Young Barnet footballers went head to head with a team from the United States in preparation for the youth football world cup.

New under-15 football team NCF Elites, a feeder club for under-18 side Barnet Azzurri, beat the high school team from North Bend in Oregon 6-1 during a game at The Hive.

The match at Barnet FC’s Camrose Avenue training ground kicked off NCF Elites’ preparation for this summer’s Gothia Youth World Cup, the world’s largest youth football tournament.

NCF Elites Captain Romario Cazabon said: “It was a great honour to be made captain for our first games as NCF Elites, especially with us winning six one.

“It will be an amazing experience going to Sweden to play against teams from all round the world.”

Around 1600 teams from 80 nations compete in the annual tournament, which is held in Gothenburg in Sweden.

The NCF Elites will fly out to Sweden on July 14. The team will experience an “Olympic style” opening ceremony in front of 52,000 people at the Ullevi Stadium in Gothenberg, before taking part in the tournament.

NCF Elites manager Nick Cook said: “I have an extremely talented group of players. The Gothia World Youth Cup will be an excellent opportunity for these boys to put themselves up against some of the best players from abroad.”

He added the team had a lot of work to do before the world youth cup, but he was confident the young players would do Barnet proud.