U-17 MYNT Set To Face Slovakia, Germany And Czech Republic At Vaclav Jezek Tournament
USA Will Face U-18 Squads from Three European Nations in the Czech Republic
CHICAGO (Sept. 16, 2022) – The U.S. Under-17 Men’s Youth National Team will face U-18 teams from Slovakia, Germany and the Czech Republic at the Vaclav Jezek Tournament in the Zlin region of the Czech Republic from Sept. 16-26.
Players born on or after Jan. 1, 2006 are age-eligible for the 2023 Concacaf U-17 Championship. Head coach Gonzalo Segares has called up 20 players to Europe, 19 born in 2006 and one born in 2007- Houston Dynamo FC forward Ezekiel Soto.
U-17 MYNT ROSTER BY POSITION (CLUB; HOMETOWN) - VACLAV JEZEK TOURNAMENT
GOALKEEPERS (2): Adam Beaudry (Colorado Rapids; Castle Pines, Colo.), Diego Kochen (FC Barcelona/ESP; Miramar, Fla.)
DEFENDERS (6): Christian Diaz (LAFC; San Bernardino, Calif.), Adrian Gill (FC Barcelona/ESP; Denver, Colo.), Tyler Hall (Inter Miami CF; Miramar, Fla.), Stuart Hawkins (Seattle Sounders FC; Fox Island, Wash.), Sawyer Jura (Portland Timbers; Bend, Ore.), Oscar Verhoeven (San Jose Earthquakes; Pleasant Hill, Calif.)
MIDFIELDERS (6): Aaron Heard (St. Louis City SC; Fairfax, Va.), Cruz Medina (San Jose Earthquakes; San Francisco, Calif.), Edwyn Mendoza (San Jose Earthquakes; San Jose, Calif.), Paulo Rudisill (LA Galaxy; Irvine, Calif.), Ian Shaul (Portland Timbers; North Saint Paul, Minn.), Pedro Soma (UE Cornella; Coconut Creek, Fla.)
FORWARDS (6): Micah Burton (Austin FC; Mounds View, Minn.), Brian Carmona Romero (Charlotte FC; Concord, N.C.), Keyrol Figueroa Norales (Liverpool/ENG; Tegucigalpa, Honduras), Andre Gitau (Houston Dynamo FC; Richmond, Texas), Ezekiel Soto (Houston Dynamo FC; Menifee, Calif.), David Vasquez (Philadelphia Union; Los Angeles, Calif.)
USA SCHEDULE - VACLAV JEZEK TOURNAMENT
Wednesday, Sept. 21
USA vs. Slovakia - Hulin Stadium - 10 a.m. ET
Friday, Sept. 23
USA vs. Germany - Dolni Nemci Stadium - 10 a.m. ET
Sunday, Sept. 25
USA vs. Czech Republic - Dolni Nemci Stadium - 5 a.m. ET
The USA is continuing preparations for the 2023 Concacaf U-17 Championship, recently announced to be held in Guatemala from Feb. 11-22. The tournament will qualify four teams to the 2023 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Peru next fall. The Vaclav Jezek Tournament represents the first matches for the U-17 MYNT since it took first place at a UEFA Development Tournament in May in Portugal against Italy, Belgium and Portugal.
Liverpool forward Keyrol Figueroa Norales is the lone player making his first U-17 MYNT appearance this cycle. Houston Dynamo FC forward Andre Gitau is the only player to appear in all six U-17 training camps so far this cycle.
Fifteen clubs are represented on the roster, led by three players from the San Jose Earthquakes. Four players are based abroad in Spain (three) and England, including two players at Spanish powerhouse FC Barcelona. The roster hails from ten states, including seven from California.