We invited youngsters from the Football Beyond Borders charity to Stamford Bridge to watch the FA Youth Cup semi-final tie between Chelsea and Birmingham City.
Chelsea ran out as 4-0 winners on the night [7-0 aggregate] to seal their place in the Final for the seventh successive season.
And we got the youngsters, who work with the education-based charity via their schools in south London, to turn their eye to scouting and analysis by picking out the players who caught their eye.
Callum Hudson-Odoi
A talented forward and has flare with the ball at his feet. He has a venomous shot which leaves the opposition amazed. He is fierce on the ball and the defenders fear to defend him as he will leave them embarrassed. He has an amazing first touch and has an eye for goal. Hudson has a footballing mind as he knows when to attack or play simple. In addition, Hudson is very hardworking and puts a hundred per cent in the match, always wanting his team to have possession of the ball and dominate the match.By Abdul Kamara.
My standout performer from tonight’s game is the Chelsea number 11, Callum Hudson-Odoi. This was a young player that showed his great skills and his quality finishing throughout the match. He was rapid and always put fear into the defenders, which showed as he scored twice, and tried really hard to get his hat-trick. He was always in attacking areas, showing his talent and flair and forcing defenders to run back towards their own goal. On this occasion he couldn't quite manage to add a third goal, but in my opinion he definitely deserved to be the man-of-the-match due to his fantastic performance. By Ibrahim.
Reece James
"The beast” and the new “captain, leader, legend!” of the Chelsea side, dominated the Birmingham City No.9 and in doing so, set his team up for an emphatic victory. James showed maturity and composure on the field, keeping the ball well and ensuring that his passes always found the intended target. Where he was most impressive was in his ability to win the ball back for his side, killing off any Birmingham City attack with well-timed tackles and his unmatched aerial ability. He is definitely one to watch for the future. By David.
Reece is not only a nightmare for attackers, but he also possesses the creative vision of a midfielder. His determination to get the ball back for his team is breathtaking. He is a commanding and humble centre back with unbelievable talent. He is only 18 and is captain for his age group. Reece is a brick wall in the back four and is very fast and hard to get past. His strength is damaging to attackers. His hunger for the ball scares opponents, his ruthlessness in tackles makes the opposition manager panic. Reece James is a talented, unstoppable and determined player who dedicates his time and life to football and deserves to be in Chelsea’s first team. By Sam Anyjobi.
George McEachran
McEachran stood out for me because he was the player who controlled the tempo in the midfield with his wide range of passing and excellent vision. He is a midfielder who can play in many roles and that was an advantage against a team who were in Chelsea’s pocket for the whole game. A player of his quality can adapt to any situation at any time. He showed his versatility by defending and dropping back (as he did numerous times), or starting the counter attack with is quick dribbling or killer passes which create chances for the forwards. By Idris.
Billy Gilmore
A midfield enforcer who used his well-timed tackles and decisive passing to take the game away from the Birmingham City players. Gilmore showed his understanding of the game by always making the right decisions, whether that was breaking up the play, or starting an attack with a clever give and go. Chelsea have been lacking this in their midfield since Lampard left, but hopefully Gilmore can fill that void. By Pete.
Tariq Lamptey
As I watched a great performance from Chelsea, one particular player shined. It was the number 2 Tariq Lamptey. He reminded me of Iniesta. He was controlling the pace of the game from start to finish. He set the tempo for the team which enabled Chelsea to have fast-paced play. Not only that, Tariq always would run up the wing and when his team lost the ball, he would show no mercy and would always be resilient in getting the ball back as if it was his own son. For me, he is a class player and not only is he amazing at defending, he is also very fast with the ball. He left the Birmingham City team sliced into pieces with his lightning pace. Not only that, he is always finding the key passes and waiting for the correct runs. For me, he was the best player on the pitch and in my opinion, he was the one that helped the team’s tempo stay high and tense from the first minute. By Vinoth.
