U.S. U-15 Boys National Team roster unveiled for Concacaf Championship

Forty-two teams across three divisions will compete at the 2019 Concacaf U-15 Boys’ Championship. Divisions 1 and 2 are composed of four groups of four teams, while Division 3 consists of two groups of five teams. The winner of Division 1’s knockout round bracket will be crowned Concacaf champion. Israel, Portugal and Slovenia will participate in the tournament as invited guest teams from UEFA.

The USA entered the Concacaf Boys’ U-15 Championship for the first time in 2017. At that competition, the U.S. rolled through the group stage and semifinal with four straight victories and a plus-14 goal differential before dropping a hard-fought final to Mexico. Gianluca Busio led the way for the red, white and blue with five goals. Eight of the players at the 2017 tournament went on to represent the USA at the 2019 Concacaf U-17 Championship.

The U-15s’ most recent international action came at the 2019 Torneo delle Nazioni in Gradisca, Italy. There, the team finished ninth, highlighted by a dramatic victory over England that saw the USA equalize in stoppage time and go on to win via penalty kicks.

ROSTER NOTES

• Twelve clubs are represented on the roster, with 15 players at domestic clubs and three based internationally in Spain (two) and the Netherlands (one).
• Chicago Fire and LAFC contribute the most players to the roster with three each. Two players each come from the New York Red Bulls and Sporting Kansas City.
• Goalkeeper Gabriel Slonina, defender Antonio Leone plus midfielders Kenan Hot and Evan Rotundo have appeared in all six events of the 2018-19 U-15 cycle.
• Slonina signed a MLS Homegrown contract with the Fire in March at 14-years-old, making him the youngest Homegrown signing in MLS history.

ACADEMY NOTES

• Sixteen of 18 players have spent at least one season in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy. Fifteen just wrapped up the 2018-19 Academy season last month.
• The roster’s players from LAFC helped lead the club to a runner-up finish at the first Boys U-15 Academy Championship.
• Defender Antonio Leone won the Golden Ball as the Academy postseason’s best player, while forward Christian Torres tied for the Golden Boot as the tournament’s leading scorer.
• Goalkeeper Damian Alguera played up with De Anza Force’s U-16/17 squad during the Academy Playoffs, helping the team reach the national semifinals.