U-16 Boys’ National Team Heads to South Florida for 24-Player Training Camp

CHICAGO (Feb. 18, 2025) – The U.S. Under-16 Boys’ National Team will gather for a training camp in West Palm Beach, Fla. from Feb. 18-24. U-16 BNT head coach Alex Aldaz has called up 24 players for the event, all born in 2009.

All players are age-eligible for this year’s 2025 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Qatar. The USA earned its berth for the 2008-birth year world championship last week by topping Group F at the 2025 Concacaf U-17 Qualifiers. Starting in 2025, the U-17 World Cup is now an annual event. This group of 2009-birth year players will form the core of the group that will compete at the 2026 Concacaf U-17 Qualifiers and FIFA U-17 World Cup.

The roster features players from 14 Major League Soccer clubs, led by two each from Chicago Fire FC, FC Dallas, Houston Dynamo FC, New York City FC and the Philadelphia Union. One player is based abroad in England- Crystal Palace forward Kairo Smith-Phillips.

U-16 BOYS’ NATIONAL TEAM ROSTER – FEBRUARY TRAINING CAMP

Goalkeepers (3): Thomas Burchfield (Austin FC; Las Vegas, Nev.), James Donaldson (Atlanta United FC; Woodstock, Ga.), Julian Pierik (Barca Academy; Scottsdale, Ariz.)

Defenders (8): Daniel Barrett (Houston Dynamo FC; Pearland, Texas), Hugo Berg (Chicago Fire FC; Chicago, Ill.), Eddie Chadwick (LA Galaxy; Los Angeles, Calif.), Wyatt Holt (Charlotte FC; Moseley, Va.), August Nystrom (Portland Timbers; Portland, Ore.), Jackson Pomeroy (Colorado Rapids; Highlands Ranch, Colo.), Linkon Ream (Real Salt Lake; Herriman, Utah), Liam Vejrostek (FC Dallas; Little Elm, Texas)

Midfielders (7): Mateo Aritmendiz (Achilles FC; Bethesda, Md.), Ademar Chavez (FC Cincinnati; Bakersfield, Calif.), Willyam Ferreira (Philadelphia Union; Philadelphia, Pa.), Graham Ford (Barca Academy; Pleasant Grove, Utah), Isaiah Mendoza (Philadelphia Union; Salinas, Calif.), Peter Molinari (New York City FC; Bayside, N.Y.), Roko Pehar (Chicago Fire FC; Glenview, Ill.)

Forwards (6): James Bilden (New York City FC; New Canaan, Conn.), Mattheo Dimareli (Houston Dynamo FC; Houston, Texas), Immanuel Ewing (Columbus Crew; Merced, Calif.), Malik Jakupovic (Philadelphia Union; Sterling Heights, Mich.), Samuel Sedeh (FC Dallas; McKinney, Texas), Kairo Smith-Phillips (Crystal Palace/ENG; London, England)

ADDITIONAL NOTES

• In addition to the 20 players based at MLS clubs, three compete for other teams in MLS NEXT: goalkeeper Julian Pierik and midfielder Graham Ford at Barca Academy in Arizona plus midfielder Mateo Aritmendiz at Achilles FC in Marlyand.
• The players come from 16 states, led by four players each from California and Texas.
• Eight players return from the U-16s’ November training camp when they drew Mexico twice at the FMF Headquarters in Toluca: Daniel Barrett, Hugo Berg, Mattheo Dimareli, James Donaldson, Immanuel Ewing, Willyam Ferreira, Roko Pehar and Liam Vejrostek.
• Four players have been called to all three U-16 BNT training camps under Aldaz, starting with the team’s September gathering in Georgia: Berg, Donaldson, Ewing and Pehar.