Showcasing Talent with PASS4Soccer (US soccer scholarships)

Catherine Etoe reports from the London Soccerdome on Greenwich peninsula, where 31 teenage girls from across Britain play two 70-minute matches in front of around 30 visiting American coaches, competing for university soccer scholarships at a showcase organised by Tyne and Wear company PASS4Soccer. Adrian Rigby of the University of Houston-Victoria looks for players who are switched on and demanding the ball. Director Daniel Gray expects all 31 to be offered scholarships, with around 25 taking the plunge, and explains that there are more female than male soccer scholarships and that American coaches increasingly value British creativity. Sarah McNulty of the University of Mary in North Dakota describes signing former Preston North End midfielder Megan Searson, who became her conference’s Newcomer of the Year. Manchester City development defender Katie O’Gara and Everton’s Caitlin Hayes weigh the opportunity against the improving standard of women’s football at home.