U.S. Youth National Teams Return to Action With Fall Training Camps for U-17 and U-20 USWNT
U-17 USWNT Will Train Oct. 10-17 and U-20 USWNT Will Gather Oct. 17-24 at Elite Athlete Training Center in Chula Vista, Calif.
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CHICAGO (Oct. 7, 2021) -- The U.S. Youth National Team program will return to the field this fall with a set of training camps for the two FIFA Youth Women’s World Cup Teams -- the Under-20 and Under-17 Women’s National Teams. The U-17 USWNT will kick things off with a training camp from Oct. 10-17, followed immediately by a U-20 USWNT training camp from Oct. 17-24.
Current YNT coaches Tracey Kevins and Matt Potter will run the U-20 and U-17 camps, respectively. Both events will be held at the Elite Athlete Training Center in Chula Vista, Calif.
“With international competition right around the corner, we’re really looking forward to seeing our U-20 and U-17 USWNTs get back together on the field,” said USWNT General Manager Kate Markgraf. “After scouting players across the country in their club competitions virtually and in-person, and evaluating them at Regional ID Centers, as well as during the last cycles before COVID, these camps are a critical opportunity to bring the player pools together and familiarize them with our staff and each other. It’s an important early step to prepare for qualifying, which is coming up quickly.”
The FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup and U-17 Women’s World Cup are scheduled for 2022 in Costa Rica and India, respectively. Concacaf qualifying tournaments for the youth world championships will be held early next year and the training camps will serve as important preparation as they jump-start the World Cup cycles.
In preparation for World Cup qualifying competition early next year, the U-17 USWNT will gather again in Chula Vista from Nov. 17-24 while the U-20 USWNT will close out 2021 with a training camp from Dec. 12-19.
Youth Men’s National Team programming will also return this fall. Details will be announced soon.
The events will be held in accordance with U.S. Soccer’s comprehensive Return to Play protocols. U.S. Soccer is requiring all staff and players be fully vaccinated in order to attend YNT training camps. As a leader in the sport, the health and safety of all participants is the top priority for the Federation.
U-17 USWNT Roster by Position (Club; Hometown) - October Training Camp
GOALKEEPERS (4): Abigail Gundry (NC Courage; Wake Forest, N.C.), Victoria Safradin (Internationals SC; Eastlake, Ohio), Kealey Titmuss (Nationals; Grand Blanc, Mich.), Adelyn Todd (Real Colorado National; Littleon, Colo.)
DEFENDERS (10): Hailey Baumann (Michigan Hawks; South Lyon, Mich.), Alyssa Gonzalez (San Diego Surf; Lemon Grove, Calif.), Morgan Juran (Real Colorado National; Littleton, Colo.), Savannah King (LAFC SoCal Youth; West Hills, Calif.), Cambry Patrick (Solar; Allen, Texas), Cameron Roller (Solar; Sherman, Texas), Keegan Schmeiser (Chicago United; Bolingbrook, Ill.), Maggie Taitano (San Diego Surf; Carlsbad, Calif.), Gisele Thompson (TFA Boys; Studio City, Calif.), Amelia Van Zanten (Eclipse; Buffalo Grove, Ill.)
MIDFIELDERS (10): Mia Bhuta (Internationals SC; Pittsburgh, Pa.), Reese Black (Tophat; Atlanta, Ga.), Shae Harvey (Slammers FC HB KØGE; Heromsa Beach, Calif.), Claire Hutton (World Class; Slingerlands, N.Y.), Riley Jackson (Concorde Fire; Roswell, Ga.), Lauren Martinho (NC Courage; Cary, N.C.), Ashley Pennie (Florida United; Miami, Fla.), Morgan Roy (Nationals; Commerce, Mich.), Samantha Smith (Boise Thorns FC; Boise, Idaho), Emma Yolinksy (Solar; Prosper, Texas)
FORWARDS (12): Jasmine Aikey (MVLA; Palo Alto, Calif.), Melanie Barcenas (San Diego Surf; San Diego, Calif.), Isabella Field (Sporting Blue Valley; Leawood, Kan.), Maribel Flores (Slammers FC HB KØGE; Fullerton, Calif.), Onyeka Gamero (Beach FC; Cerritos, Calif.), Nicollette Kiorpes (NEFC; Worcester, Mass.), Andrea Leyva (Heat FC; Las Vegas, Nev.), Mia Oliaro (NC Courage; Chapel Hill, N.C.), Melina Rebimbas (PDA; Warren, N.J.), Amalia Villarreal (Michigan Jaguars; Lansing, Mich.), Sydney Watts (Sporting Blue Valley; Lenexa, Kan.)
