford is training with the U16A team, having already impressed when he was here last year on a training camp. This left-footed central midfielder is a great team player, adept at keeping possession, recovering balls and reading the game in general.
Makai Wells is working out with the same U16A squad, and this is his first ever visit to Barcelona. The right winger is great at the passing game and especially strong in one-on-one situations, having only entered Barça Academy Pro Arizona last year.
Meanwhile, Jorge Padilla is playing with the U19B team, and is also at the Ciutat Esportiva for the first time after four years at the Arizona center. Padilla was outstanding in the MLS U16 playoffs, and that is one of the main reasons why he has been sent to Europe to learn from players of a similar age. A right-sided midfielder, he’s strong in the tackle and plays a very direct kind of football that frequently gets him involved in attacking plays. He is also extremely dedicated, and his hard-working nature is another of the main reasons why he has been rewarded with this trip to Barcelona.
About Barça Residency Academy USA
Barça Residency Arizona is the only such program that Barça is running in North America at the moment, and opened its doors in 2017. There are FC Barcelona coaches based onsite to ensure the correct transfer of the Barça training methodology. Located at Casa Grande, it has eight soccer fields, a study center associated to Arizona State University and is the only Barça Academy to have a team in MLS Next, the leading youth league in the United States of America.
