U.S. Soccer invites 64 elite players to National Combine from Aug. 9-13

CHICAGO – U.S. Soccer has invited 64 of the country’s elite 15- to 17-year-old players to participate in a National Combine from Aug. 9-13 at Nike’s World Headquarters in Portland, Ore. The event is part of U.S. Soccer’s expanded Training Center program launched in partnership with Nike in 2013.

This five-day camp is designed to evaluate and build the core for the U.S. Under-18 Men’s National Team pool. Led by U.S. Soccer Director of Scouting Tony Lepore, men’s Youth National Team staff will run the sessions.

The player pool was selected by U.S. Soccer scouts through assessment at Training Centers and Local Combines, Development Academy events and other youth soccer programs over the past year. This National Combine is a premier opportunity for the nation’s top high school-aged boys to be evaluated by National Team staff and scouts from around the country.

Many players were selected for the National Combine through a series of seven Local Combines in the following locations: Los Angeles (June 7-9), Chicago (June 10-11), Dallas (June 14-16), Philadelphia (June 14-16), New York/New Jersey (July 5-7), Washington, D.C. (July 8-10), and most recently San Francisco (July 26-28). The Combines targeted key markets to evaluate players in youth national team-caliber training sessions held over three days.

Each year, U.S. Soccer holds more than 200 Training Center sessions, which are a one-day National Team player identification program that connects the top local players with Youth National Team scouts. The Training Centers are free and invitation-only, featuring the best local players and competing in a quality YNT environment to open the door toward U.S. Soccer’s youth national squads, college and the professional level.

The National Combine in August features players who were born in 1996, 1997 and 1998. The following players have been invited:

West Region (6):
No previous combine:
GOALKEEPERS (1): Avery Miller (Crossfire; Selah, Wash.)
DEFENDERS (2): Justen Glad (Real Salt Lake AZ; Tucson, Ariz.), Quentin Pearson (Colorado Rapids; Longmont, Colo.)
MIDFIELDERS (1): Joshua Doughty (Real Salt Lake AZ; Phoenix, Ariz.)
FORWARDS (2): Brooks Lennon (Real Salt Lake AZ; Phoenix, Ariz.), Sebastian Saucedo (Real Salt Lake AZ; Park City, Utah)

Northern California Region (6):
San Francisco Combine participants:
GOALKEEPERS (1): JT Marcinkowski (San Jose Earthquakes; Alamo, Calif.)
DEFENDERS (2): David Chavez (De Anza Force; Redwood City, Calif.), Luis Urias (SCC Breakers; Calif.)
MIDFIELDERS (1): DJ Villegas (Davis Legacy; Sacramento, Calif.)
FORWARDS (1): Amir Bashti (San Jose Earthquakes; Cupertino, Calif.)
No previous combine:
DEFENDERS (1): Sam Junqua (De Anza Force; Saratoga, Calif.)

Southern California Region (10):
Los Angeles Combine participants:
GOALKEEPERS (2): Justin Vom Steeg (Real So Cal; Santa Barbara, Calif.), Dakota Havlick (Irvine Strikers; Murrieta, Calif.)
DEFENDERS (3): Felipe Liborio (Strikers FC; Chula Vista, Calif.), Alex Ramos (LA Galaxy; Reseda, Calif.), Juan Reyna (LA Galaxy; San Marcos, Calif.)
MIDFIELDERS (1): Joab Santoyo (Arsenal; Fontana, Calif.)
No previous combine:
DEFENDERS (2): Malcolm Jones (Chivas USA; Chino Hills, Calif.), Pablo Pelaez (San Diego Surf; San Diego, Calif.)
MIDFIELDERS (1): Amirgy Pineda (Fullerton Rangers; Santa Ana, Calif.)
FORWARDS (1): Alejandro Vergara (Chivas USA; Long Beach, Calif.)

