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

ATLANTA (April 25, 2025) – With the ongoing objective to expand and improve the Men’s Youth National Team player pool, U.S. Soccer will hold a U-16 Boys National Team domestic training camp from April 27-May 4 at McCurry Park South in Fayetteville, Georgia.

U-16 BNT head coach Alex Aldaz has selected 24 players to participate in the week-long camp in the hometown of the under-construction Arthur M. Blank U.S. Soccer National Training Center.

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 month 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.

A total of 23 of the 24 players represent MLS clubs, with the Columbus Crew contributing a roster-leading four players. Chicago Fire send three players, while FC Dallas, Inter Miami, New York Red Bulls and Philadelphia Union provide two each.

U.S. UNDER-16 BNT ROSTER BY POSITION:

Goalkeepers (3): Keller Abbott (Columbus Crew; New Albany, Ohio), James Donaldson (Atlanta United; Woodstock, Ga.), Eamon Schorzman (Houston Dynamo; The Woodlands, Texas)

Defenders (8): Hugo Berg (Chicago Fire; Chicago, Ill.), Eddie Chadwick (Los Angeles Galaxy; Los Angeles, Calif.), Nash Dearmin (Inter Miami; Hobe Sound, Fla.), Gianmarco Di Noto (Columbus Crew; Rochester Hills, Mich.), Tyson Epsy (LAFC; Dana Point, Calif.), Prince Forfor (Columbus Crew; Des Moines, Iowa), Astin Mbaye (New York Red Bulls; Jersey City, N.J.), Liam Vejrostek (FC Dallas; Little Elm, Texas)

Midfielders (7): Steel Cook (FC Dallas; Frisco, Texas), Peter Molinari (NYCFC; Bayside, N.Y.), Xander Newstead (Ajax Amsterdam/NED; San Francisco, Calif.), Roko Peha (Chicago Fire; Glenview, Ill.), Jacob Ramirez (Orlando City; Orlando, Fla.), Paul Sokoloff (New York Red Bulls; Brooklyn, N.Y.), Kaedren Spivey (San Jose Earthquakes; San Jose, Calif.)

Forwards (6): Immanuel Ewing (Columbus Crew; Merced, Calif.), Tyler Gladstone (Philadelphia Union; Grandby, Mass.), Omar Hassan (Seattle Sounders; Bellevue, Wash.), Darris Hyte (Chicago Fire; Streamwood, Ill.), Malik Jakupovic (Philadelphia Union; Sterling Heights, Mich.), Matthias Vieux (Inter Miami; Miami, Fla.)

ADDITIONAL NOTES

• San Francisco native Xander Newstead is the only player competing outside the U.S., now at Ajax Amsterdam in the Netherlands
• The players come from 12 states, led by five players from California
• Eight players return from the U-16s’ February training camp in West Palm Beach, Fla.: Hugo Berg, Eddie Chadwick, James Donaldson, Immanuel Ewing, Malik Jakupovic, Peter Molinari, Roko Pehar, Liam Vejrostek
• Four players have been called to all four U-16 BNT training camps under Aldaz, starting with the team’s September gathering in Georgia: Berg, Donaldson, Ewing and Pehar.