Youth: Salkicic named to U.S. Residency Program

Strictly Soccer’s Tarik Salkicic of St. Petersburg has been selected to join the U.S. Soccer Under-17 residency program in Bradenton, joining Fusion Futbol Club’s Atsouh Ayah of Tampa.

Salkicic was called up to the under-17 national team for the Nike Friendlies in early December in Arizona, and he received word from U.S. Soccer this week that the program wanted him to join full time. Salkicic will play for Strictly Soccer at the Disney Soccer Showcase next week before heading to Bradenton on Jan. 4.

“It means a lot,” Salkicic said. “I’m happy that they called me, and I hope to represent my club well.”

Born in Croatia, Salkicic’s family moved to Germany for a short time when he was young before moving to the U.S. when he was five. Salkicic said his family’s love of the sport had been a major influence on him.

“My grandfather used to play soccer as a semi-pro, and I talked to him every day about it,” Salkicic said. “My family is in love with soccer in general, so I think that’s where it comes from.”

Salkicic also said Strictly Soccer coach Hans Burt had been instrumental in helping him develop. Burt said he was very proud to see Salkicic called up after having spent the past eight seasons with Strictly Soccer. While not the most polished player, Burt said he thought Salkicic’s energy and desire to improve would allow him to develop greatly while in the program.

“There’s a lot of good players who can’t take that constant workout and that constant flow,” Burt said. “This kid is going to love it.

“He will only get better in the national program. He is a guy who exponentially will improve, and it’ll be a shock if anyone improves more than him over the next year-and-a-half, because he will run with it, he won’t get tired. His concern is when they have a week or two off of practice can he come up and train with us.”

Youth: Ayah named to U.S. under-17 Residency program

Atsouh Ayah of the Tampa Fusion Futbol Club has accepted an invitation to become a member of the U.S. Under-17 Residency Program in Bradenton.

Ayah, seen here with Fusion FC coach Roland Moldovan (left)and Fusion FC Director of Soccer Operations Jim DiNobile, was a captain on the U.S. under-15 boys team, but wasn’t thinking about moving up into the residency program when he attended training camp in Zarephath, N.J. in June.

“I was going with a positive feeling that if it played good, my team would do good, and that was my approach to the whole camp,” Ayah said. “That every game I would play the same as I play every day.”

Ayah was named a captain on his team’s roster, adding a little pressure, but he said that staying positive throughout camp really helped him through.

“It wasn’t easy,” Ayah said. “But being positive kept me going.”

Ayah follows in the footsteps of other local players like current New York Red Bull Jeremy Hall, Blake Wagner and Anthony Wallace of FC Dallas, Eddie Ababio of the University of North Carolina and Zac MacMath of the University of Maryland. Wagner is the only other former Black Watch/Fusion FC player to be named to the residency program.

“I feel very honored and humbled to get this opportunity,” Ayah said. “I was fortunate to work with coaches like Jim DiNobile and Roland Moldovan, they helped me out a lot all the time, making sure I stayed on track. I’m very honored, and feel really good, excited.”

Ayah joined Black Watch Soccer Club five years ago, and quickly became a player to watch. He just turned 15 in April, and will take up residency in Bradenton on August 22. Moldovan, who has been Ayah’s coach since he joined Black Watch, said he was very proud.

“It’s a great feeling to see someone from your team, who you have worked with for five years every day, make it that high,” Moldovan said. “It’s a special feeling.”