U.S. U-19 Men’s National Team training camp kicks off in Florida
CHICAGO (Via U.S. Soccer) – U.S. Under-19 Men’s National Team head coach Brad Friedel has named a 22-player roster to an eight-day domestic training camp set to take place from Feb. 3-10 in Sunrise, Florida.
During the camp, the U-19s will play friendlies against El Salvador and Miami FC. This camp marks the U-19 MNT’s first gathering of 2017 and first return to action since its friendly against Miami FC last November, part of the team’s final training camp of 2016.
“I’m really looking forward to the camp and I think we’ve assembled a good, athletic squad and I will be really interested to see who does well,” Friedel said. “This camp is meant to bring in new and returning players and give them the opportunity to get into the system and have a chance at making a future U-20 roster. The second part of that is, the (birth year) 1997, 1998 and some 1999 age groups are going to make up the bulk of the next U-23 Olympic team. So it’s really important that we continue to give the players international experience.”
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Of the 22 players on the roster, 11 play for U.S. Soccer Development Academy clubs, seven play at the collegiate level, two compete in the USL, one plays internationally and one plays at a domestic non-Academy club.
The age cut-off for this U-19 player pool, which is entering the second and final year of its cycle, is players born on or after Jan. 1, 1998.
Development Academy Ties:
- Of the 22 players called into this camp, 20 have spent time in the Development Academy.
- Goalkeeper Kevin Silva carries the most amount of time spent in the Development Academy, registering six seasons for Players Development Academy from 2010 to 2016.
Roster Notes:
- Eight players are making their U-19 debuts: Matthew Freese, Noah Lawrence, Michael Ille, Lagos Kunga, Justin Ingram, Ryley Kraft, William Little and Mason Toye.
- Born in 1999, midfielder Milan Iloski is the youngest player on the roster.
- Atlanta United FC and Swope Park Rangers are the only clubs with multiple players called into the camp with two each.
+READ: U.S. U-20 MNT roster named for camp ahead of CONCACAF Championship
Roster by Position
GOALKEEPERS (3): Matthew Freese (Philadelphia Union; Wayne, Pa.), Noah Lawrence (D.C. United; Mitchellville, Md.), Kevin Silva (UCLA; Bethlehem, Pa.)
DEFENDERS (6): Daniel Barbir (West Bromwich Albion F.C.; Allentown, Pa.), Tanner Dieterich (Clemson; Nashville, Tenn.), Marco Farfan (Portland Timbers; Portland, Ore.), Justin Ingram (Indianapolis Fire; Indianapolis, Ind.), Edwin Munjoma (SMU; McKinney, Texas), Brandon Terwege (FC Dallas; Highland Village, Texas)
MIDFIELDERS (11): Christian Enriquez (Cal Poly; Spring Valley, Calif.), Daniel Griffin (Providence College; Wethersfield, Conn.), Felipe Hernandez (Swope Park Rangers; Murfreesboro, Tenn.), Michael Ille (Atlanta United FC; Lawrenceville, Ga.), Milan Iloski (Real Salt Lake; Escondido, Calif.), Ryley Kraft (Sacramento Republic FC; Roseville, Calif.), Lagos Kunga (Atlanta United FC; Tucker, Ga.), Simon Lekressner (California-Berkley; Bellevue, Wash.), William Little III (Swope Park Rangers; Johnson City, Tenn.), Djordje Mihailovic (Chicago Fire; Bridgeview, Ill.), Grant Robinson (George Mason; Columbia, Md.)
FORWARDS (2): Nelson Hunsinger (Leg-A-Z; Mary Esther, Fla.), Mason Toye (PDA; South Orange, N.J.)
