U.S. Under-16 Women’s Youth National Team Heads to Turkey for UEFA Friendship Tournament against the Host Nation, Vietnam and Botswana

CHICAGO (April 6, 2024) – U.S. Under-16 Women’s National Team head coach Patchy Toledo has named a 20-player roster to compete at the upcoming eight-team UEFA Friendship Tournament in Riva, Turkey from April 7-19. In Group A play, the USA will face the host nation on Thursday, April 11, Vietnam on Saturday, April 13 and Botswana on Tuesday, April 16. All three matches will be played at Turkey’s TFF Riva Facility, the federation’s National Training Center. Group B features Uganda, China, Wales and Paraguay.

On April 18, all the teams will play a placement match based on the final group standings, with the first place team in Group A facing the first place team in Group B for the championship, the two second-place finishers squaring off for third place, the third-place finishers in the groups meeting for fifth place and the fourth-place finishers playing for seventh.

Players born on or after Jan. 1, 2008, are age-eligible for this U-16 WYNT cycle. For this tournament, Toledo selected all 2008-birth year players. All players in the U-16 WYNT pool are age-eligible for this year’s FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, set for October/November in the Dominican Republic.

These matches will mark the first-ever games for a U.S. Youth Women’s National Team against Turkey and Botswana.

U.S. U-16 WOMEN’S YOUTH NATIONAL TEAM – UEFA FRIENDSHIP TOURNAMENT – RIVA, TURKEY

GOALKEEPERS (2): Josie Biehl (San Diego Surf SC; Carlsbad, Calif.), Evan O'Steen (Solar SC; Grapevine, Texas)

DEFENDERS (7): Pearl Cecil (San Diego Surf SC; Encinitas, Calif.), Sierra Dupre (Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC; Pittsburgh, Pa.), Cali O'Neill (North Carolina Courage; Durham, N.C.), Marlee Raymond (United Futbol Academy; Cumming, Ga.), Sydney Schmidt (Jacksonville FC; St. Johns, Fla.), Vienna Whipple (Crossfire Premier SC; Bellevue, Wash.), London Young (Solar SC; Dallas, Texas)

MIDFIELDERS (6): Scottie Antonucci (Legends FC; Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.), Reese Canada (Michigan Hawks; Fenton, Mich.), Addison Feldman (Utah Celtic FC; Orem, Utah), Rylie Morse (Cincinnati United Soccer Club; Cincinnati, Ohio), Jaiden Rodriguez (San Diego Surf SC; San Diego, Calif.), Charlee Siria (Ohio Elite Soccer Academy; Lexington, Ky.)

FORWARDS (5): Ashlyn Anderson (Indy Premier SC; Carmel, Ind.), Jordan Hill (Solar SC; Dallas, Texas), Micayla Johnson (Michigan Hawks; Troy, Mich.), Ella Kral (Lamorinda SC; Berkeley, Calif.), Peyton Marinos (So Cal Blues SC; Irvine, Calif.)

ADDITIONAL NOTES

• Nine players have appeared in all three U-16 WYNT training camps held so far for the 2008-birth year: Scottlyn Antonucci, Josie Biehl, Pearl Cecil, Ella-Marie Kral, Peyton Marinos, Evan O’Steen, Sydney Schmidt, Charlee Siria and London Young.
• Thirteen players return from the team’s February domestic training camp in Chula Vista, Calif.: Antonucci, Biehl, Cecil, Sierra Dupre, Jordan Hill, Kral, Marinos, Cali O’Neill, O’Steen, Jaiden Rodriguez, Schmidt, Siria and Young.
• This tournament represents this U-16 WYNT’s first international competition after holding domestic training camps in West Palm Beach, Fla. in September/October 2023 and Chula Vista, Calif. in February.
• Midfielder Addison Feldman is making her first appearance with the U-16 WYNT this cycle.
• Fifteen different youth clubs are represented on the roster, led by three players each from San Diego Surf SC and Dallas-area Solar SC. Two players come from Michigan Hawks.
• The roster hails from 12 states, led by six players from California and three from Texas.