Southeast Region (6):
Chicago Combine participant:
MIDFIELDERS (1): Abuchi Obinwa (Chicago Magic PSG; Gotha, Fla.)
No previous combine:
GOALKEEPERS (1): Marius Heislitz (Georgia United (Cumming, Ga.)
MIDFIELDERS (1): Tommy Redding (FC America; Ovieda, Fla.)
FORWARDS (3): Sebastian Elney (Boca United; Lake Worth, Fla.), DeAndre Robinson (Concorde Fire; Miramar, Fla.), Dembakwi Yomba (Concorde Fire; Lithonia, Ga.)

Midwest Region (13):
Chicago Combine participants:
GOALKEEPERS (2): Carter Richardson (Crew Soccer Academy; Dublin, Ohio), Parker Siegfried (Crew Soccer Academy; Granville, Ohio)
DEFENDERS (2): Shannon Seymour (Chicago Fire; Bourbonnais, Ill.), Mauricio Pineda (Chicago Fire; Bolingbrook, Ill.)
MIDFIELDERS (4): Cameron Lindley (Indiana Fire; Carmel, Ind.), Collin Fernandez (Chicago Fire; Downers Grove, Ill.), Kosti Moni (Crew Soccer Academy Wolves; Grand Rapids, Mich.), Brad Dunwell (Vardar; Grand Rapids, Mich.)
No previous combine:
DEFENDERS (1): Peter Schropp (Omaha FC; Omaha, Neb.)
MIDFIELDERS (1): Ben Swanson (Crew Soccer Academy; Grove City, Ohio)
FORWARDS (3): Mukwelle Akale (Minnesota Thunder; Minneapolis, Minn.), Andrija Novakovich (Chicago Magic PSG; Muskego, Wis.), Mark Segbers (St. Louis Scott Gallagher Missouri; St. Louis, Mo.)

Northeast Region (10):
Philadelphia Combine participant:
DEFENDERS (1): Brian White (PDA; Flemington, N.J.)
N.Y./N.J. Combine participants:
DEFENDERS (3): Brandon Tetro (New York Red Bulls; Freehold, N.J.), Henry Martin (New York Red Bulls (New York, N.Y.), David Manzinares (Albertson SC; Hempstead, N.Y.)
No previous combine:
GOALKEEPERS (1): Austin Aviza (New England Revolution; Medway, Mass.)
DEFENDERS (1): Miles Robinson (FC Bolts Celtic; Arlington, Mass.)
MIDFIELDERS (1): Declan McCabe (New England Revolution; Weston, Mass.)
FORWARDS (3): Matt Vasquenza (Oakwood SC; East Hampton, Conn.), Brendan Constantine (Oakwood SC; Glastonbury, Conn.), Mohamed Kenawy (FC Bolts Celtic; Boston, Mass.)

Mid-Atlantic Region (6)
Philadelphia Combine participant:
DEFENDERS (1): Chris Gomez (PDA; Jamison, Pa.)
Washington, D.C., Combine participants:
MIDFIELDERS (1): Connor Smith (Baltimore Bays Chelsea; Baltimore, Md.)
FORWARDS (2): Jeremy Ebobisse (Bethesda Olney; Bethesda, Md.), Umar Bangura (Baltimore Bays Chelsea; Sykesville, Md.)
No previous combine:
DEFENDERS (1): Chase Gasper (Bethesda Olney; Alexandria, Va.)
FORWARDS (1): Coy Craft (FC Dallas; Glade Springs, Va.)

Texas Region (7):
Dallas Combine participants:
DEFENDERS (1): Wilfred Williams (FC Dallas; Frisco, Texas)
MIDFIELDERS (1): Martin Salas (FC Dallas; Dallas, Texas)
FORWARDS (1): Christian Ramirez (FC Dallas; Farmer’s Branch, Texas)
No previous combine:
DEFENDERS (3): Alex Radilla (FC Dallas; El Paso, Texas), Jordan Cano (FC Dallas; Frisco, Texas), Sergio Ruvalcaba (Alianza Houston; Austin, Texas)
FORWARDS (1): Christian Lucatero (Houston Dynamo; Pasadena, Texas)