Barca Academy soccer players in Casa Grande offer hope to U.S.

CASA GRANDE, Ariz. (KSAZ) - If you want to get excited about the World Cup and learn about soccer, who are the best people to ask? Of course, kids.

That's why Fox 10's Steve Krafft went to Barca Academy in Casa Grande.

"Barca" as in Barcelona, the world-famous Spanish soccer club. Fox 10 first visited last year.

FC Barcelona runs a live-in soccer training school in Arizona, almost 6,000 miles from Barcelona. The whole time, they are hoping to find, and train, the next Lionel Messi-type superstar.

Barca Academy has a summer camp, so Steve dropped by and ran into Tucker Smith and Micah O'Leary, two talented young players from Boise, Idaho.

"So what would you tell people who aren't soccer fans about why they should become soccer fans?"

"Well soccer is just super fun to watch. And it's really cool because once you know a team, you are always rooting for them," Smith said.

"Hey let me ask you a question about soccer. How come everyone is so picky about how you can't use your hands? They would be a lot more effective if they could use their hands. They would score a lot more goals.

"Also, that would be against the rules. I think it would make it more handball," O'Leary said.

The players know all about the World Cup teams, and they're not above a little trash-talking. Steve asked them who will win it all.

"Sure. Croatia. I think they will win because they have a pretty stacked team," O'Leary said.

"There's no way they're going to win, when you're going up against Brazil and Germany and Mexico, there's no way," Smith said.

"I agree that they're not going to win against Brazil, so they probably won't win. But who do you think will win?" O'Leary said.

"Mexico," Smith said.

"No. They have a good team, but no," O'Leary said.

"If Mexico can beat Germany, they can beat anyone," Smith said.

"I don't know about that," O'Leary said.

With these young players coming up, maybe someday it will be the United States' turn to take home the trophy.