CHICAGO (April 3, 2023) – The U.S. U-20 Women’s Youth National Team will hold a training camp from April 15-22 and there will be a combined U-18/U-19 Women’s Youth National Team training camp running from April 12-19. The teams will train at the WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, N.C., at the University of North Carolina and at Duke University over the course of the camps.
During the four-day overlap between the camps, the teams will scrimmage against each other while U.S. U-20 Women’s Youth National Team head coach Tracey Kevins will evaluate all 46 players in preparation for choosing a 21-player roster that will compete in the 2023 Concacaf Women’s Under-20 Championship which will be held from May 25-June 4 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Carrie Kveton will be the head coach for the U-19/U-18 camp while Kevins will run the U-20 camp.
There are also several players who are not in these camps due to injury that are still in consideration for the World Cup qualifying roster.
Unlike the past few Concacaf youth tournaments, this year’s U-20 tournament format will no longer feature an unwieldy 20 teams and will return to its original eight-team format that features two groups of four teams each. The teams will play round-robin within the groups with the top two finishers in each group advancing to the semifinals. The top three teams – the two finalists and the winner of the third-place match – will qualify for the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup.
The new format will mean more matches for women’s youth national teams in the Qualifying Stage. As the top-ranked U-20 WNT in Concacaf, the USA and #2 ranked Mexico have qualified directly to the final tournament, but the other countries will go through a qualifying stage and will be divided into two groups of six teams each and four groups of five teams each (six groups in total). Following round robin play, where each country will play one match against each of the other teams in the same group, the group winners (six teams) will advance to the CWU20C's final tournament in the Dominican Republic.
The qualifiers for the revamped 2023 CWU20C are scheduled to take place April 14-23 and will include 32 Concacaf member associations (all ranked between 3-41).
Of the 46 players coming to both U.S. camps, 16 were a part of either the USA’s 2022 U-17 or U-20 Women’s World Cup Teams.
The rosters are an almost even mix between college players and players finishing up their youth club careers. The U-20 roster features 13 college players and 13 youth club players. The U-19/U-18 roster features 12 college players and 14 youth club players.
Three players currently competing in the NWSL – Portland Thorns FC midfielder Olivia Moultrie, San Diego Wave midfielder Jaedyn Shaw and Angel City FC forward Alyssa Thompson, all of whom played in the U-20 World Cup last year – are part of this U-20 WYNT player pool.
All the players in both camps are age-eligible for the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, the host of which has yet to be determined, which will feature players born on or after Jan. 1, 2004.
The U-20 camp features 14 players born in 2004, eight players born in 2005 and one – forward Onyeka Gamero, who was one of the standouts at the 2022 U-17 Women’s World Cup – who was born in 2006. The U-19/U-18 camp features 10 players born in 2004 and 13 born in 2005.
Goalkeepers (3): Valentina Amaral (Florida Kraze Krush SC; Oviedo, Fla.), Jordan Nytes (Colorado; Aurora, Colo.), Teagan Wy (California; Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.)
Defenders (7): Sydney Cheesman (UNC; Lafayette, Colo.), Elise Evans (Stanford; Redwood City, Calif.), Heather Gilchrist (Florida State; Boulder, Colo.), Alyssa Gonzalez (San Diego Surf SC; San Diego, Calif.), Savannah King (Slammers FC HB Køge; West Hills, Calif.), Leah Klenke (Notre Dame; Houston, Texas), Gisele Thompson (Total Futbol Academy; Studio City, Calif.)
Midfielders (7): Jill Flammia (Virginia; Manakin-Sabot, Va.), Shae Harvey (Slammers FC HB Køge; Hermosa Beach, Calif.), Charlotte Kohler (MVLA SC; Woodside, Calif.), Ally Lemos (UCLA; Glendora, Calif.), Lauren Martinho (North Carolina Courage; Cary, N.C.), Delaney Matriano (Notre Dame; Cleveland, Ohio), Yuna McCormack (Virginia; Mill Valley, Calif.)
Forwards (6): Maggie Cagle (Virginia; Phoenix, Ariz.), Jordynn Dudley (United Futbol Academy; Milton, Ga.), Onyeka Gamero (Beach FC (CA); Cerritos, Calif.), Kat Rader (Duke; Stuart, Fla.), Ally Sentnor (UNC; Hanson, Mass.), Sydney Watts (Sporting Blue Valley; Lenexa, Kan.)
Goalkeepers (3): Mackenzie Gress (Penn State; Lyndhurst, N.J.), Victoria Safradin (Internationals SC; Eastlake, Ohio), Christina Tsaousis (South Carolina; Tarpon Springs, Fla.)
Defenders (7): Kylie Bahr (Texas Tech; Sedalia, Colo.), Tessa Dellarose (UNC; Grindstone, PA), Ella Emri (San Diego Surf SC; San Diego, Calif.), Molly McDougal (Mississippi State; Prosper, Texas), Cameron Roller (Solar SC; Sherman, Texas), Samantha Smith (Boise Timbers Thorns FC; Boise, Idaho), Kiera Staude (Concorde Fire; Atlanta, Ga.)
Midfielders (6): Mia Bhuta (Stanford; Pittsburgh, Pa.), Danielle Davis (Clemson; Port Washington, N.Y.), Juliauna Hayward (Colorado; Thornton, Colo.), Audrey Lam (Lamorinda Soccer Club; Piedmont, Calif.), Ashley Pennie (Florida United SC; Miami, Fla.), Ella Sanchez (Racing Louisville FC; Louisville, Ky.)
Forwards (7): Madeline Dahlien (UNC; Edina, Minn.), Mia Oliaro (UNC; Chapel Hill, N.C.), Cameron Patton (Lonestar SC; Austin, Texas), Gianna Paul (Alabama; Huntington Station, N.Y.), Taylor Price (Virginia Tech; Ashburn, Va.), Melina Rebimbas (Washington Spirit; Warren, N.J.), Taylor Suarez (Charlotte SA; Charlotte, N.C.)