Under-20 Men's National Team Gears Up for Training Camp in Manchester, England

U.S. Under-20 Men's National Team head coach Thomas Rongen has named 18 players who will travel to Manchester, England for a week-long foreign training camp. The team will play three friendlies against the reserve teams from EPL giants Bolton, Manchester United and Liverpool.

CHICAGO (April 25, 2008) -- U.S. Under-20 Men's National Team head coach Thomas Rongen has named 18 players who will travel to Manchester, England for a week-long foreign training camp. The team will play three friendlies against the reserve teams from EPL squads Bolton (May 7), Manchester United (May 8) and Liverpool (May 10).

The trip is the third foreign training camp, and fifth overall, for Rongen's squad as they prepare to qualify for the 2009 FIFA Under-20 World Cup in Egypt. Qualifying will take place early next year.

Returning to Rongen's squad for the first time since the 2007 FIFA Under-20 World Cup is goalkeeper Brian Perk, who made seven saves in the USA's Round of 16 victory over Uruguay in last summer's tournament in Canada. Joining him will be veterans of the Under-17 World Cup in Billy Schuler and Sheanon Williams, who are both finishing up their first semester at the University of North Carolina.

Though Chivas USA's Jorge Flores is the only domestic professional player on the roster, goalkeeper Bill Hamid and midfielder Matt Kassel are part of the Development Academy programs of the D.C. United and the New York Red Bulls, respectively. Real Colorado's Taylor Kemp and IMG Academy's Zarek Valentin round out the Academy contingent.

Player	Pos.	Ht.	Wt.	Birthdate	Hometown	Club
Agorsor, Chris	F	5-7	140	09/01/90	Severn, Md.	Baltimore Bays
Altamirano, Jose	M	5-4	125	07/17/91	San Diego, Calif.	Del Mar Sharks
Balchan, Richard	M/D	6-0	165	01/18/89	Carmel, Ind.	Indiana University
Davies, Kyle	D	5-10	160	04/11/89	Danville, Calif.	Southampton FC (England)
Eckhardt, Greg	D	6-0	175	01/07/89	Orange Park, Fla.	Clemson University
Flores, Jorge	M	5-11	150	09/16/89	Anaheim, Calif.	Chivas USA (MLS)
Garcia, Felix	F	6-1	160	07/30/90	Laredo, Texas	Laredo Heat
Hamid, Bill	GK	6-3	225	11/25/90	Annandale, Va.	DC United Academy
Kassel, Matt	M	5-11	160	05/05/89	Bridgewater, N.J.	New York Red Bulls Academy
Kemp, Taylor	D	5-10	145	07/23/90	Highlands Ranch, Colo.	Real Colorado
Markheim, Derek	M	5-7	150	04/16/90	Woodbridge, Va.	Amiens FC (France)
Marosevic, Peri	F	5-9	160	05/05/89	Rockford, Ill.	University of Michigan
Morales, Alfredo	M	6-0	160	05/12/90	Berlin, Germany	Hertha Berlin (Germany)
Opara, Ike	D	6-2	170	02/21/89	Durham, N.C.	Wake Forest University
Perk, Brian	GK	5-11	180	07/21/89	Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.	UCLA
Schuler, Billy	F	5-11	155	04/27/90	Allentown, N.J.	North Carolina
Valentin, Zarek	D	5-9	145	08/06/91	Lancaster, Pa.	IMG Academy
Williams, Sheanon	D	5-11	165	03/17/90	Boston, Mass.	North Carolina

Under-20 Men's National Team Staff:

Head Coach:	Thomas Rongen	Sewalls Point, Fla.
Asst. Coach:	Dave Dir	Dallas, Texas
Asst. Coach:	Hugo Perez	Valleja, Calif.
Goalkeeper Coach:	Russell Payne	Washington, D.C.
Team Coordinator:	Jon Fleishman	Pittsburgh, Pa.
Equipment Coordinator:	Gabe Vogler	Shoreview, Minn.
Team Doctor:	Chris Mahr	Chicago, Ill.
Athletic Trainer:	Jim Bollinger	Prospect Park, Pa.