U-17 MNT Continues World Cup Prep With 28-Player Training Camp In Carson, Calif.
Domestic Training Camp Represents Team’s First Gathering Since FIFA U-17 World Cup Draw; USA Will Play Two Matches Vs. USL Championship Squads
CHICAGO (July 23, 2019) – U.S. Under-17 Men’s National Team head coach Raphael Wicky has called a 26-player roster for a domestic training camp at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, Calif. from July 26 to Aug. 7.
Fourteen players return from the USA’s 2019 Concacaf U-17 Championship squad that clinched a record 17th qualification to the FIFA U-17 World Cup in May. Earlier this month, the U.S. was drawn into Group D for the 2019 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Brazil alongside Senegal, Japan and the Netherlands.
U.S. U-17 MNT Roster by Position (Club; Hometown)
GOALKEEPERS (4): Aaron Cervantes (Orange County Soccer Club; Chino Hills, Calif.), Bryan Dowd (FC United; Willow Springs, Ill.), Damian Las (Chicago Fire; Norridge, Ill.), Seth Wilson (FC Dallas; Frisco, Texas)
DEFENDERS (10): Axel Alejandre (FC United; Chicago, Ill.), Sebastian Anderson (Colorado Rapids; Highlands Ranch, Colo.), Adam Armour (North Carolina FC; Cary, N.C.), Nicolas Carrera (FC Dallas; Frisco, Texas), Mauricio Cuevas (LA Galaxy; Los Angeles, Calif.), Tayvon Gray (New York City FC; Bronx, N.Y.), Kobe Hernandez (LA Galaxy; Los Angeles, Calif.), Mason Judge (Eintracht Frankfurt/GER; Tampa, Fla.), Joshua Ramsey (Solar Soccer Club; Plano, Texas), Jonathan Tomkinson (Norwich City FC/ENG; Plano, Texas)
MIDFIELDERS (6): Maximilian Dietz (SC Freiburg/GER; Frankfurt, Germany), Ethan Dobbelaere (Seattle Sounders FC; Seattle, Wash.), Gilbert Fuentes (San Jose Earthquakes; Tracy, Calif.), Bryang Kayo (D.C. United; Poolesville, Md.), Daniel Leyva (Seattle Sounders FC; Las Vegas, Nev.), Adam Saldana (LA Galaxy; Panorama City, Calif.)
FORWARDS (6): Jack de Vries (Philadelphia Union; Wayne, Pa.), Tyler Freeman (Sporting Kansas City; Shawnee, Kan.), Andres Jasson (New York City FC; Greenwich, Conn.), Noah Jones (RB Leipzig/GER; Berlin, Germany), Alfonso Ocampo-Chavez (Seattle Sounders FC; Kent, Wash.), Griffin Yow (D.C. United; Clifton, Va.)
Players born on or after Jan. 1, 2002 are age-eligible for the U-17 World Cup. Wicky has called 23 players born in 2002 and three born in 2003: defender Mauricio Cuevas, midfielder Daniel Leyva and forward Tyler Freeman.
The U-17s will face two USL Championship teams during its training camp in Southern California: Orange County Soccer Club on July 31 at 11:30 a.m. at the Championship Soccer Stadium in Irvine, Calif. and LA Galaxy II on Aug. 6 at 11 a.m. at Dignity Health Sports Park. Both matches will be open
to the public.
Twenty-four of the 26 players headed to Carson have spent at least one season in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy. Many just wrapped up postseason campaigns with their clubs at the Academy Playoffs and Championships. Defender Tayvon Gray and midfielder Andres Jasson helped New York City FC U-18/19 to its second-straight national title, while defender Joshua Ramsey helped Solar Soccer Club U-16/17 to the Academy Championship.
ROSTER NOTES:
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Eighteen clubs are represented on the roster, with 22 players coming from domestic teams and four based abroad: Germany (three), England (one).
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The most players come from LA Galaxy and Seattle Sounders FC with three players each. D.C. United, FC Dallas, FC United (Chicago) and New York City FC each have two players on the roster.
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Goalkeeper Seth Wilson, defenders Nicolas Carrera, Jonathan Tomkinson and Joshua Ramsey as well as forward Noah Jones make their camp debut with the U-17s. Defender Sebastian Anderson was called into camp before the 2018 Nike International Friendlies but did not make the final tournament roster.
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Dating back to the 2017 Nike International Friendlies, defenders Axel Alejandre and Adam Saldana along with goalkeeper Damian Las have appeared in all 11 U-17 camps this cycle.
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Thirteen players have logged pro minutes this season in MLS, USL Championship or USL League 1.
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Three players have made pro debuts since May’s Concacaf U-17 Championship. Mauricio Cuevas earned his first pro start with LA Galaxy II on May 30 vs. Tacoma, Daniel Leyva made his first MLS start for Seattle on June 6 vs. Montreal and Alfonso Ocampo-Chavez made his MLS debut for Seattle on June 30 vs. Vancouver.
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Anderson scored his first MLS goal on July 21 vs. New York City.
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Goalkeeper Aaron Cervantes has started the last two games for Orange County SC, keeping a clean sheet against San Antonio on July 21.
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Forward Tyler Freeman scored his first pro goal on July 18 for Swope Park Rangers vs. Hartford.
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Defender Jonathan Tomkinson recently completed a move from Solar Soccer Club to England’s Norwich City.
ACADEMY NOTES:
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Twenty-three of 26 players played in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy during the recently-concluded 2018-19 season [2019 Award Winners].
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Kobe Hernandez was named DA West Conference Player of the Year.
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Andres Jasson took home the Golden Boot at the U-18/19 Academy Playoffs as the postseason’s leading scorer, helping NYCFC to back-to-back national titles.
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Five players were named to conference Best XI’s: defenders Adam Armour and Tayvon Gray plus midfielder Bryang Kayo (East), defender Nicolas Carrera (Central) and defenders Mauricio Cuevas and Hernandez (West).
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Cuevas, Hernandez and midfielder Adam Saldana helped LA Galaxy U-16/17 to the Academy semifinals.