FC Malaga City Under 17s forward Alexavier Mejia claimed it was a “dream come true” to face Atlético de Madrid last month.
The 17-year-old Seattle-native played 60 minutes for Maxime Oliveri's side, and believed he and the team learned a lot from the experience.
“It was a dream come true for sure,” he said.
“Not a lot of players can say they played against one of the greatest clubs in the world, like Atletico de Madrid.
“We have to continue to trust the process and we will keep improving improving as a team. It was a great learning experience and there were lots of takeaways to grow as a groi[.”
Mejia praised his time with the academy so far, and is hoping for more tough challenges against professional sides in the future.
“It's been an amazing experience here,” he continued.
“I have developed so much as a player, and continue to learn.
“The full time, training everyday, video analysis, team outings, and the facilities are just great.
“Of course, we are hoping to test ourselves in more showcase games in the future.
“The coaches have prepared us well to play in more high-profile fixtures and we are getting better everyday as a team.”