U.S. U-20 Women’s National Team holds training at IMG Academy

CHICAGO (Via U.S. Soccer) – The U.S. Under-20 Women’s National Team came together for its final training camp of 2017, and first of 2018, from Dec. 28 through Jan. 3 at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida.

It is the USA’s final camp together before U.S. head coach Jitka Klimkova chooses the 20-player roster for the 2018 CONCACAF Women’s U-20 Championship, taking place from January 18-28 in Trinidad & Tobago. The top three finishers will qualify for the 2018 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in France.

The 30-player training camp roster features 19 players from the U.S. team that participated in the 2017 Women’s Nike International Friendlies last month. Of the 11 additional players called up, six play for NCAA champion Stanford or runner-up UCLA. Klimkova added goalkeeper Brooke Heinsohn (Duke), defenders Samantha Hiatt (Stanford), Emily Madril (Florida State), Kaiya McCullough (UCLA), Kiara Pickett (Stanford), midfielders Olivia Athens (UCLA), Chardonnay Curran (Oregon), Natalie Winters (Iowa), and forwards Madison Haley (Stanford), Ashley Sanchez (UCLA) and Summer Yates (Pacific Northwest SC).

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At the World Cup qualifying tournament, the USA was drawn into Group B and will open on Jan. 19 against Nicaragua, face Jamaica on Jan. 21 and finish group play against Mexico on Jan. 23.

The training camp roster is a solid mix of birth years. Of the 30 players named, 12 were born in 1998, the age cut-off year for the next U-20 Women’s World Cup. Fourteen were born in 1999 and four were born in 2000, making them also age-eligible for the 2020 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup. Twenty-five are college players and five are still playing with youth clubs, three in the U.S. Soccer Girls’ Development Academy.

U.S. U-20 WNT Roster by Position

GOALKEEPERS (3): Brooke Heinsohn (Duke; Norfolk, Mass.), Laurel Ivory (Virginia; Surfside, Fla.), Amanda McGlynn (Virginia Tech; Jacksonville, Fla.)

DEFENDERS (9): Jordan Brewster (Internationals SC; North Canton, Ohio), Naomi Girma (California Thorns FC; San Jose, Calif.), Samantha Hiatt (Stanford; Newcastle, Wash.), Emily Madril (Florida State; Navarre, Fla.), Kaiya McCullough (UCLA; Mission Viejo, Calif.), Tara McKeown (UCLA; Mission Viejo, Calif.), Kiara Pickett (Stanford; Santa Barbara, Calif.), Isabel Rodriguez (Ohio State; Canton, Mich.), Karina Rodriguez (UCLA; Torrance, Calif.)

MIDFIELDERS (10): Olivia Athens (UCLA; Atherton, Calif.), Samantha Coffey (Boston College; Sleepy Hollow, N.Y.), Chardonnay Curran (Oregon; Ewa Beach, Hawaii), Savannah DeMelo (USC; Bellflower, Calif.), Jaelin Howell (Real Colorado; Windsor, Colo.), Taylor Kornieck (Colorado; Henderson, Nev.), Zoe Morse (Virginia; East Lansing, Mich.), Brianna Pinto (NTH Tophat; Durham, N.C.), Viviana Villacorta (UCLA; Lawndale, Calif.), Natalie Winters (Iowa; Plymouth, Mich.)
FORWARDS (8): Madison Haley (Stanford; Dallas, Texas), Abigail Kim (California; Vashon, Wash.), Civana Kuhlmann (Stanford; Littleton. Colo.), Ashley Sanchez (UCLA; Monrovia, Calif.), Sophia Smith (Real Colorado; Windsor, Colo.), Taryn Torres (Virginia; Frisco, Texas), Kelsey Turnbow (Santa Clara; Nashville, Tenn.), Summer Yates (Pacific Northwest SC; Paco, Wash.)