U.S. U-15 Boys National Team roster announced for Italy trip

CHICAGO (Via U.S. Soccer) — The U.S. Under-15 Boys’ National Team will head to the 2019 Torneo delle Nazioni in Gradisca, Italy from April 23 to May 5. The tournament marks the first international games of the year for the U-15s, who are preparing for this summer’s 2019 Concacaf U-15 Boys’ Championship.

The USA will face India on April 28, Slovenia on April 29 and Mexico on April 30 in the tournament’s group stage. Steve Klein, Academy Director at U.S. Soccer Development Academy club PA Classics will serve as the U-15s’ head coach for the camp. The 19-player roster is made up of 18 players born in 2004 and one born in 2005.

U.S. U-15 BNT Roster by Position (Club; Hometown; Caps/Goals)

GOALKEEPERS (2): Damian Alguera (De Anza Force; San Jose, Calif.), Gabriel Slonina (Chicago Fire; Addison, Ill.)

DEFNDERS (6): John Carlos Cortez (New York Red Bulls; Ridgewood, N.J.), Brandan Craig (Philadelphia Union; Philadelphia, Pa.), Antonio Leone (Los Angeles Football Club; Long Beach, Calif.), Hans Leza (Houston Dynamo; Houston, Texas), Angel Martinez (Seattle Sounders FC; Everett, Wash.), Devan Tanton (UE Cornella/ESP; Barcelona, Spain)

MIDFIELDERS (6): Kenan Hot (New York Red Bulls; Lincroft, N.J.), Nicolas Perez Guillen (Deportivo Toluca FC/MEX; Guadalajara, Mexico), Allan Rodriguez (Chicago Fire; Elkhart, Ind.), Evan Rotundo (San Diego Surf; La Mesa, Calif.), Leonardo Torres (San Antonio FC; San Antonio, Texas), Aethan Yohannes (AZ Alkmaar/NED; Springfield, Va.)

FORWARDS (5): Austin Brummett (Seattle Sounders FC; Seattle, Wash.), Osvaldo Cisneros (Sporting Kansas City; Omaha, Neb.), Cesar Cordova (Houston Dynamo; Humble, Texas), Luca Koleosho (CF Reus Deportiu/ESP; Trumbull, Conn.), Federico Oliva (Atletico Madrid/ESP; Madrid, Spain)

Following the group stage, the USA will play placement games. The rest of the tournament field is listed below:

The USA has participated at the last two editions of the Torneo delle Nazioni. Last year, the U.S. U-16 BNT finished third overall after going undefeated in the group stage. Three of the 2003-born players at last year’s tournament – defender Mauricio Cuevas, midfielder Daniel Leyva and forward Tyler Freeman – were recently named to the U-17 MNT roster for the Concacaf U-17 Championship.

The core of the current U-17 MNT took home the Torneo delle Nazioni title in 2017, coming from behind to defeat England 2-1 in the tournament final with goals from Giovanni Reyna and Joseph Scally.

Roster Notes:

• Players born on or after Jan. 1, 2004 are eligible for the 2019 Concacaf U-15 Boys’ Championship.
• Fourteen players compete for 11 domestic-based clubs, with the most, two each, coming from the Chicago Fire, New York Red Bulls and Seattle Sounders FC. Five play for foreign-based clubs in Spain (three), Mexico and Netherlands.
• Fourteen players (all U.S.-based players) are currently competing in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy, while fifteen have spent at least one season in the Academy. Midfielder Aethan Yohannes played for D.C. United before moving to AZ Alkmaar.
• The tournament will mark Federico Oliva’s first appearance with the U-15 BNT. He was called to the team’s year-opening camp in Carson, Calif., but had to withdraw due to injury.
• Goalkeeper Gabriel Slonina, defenders Brandon Craig and Antonio Leone as well as midfielders Kenan Hot and Evan Rotundo have appeared in all six events of the 2018-19 U-15 cycle.
• Forward Austin Brummett made his professional debut for Tacoma Defiance on April 20 against Phoenix Rising FC, becoming the youngest player to ever play in the USL Championship.
• Slonina signed a MLS Homegrown contract with the Fire in March, making him the youngest Homegrown signing in MLS history.
• Midfielder Leonardo Torres inked a professional contract with San Antonio FC in February, becoming the youngest pro signing in USL Championship history.
• The U-15 BNT went 1-2-0 in its first set of international games in May 2018 against Bosnia and Herzegovinia U-16 (L 1-3, L 1-2) and Serbia (W 5-0).
• Eight players on this roster made their international debuts in that trio of games: Craig, Hot, Leone, Rotundo and Slonina as well as defender Devan Tanton, midfielder Allan Rodriguez and forward Austin Brummett. Rotundo scored two goals in the U-15s’ win over Serbia.