CHICAGO (Oct. 4, 2024) – The U.S. Under-20 Men’s Youth National Team will visit FIFA U-20 World Cup host Chile for friendly matches on Oct. 12 and 15 during a training camp in Santiago from Oct. 7-15. Both matches will be played at Complejo Deportivo Quilin, Chile’s national training center.
After leading the U.S. Olympic Men’s Soccer Team to the quarterfinals at this summer’s 2024 Paris Olympics for the first time since 2000, Marko Mitrović will serve as head coach for then U-20 Men’s Youth National Team.
Players born on or after Jan. 1, 2005 are age-eligible for next year’s FIFA U-20 World Cup in Chile, set for Sept. 27-Oct. 19. Mitrovic called up 14 players born in 2005, six born in 2006 and two born in 2007: New England Revolution forward Peyton Miller and LA Galaxy forward Ruben Ramos Jr.
A total of 12 Major League Soccer clubs are represented on the roster, led by two players each from Atlanta United FC and the San Jose Earthquakes. Eight players are based abroad in England (three players), Germany, Portugal (two each) and Spain (one).
Goalkeepers (2): Gavin Beavers (Real Salt Lake; Henderson, Nev.), Julian Eyestone (Brentford/ENG; Dallas, Texas)
Defenders (7): Noahkai Banks (Augsburg/GER; Dietmannsried, Germany), Noah Cobb (Atlanta United FC; Chattanooga, Tenn.), Leo Duru (Blackburn Rovers/ENG; Manchester, England), Ethan Kohler (Werder Bremen/GER; Campbell, Calif.), Nolan Norris (FC Dallas; Fort Worth, Texas), Oscar Verhoeven (San Jose Earthquakes; Pleasant Hill, Calif.), Joshua Wynder (Benfica/POR; Louisville, Ky.)
Midfielders (7): Benjamin Cremaschi (Inter Miami CF; Key Biscayne, Fla.), Taha Habroune (Columbus Crew; Columbus, Ohio), Bryan Moyado (Los Angeles FC; La Puente, Calif.), Sergio Oregel Jr. (Chicago Fire FC; Chicago, Ill.), Brooklyn Raines (Houston Dynamo FC; Chicago, Ill.), Pedro Soma (Barcelona/ESP; Coconut Creek, Fla.), Niko Tsakiris (San Jose Earthquakes; Saratoga, Calif.)
Forwards (6): Reed Baker-Whiting (Seattle Sounders FC; Seattle, Wash.), Luke Brennan (Atlanta United FC; Atlanta, Ga.), Aidan Dausch (Coventry City/ENG; London, England), Peyton Miller (New England Revolution; Unionville, Conn.), Ruben Ramos Jr. (LA Galaxy; La Puente, Calif.), Marcos Zambrano (Vitoria Guimaraes/POR; Gladwyne, Penn.)
This October marks the first training camp for the U-20s since the group successfully qualified for the World Cup at this summer’s Concacaf U-20 Championship, finishing runner-up after a narrow overtime loss to Mexico in the final. Eleven players from that squad were called to Chile: Noah Cobb, Julian Eyestone, Taha Habroune, Ethan Kohler, Nolan Norris, Sergio Oregel Jr., Brooklyn Raines, Ruben Ramos Jr., Pedro Soma, Niko Tsakiris and Marcos Zambrano.
Ramos Jr. and Zambrano each scored twice for the U.S. in Mexico, while Habroune, Kohler and Raines also added goals. Ramos Jr. netted the game-winner in the 1-0 quarterfinal victory vs. Guatemala to punch the USA’s World Cup ticket while Raines tallied the late difference-maker in the 2-1 semifinal win vs. Panama.
A number of players already have represented the United States on some of the game’s biggest stages. Midfielder Benjamin Cremaschi was the youngest player on the U.S. squad at this summer’s Men’s Olympic Soccer Tournament. He appeared in two matches as the USA advanced from the group stage for just the second time since the current format was introduced in 1960.
Midfielder Niko Tsakiris and defender Joshua Wynder were a part of the U.S. team at the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Argentina. The duo helped the USA reach the quarterfinals before falling to eventual champion Uruguay, becoming the only nation to reach the final eight at the last four tournaments.
Five players represented the U.S. at the 2023 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Indonesia, leading the U.S. to the knockout stage before a narrow defeat to eventual champion Germany: Noahkai Banks, Taha Habroune, Peyton Miller, Pedro Soma and Oscar Verhoeven.