CHICAGO (March 14, 2019) — U.S. Under-20 Men’s National Team head coach Tab Ramos has named a 20-player roster for the team’s final training camp before this summer’s FIFA U-20 World Cup. The USA will face two fellow World Cup participants, beginning with France on Friday, March 22 (10 a.m. ET) and Japan on Monday, March 25 (7 a.m. ET). Both matches will be played at Pinatar Arena in San Pedro del Pinatar, Spain.
“I’m looking forward to our last camp before the U-20 World Cup,” Ramos said. “With competition against two quality opponents, it’s one more opportunity for us to build a strong core and one more chance for the players to leave a good impression in order to be considered for the final 21-player roster. Japan always has highly skilled youth teams and France is always a World Cup contender.”
The games against France and Japan will serve as the U-20 MNT’s final official international matches before they kick off Group D play at the World Cup in Poland. The USA will open against Ukraine on May 24, take on Nigeria on May 27 and finish the group stage on May 30 versus Qatar.
Eighteen of 20 players on the roster - every player born in the U.S. - have spent at least one season in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy.
Players born on or after Jan. 1, 1999 are age-eligible for the 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup. For this camp, Ramos has called in six players born in 1999, 12 born in 2000 and two born in 2001.
U.S. U-20 MNT Roster by Position (Club or College; Hometown; Caps/Goals)
GOALKEEPERS (2): C.J. Dos Santos (Benfica/POR; Philadelphia, Pa.; 1/0), Trey Muse (Seattle Sounders FC; Louisville, Ky.; 0/0)
DEFENDERS (6): Sergino Dest (Ajax/NED; Almere-Stad, Netherlands; 6/1), Chris Gloster (Hannover 96/GER; South Orange, N.J.; 9/0), Aboubacar Keita (Columbus Crew SC; Columbus, Ohio; 0/0), Jaylin Lindsey (Sporting Kansas City; Charlotte, N.C.; 5/0), Matthew Real (Philadelphia Union; Drexel Hill, Pa.; 8/0), Chris Richards (Bayern Munich/GER; Hoover, Ala.; 6/0)
MIDFIELDERS (6): Frankie Amaya (FC Cincinnati; Santa Ana, Calif.; 11/1), Christian Cappis (Hobro/DEN; Katy, Texas; 2/0); Andrew Carleton (Atlanta United FC; Powder Springs, Ga.; 5/2), , Chris Durkin (D.C. United; Glen Allen, Va.; 0/0), Alex Mendez (Freiburg/GER; Los Angeles, Calif.; 13/8), Juan Pablo Torres (New York City FC; Lilburn, Ga.; 10/4)
FORWARDS (6): Ayo Akinola (Toronto FC/CAN; Detroit, Mich.; 10/9), Jonathan Amon (Nordsjaelland/DEN; Summerville, S.C.; 0/0), Konrad de la Fuente (Barcelona/ESP; Barcelona, Spain; 0/0), Ulysses Llanez (Unattached; Lynwood, Calif.; 9/7), Justin Rennicks (New England Revolution; Hamilton, Mass.; 12/6), Sebastian Soto (Hannover 96/GER; San Diego, Calif.; 3/2)
Match Schedule
|
Date |
Match-up |
Time (ET) |
|
Friday, March 22 |
U-20 MNT vs. France |
10 a.m. |
|
Monday, March 25 |
U-20 MNT vs. Japan |
7 a.m. |
The U-20 MNT previously held its second training camp of the 2018-19 cycle in San Pedro del Pinatar, splitting two games with France’s U-21 squad in March 2018. This year’s two matches will serve as part of the Pinatar Arena Football Festival, an event that will feature 14 international friendlies between 14 U-20, U-21 and U-23 national teams from Africa, Asia, Europe, North America and South America. The U.S. U-23 MNT will play Egypt on Friday, March 22 and the Netherlands on Sunday, March 24 as part of the event.
Twelve players return from the U-20 MNT’s title run at the 2018 Concacaf U-20 Championship, including U.S. captain Matthew Real and tournament Golden Ball winner Alex Mendez. Mendez also went on to win 2018 U.S. Soccer Young Player of the Year, largely based on his stellar performance at the World Cup qualifying tournament. With 13 U-20 caps, the midfielder enters this training camp as the squad’s most experienced player.
ROSTER NOTES:
ACADMEY TIES: