Thompson set for USWNT U15 debut

Photo: Erick Chan –

Matt Smith

January 19, 2022 @ 06:46 AM

[caption id="attachment_38164" align="alignright" width="209"]<img class="size-medium wp-image-38164" src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2022/01/unnamed-209x300.jpeg" alt="" width="209" height="300" /> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="20043" first="Paige" last="Thompson"].</strong> <em>Photo: Erick Chan</em>[/caption]Las Lomas freshman [player_tooltip player_id="20043" first="Paige" last="Thompson"], who plays her club soccer at Mountain View Los Altos, is doing something special this week. She is making her training camp debut with U.S. Women's National Team U15 squad. Thompson, a midfielder, is in Chula Vista, Calif., this week under the tutelage of newly appointed U15 skipper Katie Schoepfer. Her current high school coach, Jeremy Hull, believes she will more than hold her own because of how well-rounded she is. "She just does everything well," Hull said. "She is always working on things by herself or with her dad. She’s very smooth, she can use both of her feet for accuracy and power. She’s usually always smiling, she’s a lot of fun on the field and a lot of fun to have on the team." Thompson herself said she was "super pumped" for this experience. She earned her invitation during a regional tryout in September and will be competing with 36 other players to earn a spot on the squad for this summer’s U15 CONCACAF Tournament. Thompson started playing soccer when she was 5 years old and loves it, but really took a leap forward when she was coached at Walnut Creek Surf Soccer Club by legendary player and now coach Sissi, who coached her during her U10-U12 years. "Everything really started for me when I played for Sissi, one of the greatest women soccer players," Thompson said. "She really inspired me to want to play for my own country’s national team one day. In 2019 I went to France to watch the US Women’s soccer team play in the World Cup. Every game I went and watched, I imagined playing on that field with the team. I hope that this first camp that I am attending will lead to many new opportunities and to one day play on the USWNT."