Twenty Players Called to U.S. Under-21 Men’s National Team Training Camp as Preparations for 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles Kick Off in Europe
2028 Olympic Cycle Begins with Under-21 MNT Camp and Matches at Denmark and Serbia
ATLANTA (Nov. 7, 2025) – U.S. Soccer has announced the 20-player roster that will take part in the U.S. Under-21 Men’s National Team training camp from Nov. 10-18 in Europe. During the camp, the U-21 MNT will play away matches against Denmark on Nov. 14 and at Serbia on Nov. 18. Michael Morris, who served as an assistant coach for the U-20 MNT last cycle, will lead the U-21 MNT in November.
Made up of players born on or after Jan. 1, 2004, the Under-21 MNT will train and play matches through summer 2026 in an effort to make up on national team programming that players in this age group missed during the COVID-19 pandemic. The U.S. Men's Olympic Soccer Team, made up of players under the age of 23 that will be eligible for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, will officially begin play in the second half of 2026.
“The Under-21 age group is common across the international game, and this programming allows us to continue building a foundation for all of our National Team programs,” U.S. Soccer Sporting Director Matt Crocker said. “We have players in this group who have already been with the senior national team, and more who are maybe just a small step away from establishing themselves at that level. We continue our work to connect the senior team with our youth teams and holding Under-21 camps helps us provide them with high-level international opportunities to further their development.”
Set to train in Vejle, Denmark from Nov. 10-13, the USA will face the Denmark U-21 side on Nov. 14 at Vejle Stadium. The USA will then face Serbia U-21 on Nov. 18 at TSC Arena in Bačka Topola, Serbia. Both matches will kick off at 6 p.m. local time (noon ET).
The roster features three players who have already been part of a U.S. Men’s National Team camp, led by forward Damion Downs who has earned six caps. Goalkeeper Gaga Slonina earned his senior debut in 2023, while Diego Kochen has also been part of USMNT camps in the past year. Thirteen players have represented the USA in a FIFA Youth World Cup, including nine players from last month’s FIFA U-20 World Cup in Chile: Reed Baker-Whiting, Cole Campbell, Noah Cobb, Zavier Gozo, Ethan Kohler, Nolan Norris, Peyton Miller, Brooklyn Raines and Niko Tsakiris.
Brandan Craig, Rokas Pukstas and Darren Yapi, along with Slonina and Tsakiris were also on the U.S. roster at the 2023 U-20 World Cup in Argentina.
This month’s camp is part of the Federation’s continued focus on the U.S. Way philosophy, which emphasizes increased programming for Youth National Teams to create more opportunities for young players to advance through the pathway to the senior National Team with the goal of representing their country at a world championship.
U.S. UNDER-21 MEN’S NATIONAL TEAM – NOVEMBER CAMP (CLUB; HOMETOWN)
GOALKEEPERS (2): Diego Kochen (FC Barcelona/ESP Miramar, Fla.), Gaga Slonina (Chelsea/ENG; Addison, Ill.)
DEFENDERS (6): Reed Baker-Whiting (Seattle Sounders; Seattle, Wash.), Noah Cobb (Colorado Rapids; Chattanooga, Tenn.), Brandan Craig (CF Montreal/CAN; Philadelphia, Pa.), Ethan Kohler (SC Verl/GER; Campbell, Calif.), Nolan Norris (FC Dallas; Fort Worth, Texas), Thomas Williams (Orlando City; Titusville, Fla.)
MIDFIELDERS (6): Santiago Castañeda (Paderborn/GER; Tampa, Fla.), Jackson Hopkins (D.C. United; Fredericksburg, Va.), Rokas Pukstas (Hajduk Split/CRO; Stillwater, Okla.), Brooklyn Raines (Houston Dynamo; Chicago, Ill.), Niko Tsakiris (San Jose Earthquakes; Saratoga, Calif.), Gerardo Valenzuela (FC Cincinnati; Boca Raton, Fla.)
FORWARDS (6): Cole Campbell (Borussia Dortmund/GER; Peachtree City, Ga.), Damion Downs (Southampton/ENG; Werneck, Germany), Zavier Gozo (Real Salt Lake; Eagle Mountain, Utah), Mykhi Joyner (St. Louis City; Bloomington, IL), Peyton Miller (New England Revolution; Unionville, Conn.), Darren Yapi (Colorado Rapids; Denver, Colo.)
About the U.S. Way
The U.S. Way is a shared philosophy, strategy and a practical toolkit to enable excellence at every level of the game and for us to win. The U.S. Way is intended to work in partnership between the club and National Team environment to cultivate the next generation of talent with three areas of focus: World Class Development Pathways and Environments, including scaled Talent Identification, expanded Youth National Team programming and accelerated development and foundation building across the Extended National Teams; Shared and Scaled Infrastructure, highlighted by the Arthur M. Blank U.S. Soccer National Training Center, U.S. Way digital platform and unified youth calendar; and Professional Development for the Entire Ecosystem, featuring formal courses, technical and administrative staff community building, leadership development, and best practice resource sharing. For more information, visit ussoccer.com/ourvision/us-way.