U.S. U-20 WNT Gathers In San Diego For Training Camp And Two Friendlies Against Japan
USA Will Face Japan on Aug. 28 and Aug. 31 at Elite Athlete Training Center in Chula Vista, Calif.
CHICAGO (Aug. 14, 2019)—The U.S. Under-20 Women’s National Team will face Japan in two friendlies during a training camp running from Aug. 24 to Sept. 1 at the Elite Athlete Training Center in Chula Vista, Calif.
Head coach Mark Carr has called in 20 players for the camp, which will take place just south of San Diego.
The USA will play Japan in two games, on Aug. 28 and Aug. 31, both kicking off at 4:30 p.m. PT at the Elite Athlete Training Center. The pair of matches represent second set of summer friendlies for the U-20 WNT. In June, the USA split a two-game set with Germany at George Mason University in Fairfax, Va.
“This is the next step for our U-20 WNT as we get to develop and evaluate our top talents with two games vs. Japan,” Carr said. “Japan are a long-time world power, so playing them twice will give us a snapshot of where we are, both individually and collectively, as well as the areas we need to improve as we get closer to World Cup qualifying early next year.”
Carr will evaluate players from the younger portion of the U-20 WNT player pool during this training camp, calling in eight players born in 2001 and 12 players born in 2002. Players born on or after Jan. 1, 2000 are age-eligible for the 2020 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup.
Seventeen players are with youth clubs and two will kick off their freshman collegiate campaigns this fall, while one player is currently based in Germany training on an amateur contract with FC Köln (forward Talia DellaPeruta).
U.S. U-20 WNT ROSTER BY POSITION (CLUB; HOMETOWN)
GOALKEEPERS (2): Mia Justus (IMG Academy; Amherst, Ohio), Halle Mackiewicz (Real Colorado; Broomfield, Colo.)
DEFENDERS (5): Abby Allen (Lonestar SC; Austin, Texas), Samar Guidry (FC Dallas; McKinney, Texas), Sally Menti (Crossfire Premier; Seattle, Wash.), Makenna Morris (McLean Youth Soccer; Germantown, Md.), Bria Schrotenboer (Michigan State; Holland, Mich.), Paige Tolentino (NC Courage; Pinehurst, N.C.)
MIDFIELDERS (6): Hannah Bebar (Eclipse Select SC; Naperville, Ill.), Katelyn Duong (Minnesota; Portland, Ore.), Emily Mathews (Nationals; Macomb, Mich.), Amber Nguyen (Tophat; Snellville, Ga.), Astrid Wheeler (Concorde Fire; Atlanta, Ga.), Aki Yuasa (Synergy Football Club GPS; Charlotte, Vermont)
FORWARDS (6): Ainsley Ahmadian (Eclipse Select SC; Naperville, Ill.), Talia DellaPeruta (FC Köln/GER; Cumming, Ga.), Lia Godfrey (United Soccer Alliance; Fleming Island, Fla.), Samantha Meza (Solar Soccer Club; Balch Springs, Texas), Trinity Rodman (So Cal Blues SC; Laguna Niguel, Calif.), Reilyn Turner (So Cal Blues SC; Laguna Beach, Calif.)
The roster includes six players who represented the USA at the 2018 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Uruguay: defenders Samar Guidry and Makenna Morris, midfielders Hannah Bebar, DellaPeruta and Astrid Wheeler and forwards Samantha Meza and Trinity Rodman. Forward Lia Godfrey was a part of the U.S. team that played in the 2016 U-17 WWC in Jordan.
ACADEMY TIES:
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Sixteen of 20 players have spent at least one season in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy.
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Forward Lia Godfrey was named 2018-19 Academy East Conference Player of the Year after leading United Soccer Alliance to the U-18/19 Girls Semifinals.
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Defender Bria Schrotenboer led Midwest United FC to the 2019 U-18/19 Girls Academy Championship and won the U-18/19 Girls Golden Ball as the postseason’s best player.
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Eight players were named to Academy Best XI’s at the end of the 2018-19 season: Abby Allen (Central), Godfrey (East), Mia Justus (East), Sally Menti (West), Meza (Central), Amber Nguyen (East), Schrotenboer (Central), Paige Tolentino (East).