A pair of players in the U.S. National Team pool from opposite ends of the country have been selected as the 2004 NSCAA/adidas Boys and Girls Youth National Players of the Year by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America.
Michael Grella of Glen Cove, N.Y., has been chosen for the boys honor, while Alexa Orand of Orange, Calif., was chosen for the girls award. Both have been invited to Baltimore, Md., to be recognized at the NSCAA All-America Luncheon, which will be held Saturday, Jan. 15, at part of the 2005 NSCAA Convention.
Grella participated with the U-18 National Team in competitions in Mexico and Argentina, as well as in the Dallas Cup. A product of the Long Island Junior Soccer League, he has played for the LIJSL’s Captain Albertson Red Storm Clash and for the New York Freedom of the USL’s Super-Y League which won the U-15 Metro Region championship. He was named an NSCAA/adidas All-America at both Youth and High School levels this year.
The youngest player on the 2004 U-19 U.S. World Championship Team, Orand has played with the U-16, U-17 and U-19 women’s national teams. She made her first appearance with the U-19 women’s team when she was called in for the squad’s European tour in 2003, appearing in four matches and making one start. She has collected 15 caps with the team, notching four goals. She played in 11 international matches this year, scoring three goals with three assists, including four matches at the CONCACAF Qualifying tournament, where she scoring one goal. She scored her first international goal with the U-19s against Holland on July 5. A product of southern California’s Coast Soccer League, her Slammers club team won four consecutive San Diego Surf Cup titles.
