Rongen Names 19 Players to Travel to Trinidad & Tobago as Preparation for CONCACAF Championship
U.S. Under-20 Men’s National Team head coach Thomas Rongen has named 19 players who will travel to Trinidad & Tobago from Jan. 18-24 as part of preparation for the CONCACAF Under-20 Championship in March.
Jan. 12, 2009
CHICAGO (Jan. 12, 2009) – U.S. Under-20 Men’s National Team head coach Thomas Rongen has named 19 players who will travel to Trinidad & Tobago from Jan. 18-24 as part of preparation for the CONCACAF Under-20 Championship in March.
The CONCACAF U-20 Championship will be held in Macoya, Trinidad and Bacolet, Tobago from March 6-15. Rongen’s squad will learn their schedule and opponents for the eight-team event in a draw held on Thursday, Jan. 15 at CONCACAF headquarters in New York City. The U.S. will acclimate to both islands while staying and training in facilities in and around both host cities during their upcoming trip.
A combination of professional, collegiate and youth players will travel to Trinidad on Jan. 18 and scrimmage the T&T Under-17 MNT before moving on to the island of Tobago. The team will continue training in Tobago through Jan. 24.
University of Maryland forward Casey Townsend is fresh off of leading his team to the national championship in 2008, while defender Connor Lade helped St. John’s reach the College Cup Final Four. Perennial powerhouse Indiana University sends a pair of underclassmen to T&T in Richard Balchan and Will Bruin.
Defenders Kyle Davies and Jared Jeffrey are the only European-based players that will be traveling to the Caribbean for the trip. FC Dallas’ pair of consistent call-ups, Brek Shea and Anthony Wallace, round out the professional contingent. Danny Cruz and Peri Marosevic, a late addition to the roster to replace Felix Garcia, were recently drafted by the Houston Dynamo and FC Dallas, respectively, in the 2009 MLS SuperDraft.
| Player | Pos. | Ht. | Wt. | Birthdate | Hometown | Club |
| Balchan, Richard | M | 6'0" | 165 | 01/18/89 | Carmel, Ind. | Indiana University |
| Bruin, Will | F | 6'1" | 195 | 10/24/89 | St. Louis, Mo. | Indiana University |
| Cascio, Tony | M | 6'0" | 160 | 03/28/90 | Gilbert, Ariz. | University of Connecticut |
| Cruz, Danny | M | 5'8" | 180 | 01/03/90 | Glendale, Ariz. | Houston Dynamo (MLS) |
| Davies, Kyle | D | 5'10" | 160 | 04/11/89 | Danville, Calif. | Southampton FC (England) |
| Duka, Dilly | M | 5'9" | 160 | 09/15/89 | Montville, N.J. | Rutgers University |
| Jeffrey, Jared | M | 5'10" | 160 | 06/14/90 | Richardson, Texas | Club Brugge (Belgium) |
| Johnson, Sean | GK | 6'4" | 220 | 05/31/89 | Lilburn, Ga. | University of Central Florida |
| Lade, Connor | D | 5'5" | 135 | 11/16/89 | Convent Station, N.J. | St. John's University |
| Marosevic, Peri | F | 5'9" | 160 | 05/05/89 | Rockford, Ill. | FC Dallas (MLS) |
| Maund, Aaron | M | 6'2" | 175 | 09/19/90 | Dorchester, Mass. | University of Notre Dame |
| Opare, Kofi | D | 6'1" | 185 | 10/12/90 | Niagara Falls, Ontario | St. Catharine's Concord |
| Perk, Brian | GK | 5'11" | 180 | 07/21/89 | Rancho Sta. Margarita, Calif. | UCLA |
| Shea, Brek | D | 6'3" | 180 | 02/28/90 | College Station, Texas | FC Dallas (MLS) |
| Taylor, Chris | D | 6'1" | 160 | 05/12/89 | Edmond, Okla. | University of Tulsa |
| Taylor, Tony | F | 6'0" | 175 | 07/12/89 | Jacksonville, Fla. | Jacksonville University |
| Townsend, Casey | F | 5'11" | 160 | 07/07/89 | Traverse City, Mich. | University of Maryland |
| Wallace, Anthony | D | 5'11" | 165 | 01/26/89 | St. Petersburg, Fla. | FC Dallas (MLS) |
| Watson, Marcus | D | 6'0" | 160 | 09/16/89 | Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. | LA Galaxy Academy |
U.S. Under-20 Men’s National Team Roster by Position
GOALKEEPERS (2): Sean Johnson (Lilburn, Ga.; University of Central Florida), Brian Perk (Rancho Santa Margarita; UCLA)
DEFENDERS (6): Kyle Davis (Danville, Calif.; Southampton FC), Connor Lade (Convent Station, N.J.; St. John’s University), Kofi Opare (Niagara Falls, Ontario; St. Catharine’s Concord), Chris Taylor (Edmond, Okla.; University of Tulsa), Anthony Wallace (St. Petersburg, Fla.; FC Dallas), Marcus Watson (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.; Los Angeles Galaxy Academy)
MIDFIELDERS (7): Richard Balchan (Carmel, Ind.; Indiana University), Tony Cascio (Gilbert, Ariz.; University of Connecticut), Danny Cruz (Glendale, Ariz.; UNLV), Dilly Duka (Montville, N.J.; Rutgers University), Jared Jeffrey (Richardson, Texas; Club Brugge), Aaron Maund (Dorchester, Mass.; Notre Dame), Brek Shea (College Station, Texas; FC Dallas)
FORWARDS (4): Will Bruin (Carmel, Ind.; Indiana University), Peri Marosevic (Rockford, Ill.; Houston Dynamo) Tony Taylor (Jacksonville, Fla.; Jacksonville University), Casey Townsend (Traverse City, Mich.; University of Maryland)
U.S. Under-20 MNT Staff
| Head Coach: | Thomas Rongen | Sewalls Point, Fla. |
| Assistant Coach: | Dave Dir | Dallas, Texas |
| Goalkeeper Coach: | Tim Mulqueen | Lakewood Ranch, Calif. |
| Team Coordinator: | Jon Fleishman | Redondo Beach, Calif. |
| Equipment Coordinator: | Beto Cuevas | Redondo Beach, Calif. |
| Athletic Trainer: | John Dunham | Lawrenceville, Ga. |
| Team Doctor: | Jon Englund | Whitefish Bay, Wis. |
| Security Officer: | Butch Hummel | St. Cloud, Fla. |
