U.S. U-15 Men’s Youth National Team heads to Europe with 20-player roster

CHICAGO – The U.S. Under-15 Men’s Youth National Team will compete in the 18th Torneo delle Nazioni, set for April 25-May 1 at several venues across Austria, Italy and Slovenia.

Head coach Tom Heinneman has called up 20 players for the 12-team tournament, his second training camp in charge of the U-15 MYNT.

Placed in Group B, the USA will face Slovenia on Monday, April 25 (11 a.m. ET) and Belgium on Wednesday, April 27 (12 p.m. ET). Both matches will be streamed, with USA-Slovenia available via to-be-announced Slovenian FA platforms and USA-Belgium broadcast by the tournament organizers.

Following pool play, the USA will play two more games as part of a four-team bracket with teams that finished in the same place in the group stage. The placement semifinals are set for Friday, April 29 and finals on Sunday, May 1.

U.S. U-15 MYNT ROSTER BY POSITION – TORNEO DELLE NAZIONI

GOALKEEPERS (2): Zackory Campagnolo (Orlando City SC; Kissimmee, Fla.), Patryk Stechnij (Chicago Fire FC; Chicago, Ill.)

DEFENDERS (6): Davi Alexandre (New York Red Bulls; New York City, N.Y.), Scott Chavira (Santa Cruz Breakers; San Jose, Calif.), Michael Cortellessa (FC Dallas; Prosper, Texas), Neil Pierre (Philadelphia Union; Lebanon, Pa.), Luis Rivera (Real Salt Lake; Herriman, Utah), Jeremiah White (NY Red Bulls; Elkins Park, Pa.) 

MIDFIELDERS (5): Owen Anderson (San Jose Earthquakes; San Rafael, Calif.), Kyrome Lumsden (LAFC; Lakewood, Calif.), Santiago Morales (Inter Miami CF; Weston, Fla.), Rohan Rajagopal (San Jose Earthquakes; Los Altos, Calif.), Nathan Worth (New York Red Bulls; Chester, N.J.)

FORWARDS (7): Nimfasha Berchimas (Charlotte FC; High Point, N.C.), Grayson Carter (Portland Timbers; Boise, Idaho), Caden Glover (Saint Louis City SC; Columbia, Ill.), Zavier Gozo (Real Salt Lake; Eagle Mountain, Utah), Bryce Outman (FC Dallas; Fairview, Texas), Ruben Ramos (LA Galaxy; La Puenta, Calif.), Gavin Turner (D.C. United; Fairfax, Va.)

U.S. U-15 MYNT SCHEDULE – TORNEO DELLE NAZIONI 

GROUP C

Monday, April 25
USA vs. Slovenia – 11 a.m. ET – Ajdovščina, Slovenia

Wednesday, April 27
USA vs. Belgium – 12 p.m. ET – Rivignano, Italy 

The team will follow U.S. Soccer’s comprehensive Return to Play protocols during the event. The Federation is requiring all staff and players be fully vaccinated in order to attend YNT training camps. As a leader in the sport, the health and safety of all participants is the top priority for U.S. Soccer.

Players born on or after Jan. 1, 2007 are age-eligible for the U-15 MYNT this year. Heinemann has called up 19 players born in 2007 and one born in 2008- Charlotte FC forward Nimfasha Berchimas.

The team previously gathered for domestic training camps in January and February, as seven players have appeared in all three U-15 events this year. Three are making their U-15 MYNT debut this year: goalkeeper Patryk Stechnij, defender Davi Alexandre plus forward Caden Glover.

Launched in 2004, this year marks the 18th edition of the Torneo delle Nazioni as the competition returns in full force after playing a reduced four-team tournament last year. A number of current senior USMNT players have participated in the competition. Forward Tim Weah helped the U.S. win the 2015 tournament, scoring in the final vs. Austria. In 2017,  George Bello, Gianluca Busio, Joe Scally and Gio Reyna guided the U.S. to the tournament title, with Scally and Reyna netting goals in the final vs. England. Most recently, goalkeeper Gabriel Slonina backstopped the USA at the 2019 tournament before receiving his first two senior team call-ups over the last six months.

The roster’s 20 players are based at 15 clubs, including 14 MLS academies. Three players come from the New York Red Bulls, while two each play for FC Dallas, the San Jose Earthquakes and Real Salt Lake. The lone non-MLS player is defender Scott Chavira from the Santa Cruz Breakers. Players hail from 11 states, led by five from California.

Many players called to this camp were involved in BioSteel YNT Regional Identification Centers last spring, one-day training sessions that bring together top players in their home regions.

With the launch of U.S. Soccer’s YNT U-14 Talent ID program in 2019, the U-15 USMNT cycle lasts only one year. The biannual Concacaf Boys’ U-15 Championship is next set to be contested in 2023.

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