Kingborough NPL player Ilan Mastrocola-Simon set for MLS trials in America and Canada
One of Tasmania’s most promising young football talents is set for a major opportunity after gaining interest from Major League Soccer scouts. See the details.
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One of Tasmania’s fastest rising football prospects is set to head to America and Canada later this year to trial with a number of Major League Soccer (MLS) clubs in the hopes of realising his professional football dreams.
Dodges Ferry local Ilan Mastrocola-Simon will look to impress at MLS clubs the Vancouver Whitecaps, FC Dallas, Minnesota United, CF Montreal, New England Revolution, Philadelphia Union and Charlotte FC after being scouted online.
It’s a major opportunity for the 17-year-old who currently plays for Kingborough in the National Premier League and has trialed at A-League club Perth Glory and been a member of the Brisbane Roar training squad.
“A scout in the US saw me play online and he set up one trial,” Mastrocola-Simon said.
“I then spoke to a few more clubs and have now set up a few more for October so it’s pretty exciting.
“The main club I’m looking at is the Vancouver Whitecaps but I have been offered the six trials but realistically I’ll probably look at three and then make a decision from there.”
First playing soccer as a seven year-old, the talented teen started to get more serious about the round ball game when he turned 12 with his first big injury not long after spurring him on to achieve his goals of making it to the world stage.
“I had a three day tournament and just hadn’t stretched properly in the lead-up,” he explained.
“Ended up tearing my hamstring that took me out for a good 10 months when I was 14 but that made me more eager to really take soccer seriously.”
That change in mindset resulted in a successful trial with Perth in 2021 but with the club not set-up to host underage players and the family unable to make the move across Australia, Mastrocola-Simon had to decline the offer.
He later received a deal to play in Melbourne on a scholarship from the Oakleigh Cannons and was accepted into the Rowville Sports Academy, living with extended family while away, before shifting to Brisbane and residing with a host family while at the Roar.
But with the dream of heading overseas still in the back of his mind, the left-back defender returned home to Tasmania this year with October’s trials hopefully the start of a long international career.
The family currently has a GoFundMe page set-up to help Mastrocola-Simon with his travel overseas and donations can be made at the following link https://www.gofundme.com/f/ilan-trial-with-major-league-soccer-clubs.
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