Twenty-Four Players Gather in Atlanta to Kick Off U-16 Men’s Youth National Team Cycle with New Head Coach Alex Aldaz

CHICAGO (Sept. 17, 2024) – New U.S. Under-16 Men’s Youth National Team head coach Alex Aldaz is holding his first training camp this week in Fayetteville, Ga. From Sept. 15-22. Twenty-four players are headed to Fayetteville, about 25 miles southeast of Atlanta and the new home of U.S. Soccer as the Arthur M. Blank U.S. Soccer National Training Center is currently under construction in the city.

Players born on or after Jan. 1, 2009 are age-eligible for this one-year U-16 cycle and all 24 players were born in 2009. This age group last gathered in May, winning the Vlatko Markovic Tournament in Croatia with victories against Morocco and Japan.

The roster features players from 13 Major League Soccer clubs, led by four from the Columbus Crew. In addition, three players each come from Chicago Fire FC and Inter Miami CF plus two each from Atlanta United FC, Orlando City SC, Philadelphia Union and the San Jose Earthquakes.

U.S. U-16 MEN’S YOUTH NATIONAL TEAM ROSTER – SEPTEMBER TRAINING CAMP

Goalkeepers (3): Keller Abbott (Columbus Crew; New Albany, Ohio), Marcelo Avalos (Philadelphia Union; Salinas, Calif.), James Donaldson (Atlanta United FC; Woodstock, Ga.)

Defenders (8): Hugo Berg (Chicago Fire FC; Chicago, Ill.), Nash Dearmin (Inter Miami CF; Hobe Sound, Fla.), Gianmarco Di Noto (Columbus Crew; Rochester Hills, Mich.), Tyson Espy (Los Angeles FC; Dana Point, Calif.), Gabriel Florentino (Inter Miami CF; Miami, Fla.), Prince Forfor (Columbus Crew; Des Moines, Iowa), Astin Mbaye (New York Red Bulls; Jersey City, N.J.), Tanner Miller (Orlando City SC; Tallahassee, Fla.)

Midfielders (6): Lukas Bruegmann (Houston Dynamo FC; Houston, Texas), Peter Molinari (New York City FC; Bayside, N.Y.), Will Ostrander (San Jose Earthquakes; Mill Valley, Calif.), Roko Pehar (Chicago Fire FC; Glenview, Ill.), Kaedren Spivey (San Jose Earthquakes; San Jose, Calif.), Ignacio Suarez-Couri (Atlanta United FC; Johns Creek, Ga.)

Forwards (7): Zidane Cadet (Inter Miami CF; Cooper City, Fla.), Jordyn Eason (FC Dallas; Prosper, Texas), Immanuel Ewing (Columbus Crew; Merced, Calif.), Jakob Garcia (Orlando City SC; Orlando, Fla.), Omar Hassan (Seattle Sounders FC; Bellevue, Wash.), Darris Hyte (Chicago Fire FC; Streamwood, Ill.), Malik Jakupovic (Philadelphia Union; Sterling Heights, Mich.)

ADDITIONAL NOTES

• The players hail from 11 states, led by five players each from California and Florida.
• It’s the first training camp of the U-16 MYNT cycle after this age group participated in four training camps during the one-year U-15 MYNT cycle. Five players in this training camp were a part of all four U-15 camps: James Donaldson, Tyson Espy, Omar Hassan, Astin Mbaye and Kaedren Spivey.