U.S. Soccer Expands Full-Time Residency Program to 30 Players at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla.
CHICAGO (Tuesday, September 3, 2002) — U.S. Soccer has increased the number of players in their Under-17 Full-Time Residency Program to 30 players, all of whom began the fall semester today at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla. An additional 10 spaces in the residency program were added for the fall semester, as U.S. Soccer continues to increase its player development opportunities in this country.
Sep. 3, 2002
CHICAGO (Tuesday, September 3, 2002) — U.S. Soccer has increased the number of players in their Under-17 Full-Time Residency Program to 30 players, all of whom began the fall semester today at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla. An additional 10 spaces in the residency program were added for the fall semester, as U.S. Soccer continues to increase its player development opportunities in this country.
The 30 U.S. players have been placed in a setting where they attend classes at nearby Edison Academy and then return to the IMG campus to train daily under the guidance of U.S. Under-17 head coach John Ellinger and assistant coach John Hackworth. On the weekends the team usually participates in a mixture of games and training sessions.
“The full-time residency program continues to be a key element in our player development initiatives,” said Ellinger. “Being able to increase the size of the program to 30 players is a very positive step for the game in this country. I think we saw in the World Cup with Landon (Donovan) and DaMarcus (Beasley) that this program is already helping to produce world-class players, and to see 12 players graduate from this program into Major League Soccer in just three years is a strong statement about the direction of the program.”
Fourteen of the 30 players are beginning their first semester in the full-time program and nine are beginning their third semester after joining the full-time residency program in September 2001.
Among those returning for a third semester in the program are co-captain and central defender Brandon Owens, midfield standout Eddie Gaven and the attacking duo of Guillermo Gonzalez (14 goals, 7 assists in 2002) and Corey Ashe (8 goals, 6 assists in 2002).
Started in 1999, the U.S. Soccer full-time residency program has become a symbol of U.S. Soccer’s dedication to increasing the development opportunities for players and the success of the Youth National Teams. In three years of the full-time residency program, the U.S. Under-17 teams in residency have posted a combined 34-15-12 record in international matches.
This group of Under-17s is looking towards to the 2003 FIFA Under-17 World Championship that will be held in Finland in the summer of 2003. When the U.S. heads to Guatemala for qualifying in March, the team will attempt to continue the streak of being the only nation to qualify for each FIFA Under-17 World Championship.
“The residency program gives our elite players the opportunity to train in a professional environment and to develop in a way they would not otherwise be able to develop,” said U.S. Men’s National Team head coach Bruce Arena. “I think that increasing the size of the program is extremely important, and it allows us to look at more players over a wider range of ages. I think that in the future you will continue to see the positive results of this program on the soccer field.”
The 2000-01 U.S. Under-17s were the first team to spend two years in the Full-Time Residency Program, and the squad played a U.S. Soccer record 98 matches from January ’00 to September ‘01. Two members of the team – Santino Quaranta and Eddie Johnson – had successful debuts in MLS in 2001, and three of their U-17 teammates (Justin Mapp, Jordan Stone and Craig Capano) joined them in MLS in 2002.
While in the full-time residency program, the U.S. not only trains daily under Ellinger and Hackworth, but also has access to the IMG Academy’s spacious facilities. The team regularly uses IMG’s state-of-the-art strength-training facilities, as well as some of the nation’s best sports psychologists that work at the Academy. The IMG Academy includes top-of-the-line soccer equipment, three Bermuda grass fields, an indoor dome with artificial turf, two swimming pools, newly renovated student housing and dining facilities.
The following players began each year in the U.S. Soccer Residency Program:
1999 Under-17 Residency Roster (20 players): Nelson Akwari*, DaMarcus Beasley*, Kyle Beckerman*, Danny Bolin, Filippo Chillemi, Jordan Cila*, Bobby Convey*, D.J. Countess*, Steve Cronin*, Kenny Cutler*, Landon Donovan*, Adolfo Gregorio*, Bryan Jackson*, Kellen Kalso*, Greg Martin*, Oguchi Onyewu*, Raul Rivera, Matt Roberts, Seth Trembly*, Alexander Yi*
2000 Under-17 Residency Roster (18 players): Craig Capano*, David Chun*, Daniel Fiore, Gray Griffin*, Jordan Harvey*, Edward Johnson*, Paul Johnson*, Chris Lancos*, Justin Mapp*, Heath Pearce, Santino Quaranta*, Zachary Riffett, Marco Rodriguez, Mario Rodriguez, Adam Schuerman*, Chefik Simo*, Jordan Stone*, Josh Villalobos
2001 Under-17 Residency Roster (20 players): Craig Capano*, David Chun*, Hunter Freeman, Gray Griffin*, Jordan Harvey*, David Johnson*, Ed Johnson*, Paul Johnson*, Chris Lancos*, Justin Mapp*, Chad Marshall*, Mike Magee*, Heath Pearce, Santino Quaranta*, Adam Schuerman*, Chefik Simo*, Jordan Stone*, Josh Villalobos, Tyson Wahl*, Ford Williams*
* FIFA Under-17 World Championship team member.
