U-17 MYNT Continues World Cup Qualifying Prep With First Camp Of 2023 In South Florida

CHICAGO (Jan. 5, 2022) – The U.S. Under-17 Men’s Youth National Team will kick off 2023 with a training camp from Jan. 5-13 at Nova Southeastern University in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. Head coach Gonzalo Segares has called up 23 players as the USA continues preparations for February’s Concacaf U-17 Championship in Guatemala, which will qualify four teams to the 2023 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Peru.

Players born on or after Jan. 1, 2006 are age-eligible for the 2023 Concacaf U-17 Championship, which is set for Feb. 11-22. Segares called up 20 players born in 2006 and three born in 2007 - defender Christian McFarlane, midfielder Santiago Morales and forward Ezekiel Soto.

U-17 MYNT ROSTER BY POSITION (CLUB; HOMETOWN) - JANUARY TRAINING CAMP

GOALKEEPERS (2): Adam Beaudry (Colorado Rapids; Castle Pines, Colo.), Duran Ferree (San Diego Loyal; San Diego, Calif.)

DEFENDERS (8): Noahkai Banks (Augsburg/GER; Dietmannsried, Germany), Christian Diaz (LAFC; San Bernardino, Calif.), Tyler Hall (Inter Miami CF; Miramar, Fla.), Aiden Harangi (Eintracht Frankfurt/GER; Zwingenberg, Germany), Stuart Hawkins (Seattle Sounders FC; Fox Island, Wash.), Sawyer Jura (Portland Timbers; Bend, Ore.), Christian McFarlane (New York City FC; Elmont, N.Y.), Oscar Verhoeven (San Jose Earthquakes; Pleasant Hill, Calif.)

MIDFIELDERS (6): Taha Habroune (Columbus Crew SC), Cruz Medina (San Jose Earthquakes; San Francisco, Calif.), Edwyn Mendoza (San Jose Earthquakes; San Jose, Calif.), Santiago Morales (Inter Miami CF; Weston, Fla.), Paulo Rudisill (LA Galaxy, Irvine, Calif.), Pedro Soma (UE Cornella/ESP; Coconut Creek, Fla.)

FORWARDS (7): Ignacio Alem (D.C. United; Potomac, Mich.), Christopher Aquino (Seattle Sounders FC; Pasco, Wash.), Micah Burton (Austin FC; Mounds View, Minn.), Andre Gitau (Unattached; Richmond, Texas), Ezekiel Soto (Houston Dynamo FC; Menifee, Calif.) David Vasquez (Philadelphia Union; Los Angeles, Calif.), Adrian Wibowo (LAFC; Los Angeles, Calif.)

This training camp marks the team’s final gathering before heading to Guatemala for World Cup qualifying next month. Fourteen players return from the team’s last event, a September trip to the Vaclav Jezek Tournament in the Czech Republic. Forward Andre Gitau is the lone player to appear in all seven U-17 training camps so far this cycle, while seven players have earned their first call-up: goalkeeper Duran Ferree, defenders Noah Banks and McFarlane, midfielders Taha Habroune and Morales as well as forwards Ignacio Alem and Christopher Aquino.

Seventeen clubs are represented on the roster, led by three players from the San Jose Earthquakes. Three players are based abroad in Germany (two) and Spain. The roster comes from 10 states, including nine from California.