Youth National Team Update: April 13-April 19

The U.S. Under-20 Men’s National Team will play the Haiti Under-20 Men’s National Team at 7:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday, April 21, at Lockhart Stadium in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.

U-20s TO FACE HAITI, JAMAICA TWICE IN FT. LAUDERDALE THIS WEEK: The U.S. Under-20 Men’s National Team will play the Haiti Under-20 Men’s National Team at 7:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday, April 21, at Lockhart Stadium in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. The match will be part of the U-20’s third domestic training camp of the year, which started yesterday and runs through Saturday (April 24). During the eight-day camp, the U.S. will also face CONCACAF rival Jamaica in two closed door exhibitions in Sunrise, Fla., on Tuesday, April 20 and Thursday, April 22, and Haiti again in a closed door exhibition on Saturday, April 24. Rongen has named a 23-player roster as he continues to sort through the U.S. U-20 player pool in preparation for the CONCACAF U-20 World Youth Championship qualifying tournament in January 2005. Leading the way for the U.S. are two young, promising Major League Soccer professionals in 14-year-old Freddy Adu (D.C. United) and 17-year-old Eddie Gaven (MetroStars). Three other MLS players – Arturo Alvarez (San Jose Earthquakes), Michael Bradley (MetroStars) and Craig Capano (Chicago Fire) – will also partake in the camp. Rounding out the rest of the roster is a collection of top college and high school players, many of which are current or past members of U.S. Soccer’s U-17 Residency Program in Bradenton, Fla.  Five current U-17 Residency players – goalkeeper Steve Sandbo, defenders Nathan Sturgis and Tim Ward, and midfielders Danny Szetela and Christian Jimenez – will make the cross-state trip to participate in the camp. Along with Adu and Bradley, recent Residency graduates Adrian Chevannes (Clemson), Brandon Owens (UCLA) and 2003 ACC Rookie of the Year Jamie Watson (UNC) will join them in South Florida.The U.S. and Haiti last met in their first match of Group B at 2002 CONCACAF World Youth Championship Qualifying Tournament in Charleston, S.C., with the U.S. coming away with a 2-0 victory behind goals from Ed Johnson and Santino Quaranta.
U-20 MNT Schedule
Date                Opponent                Venue                        Kickoff
April 20           Jamaica                   Sunrise Hilton             4 p.m. ET
April 21           Haiti                        Lockhart Stadium       7:30 p.m. ET
April 22           Jamaica                   Sunrise Hilton             TBD
April 24           Haiti                        Sunrise Hilton             TBD
U-20 MNT Roster
GOALKEEPERS (3): Justin Hughes (UNC), Andrew Kartunen (Stanford), Steve Sandbo (Colombus, Ohio); DEFENDERS (8): Adrian Chevannes (Clemson), Kevin Long (San Francisco), Kiel McClung (UCLA), Mike Orozco (Stanton, Calif.), Brandon Owens (UCLA), Patrick Phelan (Enfield, Conn.), Nathan Sturgis (St. Augustine, Fla.), Tim Ward (Waukesha, Wis); MIDFIELDERS (7): Arturo Alvarez (San Jose Earthquakes), Craig Capano (Chicago Fire), Eddie Gaven (MetroStars), Stuart Holden (Clemson), Christian Jimenez (San Dimas, Calif.), Danny Szetela (Clifton, N.J.), Erik Ustruck (Santa Clara); FORWARDS (5): Freddy Adu (D.C. United), Michael Bradley (MetroStars), Kamani Hill (Berkley, Calif.), Will John (St. Louis University), Jamie Watson (UNC).

U-17 '88 MNT TO COMPETE IN BALLYMENA TOURNAMENT IN NORTHERN IRELAND: The Under-17 ’88 Men’s National Team will be leaving for Ballymena, Northern Ireland, next week to participate in the Ballymena International Tournament from April 29-May 3. The team will leave on Sunday (April 25) and will have a couple days of training before their first match of the tournament. The U.S. will face Belgium on April 29, Scotland on April 30 and Austria on May 1. Depending on their place in their group, the U.S. will play in the Placement Match on May 3. Head coach John Ellinger is bringing an 18-man roster for the tournament. The Under-17 ‘88s defeated St. Leo University this past weekend at IMG Academy behind a hat trick from forward Quavas Kirk (goals in the 18th, 26th and 39th minutes) and a 70th minute strike from Preston Zimmerman.
U.S. Under-17 '88 MNT Roster
GOALKEEPERS (2): Bryant Rueckner (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.), Evan Newton (Virginia Beach, Va.); DEFENDERS (7): Richard Edgar (Mechanicsville, Md.), Eric Lichaj (Downers Grove, Ill.), Ofori Sarkodie (Huber Heights, Ohio), Jeremy Hall (Tampa, Fla.), Alandus Brooks (Jackson, Miss.), Michael Balogun (Houston, Texas), Carlos Borja (Anaheim, Calif.); MIDFIELDERS (4): Kevin Alston (Silver Spring, Md.), Nicolas Boesagno (n/a), Michael Dal Pra (Bronxville, N.Y.), Kyle Nakazawa (Palos Verdes East, Calif.), Ryan Soroka (Langhorne, Pa.); FORWARDS (4): Quavas Kirk (Aurora, Ill.), Michael Stephens (Woodridge, Ill.), Preston Zimmerman (Pasco, Wash.), Amechi Igwe (Belmont, Calif.).
U.S. Under-17 '88 MNT Schedule
Date                Opponent                    Result        U.S. Goal Scorers
April 17           St. Leo University        4-0 W       Kirk (3), Zimmerman
U.S. Under-17 '88 MNT Schedule
Date                Opponent
April 29           Belgium
April 30           Scotland
May 1             Austria
May 3             Placement Match

U-17 ‘87s TRAVEL TO GREENSBORO THIS WEEK FOR TRIO OF MATCHES: The U.S. Under-17 ’87 Men’s National Team will be traveling to Greensboro, N.C., this week to play three matches against local college and club teams. The ‘87s will face the University of North Carolina-Greensboro on Thursday (April 22), followed by a meeting with Wake Forest on Friday (April 23), and the Greensboro Soccer Club on Saturday (April 24). This past weekend the ‘87s tied the University of Jacksonville 1-1 at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., with Brett King scoring the lone goal for the U.S. off an assist from Blake Wagner in the 51st minute.
U.S. Under-17 '87 MNT Results
Date               Opponent                        Result        U.S. Goal Scorers
April 17          Univ. of Jacksonville        1-1 T         King
U-17 ’87 MNT Schedule
Date               Opponent
April 22          UNC-Greensboro
April 23          Wake Forest
April 24          Greensboro Soccer Club