U.S. Under-17 Men’s National Team | ||||||
| Name | Pos. | Ht. | Wt. | Birthdate | Hometown | Club/School |
| Adu, Freddy | F | 5'8" | 140 | 06/02/89 | Potomac, Md. | Bethesda Int’l/Heights HS |
| Ashe, Corey | F | 5'5" | 135 | 03/14/86 | Virginia Beach, Va. | Beach FC Impact/Kellam HS |
| Bradley, Michael | M | 5'8" | 130 | 07/31/87 | Palatine, Ill. | Chicago Sockers/St. Viator |
| Chevannes, Adrian | M | 5'11" | 175 | 06/17/86 | Ft. Worth, Texas | Club Dallas/Fossil Ridge HS |
| Curfman, Steven | M | 5'11" | 155 | 10/08/86 | Raleigh, N.C. | CASL Elite/Athens Drive HS |
| DiRaimondo, John | M | 5'6" | 140 | 04/23/86 | St Louis, Mo. | Busch SC/St. Louis University HS |
| Gaven, Eddie | M | 6'0" | 145 | 10/25/86 | Hamilton, N.J. | Hibernians FC/Steinert HS |
| Germani, Chris | D/M | 5'6" | 140 | 07/10/86 | Yardley, Pa. | FC Delco/Pennsbury HS |
| Gomez, Jose | M | 5'8" | 150 | 01/02/86 | Inglewood, Calif. | Irvine Strikers/Crossroads HS |
| Gonzalez, Guillermo | M | 5'11" | 145 | 01/04/86 | Paramount, Calif. | Irvine Strikers/Materdei HS |
| Grazier, Brian | M | 5'11" | 145 | 03/17/86 | Edwardsville, Ill. | Metro FC/Edwardsville HS |
| Harrington, Michael | F | 5'11" | 155 | 01/24/86 | Greenville, N.C. | CASL Elite/JH Rose HS |
| Harrison, Drew | D | 5'8" | 160 | 02/17/86 | Roanoke, Va. | Roanoke Premier/Cave Spring HS |
| Helton, Kyle | D | 5'7" | 155 | 05/20/86 | Alpharetta, Ga. | Atlanta Fire/Milton HS |
| Jimenez, Christian | M | 5'9" | 150 | 11/03/86 | San Dimas, Calif. | Irvine Strikers/San Dimas HS |
| Marfuggi, Phil | GK | 5'11" | 165 | 01/15/86 | West Windsor, N.J. | PDA United/West Windsor HS |
| Mascarenhas, Brian | M | 5'9" | 150 | 03/04/87 | Marietta, Ga. | Concorde/Marist HS |
| Ogunsola, Tomiwa | D/M | 5'7" | 145 | 03/18/86 | Woodbridge, Va. | Potomac Cougars/CD Hylton HS |
| Oot, Brandon | D | 6'0" | 165 | 04/18/86 | Lafayette, N.Y. | Blitz Samba Beat/Manlius Pebble Hill |
| Owens, Brandon | D | 5'11" | 160 | 01/23/86 | Murrieta, Calif. | La Jolla Nomads/Murrieta Valley HS |
| Peterson, Jacob | F | 5'10" | 160 | 01/27/86 | Portage, Mich. | Michigan Wolves/Portage Northern |
| Rein, Marcus | GK | 6'1" | 185 | 01/27/87 | Modesto, Calif. | Ajax United/Johansen HS |
| Sandbo, Stephen | GK | 6'1" | 175 | 02/23/87 | Columbus, Ohio | Ohio Thunder/Upper Arlington HS |
| Spector, Jonathan | D | 6'0" | 165 | 03/01/86 | Arlington, Heights, Ill. | Sockers FC/St. Viator HS |
| Szetela, Daniel | M | 5'9" | 160 | 06/17/87 | Clifton, N.J. | World Class Olympic/Clifton HS |
| Valentin, Julian | M | 5'10" | 155 | 02/23/87 | Lancaster, Pa. | Leeds United/Manheim Township |
| Vogl, Eric | D | 5'8" | 140 | 03/12/86 | Fayetteville, Ga. | AFC Lightning/Fayette Co. HS |
| Ward, Tim | M | 5'11" | 150 | 02/28/87 | Waukesha, Wisc. | Parkland SC/Kettle Moraine HS |
| Watson, Jamie | F | 5'8" | 145 | 04/10/86 | Coppell, Texas | Dallas Comets/Coppell HS |
| Wileman, Chase | D/M | 5'6" | 140 | 06/25/86 | Dallas, Texas | Solar FC/Grand Prairie HS |
Head Coach: John Ellinger (Bradenton, Fla.)
Assistant Coach: John Hackworth (Bradenton, Fla.)
Manager: Jeff McRaney (Palmetto, Fla.)
Doctor: Mark Silbey (Walpole, N.H.)
Trainer: Jacob Joachim (St. Petersburg, Fla.)
Team Coordinator/Equipment: R.J. Noto (St. Petersburg, Fla.)
