U-20 USMNT head coach Mikey Varas selects coaching staff

CHICAGO – U.S. Under-20 Men’s Youth National Team head coach Mikey Varas has confirmed his coaching staff for the 2022-23 FIFA U-20 World Cup cycle.

Varas will be assisted by U-17 MYNT head coach Gonzalo Segares and former U-16 MYNT head coach Shaun Tsakiris. Houston Dynamo Director of Goalkeeping Jason Grubb will serve as the U-20 MYNT’s goalkeeper coach.

The four coaches led the U-20 MYNT during its training camp from Jan. 24-Feb. 2 at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla. The group will continue to guide the team throughout the cycle as the USA prepares for the 2022 Concacaf U-20 Championship, which will serve as qualification for the U-20 World Cup as well as the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.

“We’ve assembled an exceptionally motivated and driven staff to help our U-20 players take the next step in their careers,” Varas said. “I’m excited to work with the same group of assistants from camp to camp, maintaining a consistent high standard and positive culture. This staff brings a ton of diverse experience and is ready to lead this talented group through the challenges of World Cup qualifying and beyond.”

Segares was appointed U-17 MYNT head coach in October 2021 after joining U.S. Soccer in January 2020 as head coach of the U-15 MYNT. After an impressive 10-year playing career in Major League Soccer with the Chicago Fire, the defender began his coaching career immediately following his retirement in 2014. He helped lead the Fire Academy’s U-18 squad to the 2015 U.S. Soccer Development Academy Championship as an assistant coach before spending four seasons with Chicago-area FC United as assistant academy director and head coach for the U-14 and U-16/17 squads. He holds a U.S. Soccer Pro Coaching License.

As a player, the former Costa Rica international helped Los Ticos to the brink of the 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2009 Concacaf Gold Cup Semifinals over the course of 19 caps. Segares made more than 250 career appearances with the Fire and won the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup with the club in 2006.

Tsakiris led the U.S. U-16 MYNT from 2016-18 and also led training camps for the U-17 MYNT in 2018. Currently, he serves as Technical Director for Los Gatos United in Northern California. Prior to joining the Youth National Team program, Tsakiris coached at Bay Area-club De Anza Force in the Development Academy, winning West Conference U-13/14 Coach of the Year in 2014. He holds a U.S. Soccer “A” Coaching License as well as a Director of Coaching License.

Drafted by the New England Revolution in the 2001 MLS SuperDraft after a successful four years at UCLA, Tsakiris spent most of his professional career with the Rochester Rhinos in the USL A-League. As a youth player, he represented the U.S. U-20 Men’s Youth National Team at the 1999 FIFA World Youth Championship in Nigeria and also made appearances for the U-17 and U-18 MYNTs.

Grubb has worked with the Dynamo since August 2016. This season, he’ll serve as goalkeeper coach with Houston Dynamo 2 in the MLS Next Pro league while he continues his role as head of goalkeeping in Houston’s Academy. In addition to joining the U-20s for their first two camps of the 2022-23 cycle, Grubb has also worked with the U-20 and U-18 Women’s Youth National Teams. He holds a U.S. Soccer “A” Coaching License and a UEFA “B” Goalkeeping License.

Prior to joining Houston, Grubb was head of goalkeeping for IMG Academy from 2015-16 and an assistant coach with Quinnipac University from 2012-16. He also spent 2009-16 as Director of Coaching and Director of Goalkeeping at the SoccerPlus Academy in Hartford, Conn.