U.S. U-16 Girls National Team heads to Belgium for three matches

CHICAGO (Via U.S. Soccer) – The U.S. Under-16 Girls’ National Team will embark on its first international trip of the year, traveling to Belgium from May 6-17 for a four-team competition that also features the hosts, Croatia and Switzerland.

Twenty players have been called up for the tournament as new U-16 GNT head coach Kacey White will attend her first event with the team and will work with U.S. Under-18 Women’s National Team head coach Jaime Frias, who has been coaching the U-16s for the last year. The tournament is for players born in 2001 and 2002 so the Americans will be playing against older teams as the U.S. roster features players born in 2002 and 2003, with one born in 2004.

The USA will face Croatia on May 12, Belgium on May 14 and finish with Switzerland on May 16. All the games are in Tubize, Belgium, which is located just south of Brussels.

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This group of players moved up from the U-14 level last year and will spend two years as the U-16 GNT before moving on to the U-18s. These players are all age-eligible for the 2018 U-17 Women’s World Cup, which has an age cut-off of players born on or after January 1, 2001, but will eventually be the core age group for the team that will attempt to qualify for the U-20 Women’s World Cup in 2022.

U.S. U-16 GNT Roster by Position

GOALKEEPERS (2): Mia Justus (PDA; North Brunswick, N.J.), Stephanie Sparkowski (East Meadow SC; East Meadow, N.Y.)

DEFENDERS (6): Kayla Colbert (Arsenal FC; Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.), Devi Dudley (Utah Celtic FC; American Fork, Utah), Katie Groff (CASL; Raleigh, N.C.), Samar Guidry (FC Dallas; McKinney, Texas), Smith Hunter (Seattle Reign Academy; Seattle, Wash.), Dasia Torbert (Tophat SC; Buford, Ga.)

MIDFIELDERS (6): Josephine Aulicino (Michigan Hawks; Northville, Mich.), Aislyn Crowder (Hawaii Rush; Mililani, Hawaii), Tatiana Fung (Arsenal FC; Fullerton, Calif.), Isabel Loza (Arsenal FC; La Mirada, Calif.), Alexis Missimo (Solar Chelsea; Southlake, Texas), Michaela Rosenbaum (Santa Rosa United; Rohnert Park, Calif.)

FORWARDS (6): Michelle Cooper (Michigan Hawks; Clarkston Mich.), Samantha Kroeger (World Class FC; West Milford, N.J.), Trinity Rodman (So Cal Blues; Newport Beach, Calif.), Allyson Sentnor (South Shore Select; Hanson, Mass.), Jillian Shimkin (Albertson SC; Rockville Centre, N.Y.), Joyelle Washington (Michigan Hawks; Canton, Mich.)