U-23 USMNT Continues Olympic Qualifying Preparations at United International Football Festival

CHICAGO (Oct. 7, 2019)—U.S. Under-23 Men’s National Team head coach Jason Kreis has called 24 players to the United International Football Festival in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain. The U.S. will face Brazil on Thursday, Nov. 14 and then play Argentina or Chile in the final or third-place match of the four-team tournament on Sunday, Nov. 17.

Five players will join the U-23 MNT in Spain after participating in the senior MNT’s November pre-camp: defender Mark McKenzie, midfielders Brenden Aaronson and Djordje Mihailovic as well as forwards Jeremy Ebobisse and Jonathan Lewis.

Five players have already been capped by the full USMNT led by defenders Cameron Carter-Vickers (eight caps) and Antonee Robinson (seven). The pair featured for the senior side throughout 2018, while Ebobisse, Lewis and Mihailovic debuted for the senior squad in its January friendly vs. Panama, with the latter two also taking part in this summer’s Concacaf Gold Cup.

Fourteen players on the roster have represented the USA at a youth World Cup, with nine players that helped the red, white and blue reach the 2017 U-20 quarterfinals in Korea Republic.

U.S. Under-23 Men’s National Team Roster by Position (Club; Hometown; U-23 Caps/Goals)
GOALKEEPERS (3): Matt Freese (Philadelphia Union; Wayne, Pa.; 2/0), JT Marcinkowski (San Jose Earthquakes; Alamo, Calif.; 4/0), Brady Scott (Köln/GER; Petaluma, Calif.; 0/0)

DEFENDERS (8): Cameron Carter-Vickers (Stoke City/ENG; Southend-On-Sea, England; 11/1); Kyle Duncan (New York Red Bulls; New York, N.Y.; 1/0), Justen Glad (Real Salt Lake; Tucson, Ariz.; 2/0), Aaron Herrera (Real Salt Lake; Las Cruces, N.M.; 2/0), Mark McKenzie (Philadelphia Union; Bear, Del.; 2/0), Chris Richards (Bayern Munich/GER; Birmingham, Ala.; 1/0), Antonee Robinson (Wigan Athletic; Liverpool, England; 2/0), Sam Vines (Colorado Rapids; Colorado Springs, Colo.; 1/0)             

MIDFIELDERS (7): Brenden Aaronson (Philadelphia Union; Medford, N.J.; 1/0), Christian Cappis (Hobro/DEN; Katy, Texas; 1/0), Hassani Dotson (Minnesota United FC; Federal Way, Wash.; 2/0), Richard Ledezma (PSV Eindhoven/NED; Phoenix, Ariz.; 1/0), Alex Mendez (Ajax/NED; Los Angeles, Calif.; 2/0), Djordje Mihailovic (Chicago Fire; Lemont, Ill.; 4/0), James Sands (New York City FC; Rye, N.Y.; 0/0)

FORWARDS (6): Jeremy Ebobisse (Portland Timbers; Bethesda, Md.; 2/0), Brooks Lennon (Real Salt Lake; Paradise Valley, Ariz.; 2/2), Jonathan Lewis (Colorado Rapids; Plantation, Fla.; 1/1), Emmanuel Sabbi (Hobro IK/DEN; Libertyville, Ill.; 2/0), Sebastian Saucedo (Real Salt Lake; Park City, Utah; 1/0), Mason Toye (Minnesota United FC; South Orange, N.J.; 2/2)                                                                                                                    

ROSTER NOTES:

• Players born on or after Jan. 1, 1997 are age-eligible for the 2020 Concacaf Olympic Qualifying Championship. Kreis has called in 12 players born in 1997, three born in 1998, four born in 1999 and five born in 2000.
• Sixteen players are based domestically, while eight ply their trade abroad in Denmark, England, Germany and the Netherlands (two each.) The most players from a single club, four, come from Real Salt Lake.
• Two players have appeared in all three of the U-23’s games thus far in 2019: goalkeeper JT Marcinkowski and midfielder Djordje Mihailovic.
• Marcinkowski is the lone player to appear in all four training camps this year, as well as the team’s June joint camp with the USMNT.
• Midfielders Brenden Aaronson and Hassani Dotson were both nominated for MLS Rookie of the Year.
• Defender Antonee Robinson has started all 15 league games this season for Wigan Athletic in the EFL Championship.
• Forward Jeremy Ebobisee finished the season as the Portland Timbers’ joint-leading scorer with 11 goals.
• James Sands makes his first appearance with the U-23 MNT after a breakout season with New York City FC. The midfielder represented the U.S. at the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup in India and played in 19 games for NYCFC this year.
• Midfielder Richard Ledezma made the bench for PSV Eindhoven for the first time on Oct. 27.
• Defender Mark McKenzie finished the MLS season strong, starting Philadelphia’s last six regular season games and its two MLS Cup Playoff matches.
• Defender Chris Richards scored his first goal for Bayern Munich II on Nov. 3 in a 5-3 loss at Meppen.
• Forward Emmanuel Sabbi is Hobro IK’s joint-leading scorer through the first few months of the Danish Superliga season with five goals.

ACADEMY NOTES:

• Twenty-two of 24 players, including every U.S.-born player on the roster, have spent at least one season in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy.
• Five players have won Academy Player of the Year honors: Cappis (Central U-17/18, 2017), Ebobisse (East U-15/16, 2014), Ledezma (West U-18/19, 2018), Richards (Central U-18/19, 2018) and forward Sebastian Saucedo (West U-15/16, 2014).
• Eight players have won an Academy Championship. The RSL quartet of Justen Glad, Aaron Herrera, Brooks Lennon and Sebastian Saucedo took home the U-15/16 national title in 2013. Mihailovic lifted the U-17/18 trophy in 2015 with the Chicago Fire, while Cappis and Richards won in 2017 with Texans SC Houston U-17/18. Sands sunk the championship-clinching penalty in a shootout to claim the 2018 U-18/19 title for NYCFC.