The U-17 USWNT is preparing for its first Concacaf U-17 Women’s Championship since 2018 after the 2020 edition, scheduled for March of that year, was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Players born on or after Jan. 1, 2005, are age-eligible for the tournament. The 36-player roster features 31 players born in 2005, four born in 2006 and one born in 2007. The players hail from 17 states and play at 25 clubs, with the most, nine, coming from California and three each from NC Courage, San Diego Surf and Solar Soccer Club.
Three players on the U-17 roster were part of the U.S. team that won the 2018 Concacaf U-15 Girls’ Championship - defenders Maggie Taitano, Gisele Thompson and Amelia Van Zanten. While that tournament featured mostly 2003-birth year players, the USA brought a younger squad composed of players born in 2004 and 2005. The trio of Taitano, Thompson and Van Zanten were among the team’s youngest players.
Ten players return from the U-15 Girls’ National Team’s Jan. 2020 training camp, the team’s last meeting before the pandemic paused USYNT programming. Forward Andrea Leyva is the younger sister of USYNT midfielder Daniel Leyva, who represented the U.S. at the 2019 FIFA U-17 World Cup.
U-20 USWNT Roster by Position (Club; Hometown) - October Training Camp
GOALKEEPERS (3): Neeku Purcell (OL Reign Academy; Seattle, Wash.), Nona Reason (Indiana Fire; Noblesville, Ind.), Teagan Wy (SoCal Blues; Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.)
DEFENDERS (9): Sydney Cheesman (Colorado Rush; Lafayette, Colo.), Tessa Dellarose (Pittsburgh Riverhounds; Grindstone, Pa.), Elise Evans (FC Bay Area Surf; Redwood City, Calif.), Kayleigh Herr (NC Courage; Cary, N.C.), Margo Matula (Albion Hurricanes FC; Houston, Tex.), Molly McDougal (DKSC; Prosper, Tex.), Evelyn Shores (Tophat; Atlanta, Ga.) Freya Spiekerkoetter (Mountain View Los Altos; Redwood City, Calif.), Kolo Suliafu (SoCal Blues; Ontario, Calif.)
MIDFIELDERS (8): Maggie Cagle (Phoenix Rising; Phoenix, Ariz.), Sofia Cook (SoCal Blues; Huntington Beach, Calif.), Annie Karich (Beach FC; Surfside, Calif.), Carina Lageyre (Florida United; Cooper City, Fla.), Devin Lynch (Sockers FC; Naperville, Ill.), Yuna McCormack (San Jose Earthquakes; Mill Valley, Calif.), Macaira Midgley (Michigan Hawks; Wolverine Lake, Mich.), Olivia Moultrie (Portland Thorns; Wilsonville, Ore.)
FORWARDS (8): Jill Flammia (Richmond United; Richmond, Va.), Mia Minestrella (Beach FC; Redondo Beach, Calif.), Allison Montoya (Mountain View Los Altos; Los Altos, Calif.), Katherine Rader (Florida United; Stuart, Fla.), Julia Saunicheva (FC Bay Area Surf; San Jose, Calif.), Alyssa Thompson (Total Futbol Academy; Studio City, Calif.), Farrah Walters (Utah Royals FC; Scottsdale, Ariz.), Amelia White (Fort Wayne United FC; Fort Wayne, Ind.)
The U-20 USWNT will aim to defend its Concacaf U-20 Championship title next year after taking home a record sixth confederation title in early March 2020. The U-20s rolled to the Concacaf crown and a berth to the U-20 WWC with seven straight victories and a 44-1 goal differential.
Players born on or after Jan. 1, 2002, are age-eligible for the 2022 Concacaf U-20 Championship. As this training camp takes place during the fall NCAA season, no college players were called up. The 28-player roster includes eight players born in 2003, 19 born in 2004 and one born in 2005. Fourteen states and 21 youth clubs are represented on the roster, with the most players – 15 -- coming from California and three each playing club soccer at FC Bay Area Surf and SoCal Blues.
The lone 2005-birth year player is midfielder Olivia Moultrie, who became the youngest American female to turn pro when she signed with the Portland Thorns in early 2019. She is the only professional player in either of the two training camps. The 16-year-old Moultrie, who is also age-eligible for the U-17 USWNT, has made eight appearances for the Thorns in her debut NWSL season this year and scored her first pro goal during this summer’s Women’s International Champions Cup.
Seven players who participated in the U-17 USWNT’s final training camp before the canceled 2020 Concacaf U-17 Championship in Feb. 2020 were called up for the U-20 camp. Forward Amelia White was one of the team’s leading scorers with five goals in 2019.
Eleven players on the U-20 roster were part of the U.S. team that won the 2018 Concacaf U-15 Girls’ Championship – goalkeepers Nona Reason and Teagan Wy, midfielders Elise Evans, Evelyn Shores, midfielders Maggie Cagle, Sofia Cook, Yuna McCormack and Moultrie and forwards Allison Montoya, Katherine Rader and Alyssa Thompson.