CHICAGO (May 10, 2019)—U.S. Under-20 Men’s National Team head coach Tab Ramos has selected the 21 players who will represent the United States at the 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup, to be held in Poland from May 23 to June 15.
The USA kicks off the tournament Friday, May 24 against Ukraine (2:30 p.m. ET; FS1), faces Nigeria on Monday, May 27 (2:30 p.m. ET; FS1) and wraps up the group stage on Thursday, May 30 vs. Qatar (2:30 p.m. ET; FS2).
“I am excited for the players who will get the chance to be able to participate in a World Cup. It’s an unforgettable experience and one that they will value forever,” Ramos said. “This is always an extremely tough decision to make as a coach. There were an additional four or five players who also really deserve to go this time.”
Nineteen of the 21 players on the roster have spent at least one season in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy. Twelve players are currently playing internationally, while nine are based domestically.
Players born on or after Jan. 1, 1999 are eligible for the 2019 U-20 World Cup. The U.S. roster is made up of six players born in 1999, 12 born in 2000 and three born in 2001.
“This team has excellent leadership and competitiveness on and off the field,” Ramos said. “We are all looking forward to taking advantage of this opportunity which was earned with unprecedented focus, consistency and determination at the Concacaf U-20 Championship.”
2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup Roster by Position (Club; Hometown; U-20 Caps/Goals)
GOALKEEPERS (3): CJ Dos Santos (Benfica/POR; Foxchase, Pa.; 2/0), David Ochoa (Real Salt Lake; Oxnard, Calif.; 4/0), Brady Scott (Köln/GER; Petaluma, Calif.; 9/0)
DEFENDERS (6): Sergino Dest (Ajax/NED; Almere-Stad, Netherlands; 8/1), Chris Gloster (Hannover 96/GER; Montclair, N.J.; 11/0), Aboubacar Keita (Richmond Kickers; Columbus, Ohio; 2/0), Mark McKenzie (Philadelphia Union; Bear, Del.; 10/3), Matthew Real (Philadelphia Union; Drexel Hill, Pa.; 10/0), Chris Richards (Bayern Munich/GER; Birmingham, Ala.; 8/0)
MIDFIELDERS (6): Edwin Cerrillo (FC Dallas; Frisco, Texas; 0/0), Chris Durkin (D.C. United; Glen Allen, Va.; 2/0), Richard Ledezma (PSV Eindhoven/NED; Phoenix, Ariz.; 4/0), Alex Mendez (Freiburg/GER; Los Angeles, Calif.; 15/8), Paxton Pomykal (FC Dallas; Highland Village, Texas; 9/3), Brandon Servania (FC Dallas; Dallas, Texas; 8/2)
FORWARDS (6): Ayo Akinola (Toronto FC/CAN; Brampton, Ont.; 12/9), Konrad De La Fuente (Barcelona/ESP; Miami, Fla.; 2/1), Ulysses Llanez (Wolfsburg/GER; Lynwood, Calif.; 11/7), Justin Rennicks (New England Revolution; South Hamilton, Mass.; 13/6), Sebastian Soto (Hannover 96/GER; San Diego, Calif.; 5/2), Tim Weah (Celtic FC/SCO; Rosedale, N.Y.; 0/0)
Since the start of the cycle in January 2018, the U-20s have put together a 13-2-0 international record, testing themselves against 12 different national teams during the course of eight training camps.
Fourteen players return from the squad that won the USA’s second-consecutive confederation title at the 2018 Concacaf U-20 Championship. Alex Mendez took home the Golden Ball as the tournament’s best player, while Brady Scott won the Golden Glove as its best goalkeeper. Eight players on the World Cup roster made the Best XI at the regional championship: Scott and Mendez, defenders Sergino Dest, Chris Gloster and Mark McKenzie, midfielder Brandon Servania and forwards Ayo Akinola and Ulysses Llanez.
On the back of his standout performance at the Concacaf U-20 Championship, Mendez also took home 2018 U.S. Soccer Young Male Player of the Year honors. The midfielder scored eight goals and added six assists in the tournament and delivered in the team’s most critical moments, netting the opener against Costa Rica to clinch a World Cup berth and then bagging a brace in the championship match against Mexico.
Scott is the lone returnee from the 2017 FIFA U-20 World Cup roster, while six players represented the USA at the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup in India: Ayo Akiniola, Dest, Gloster, CJ Dos Santos, Chris Durkin and Tim Weah. All except Dos Santos started games for the U.S. during the team’s run to the quarterfinals. Weah is the lone player capped by the senior MNT, appearing in eight matches for the full team in 2018.
The 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup features 24 nations divided into six groups of four teams. The top two finishers in each group, as well as the four best third-placed teams advance to the knockout round. All 52 matches of the tournament will be played in six venues across Poland.
2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup – Group D Schedule – USA
|
Date |
Match |
Kickoff (ET) |
Venue |
TV Info |
|
Friday, May 24 |
USA vs. Ukraine |
2:30 p.m. |
Bielsko-Biala Stadium; Bielsko-Biala, Poland |
FS1 |
|
Monday, May 27 |
USA vs. Nigeria |
2:30 p.m. |
Bielsko-Biala Stadium; Bielsko-Biala, Poland |
FS1 |
|
Thursday, May 30 |
USA vs. Qatar |
2:30 p.m. |
Tychy Stadium; Tychy, Poland |
FS2 |
The United States is one of just two countries to reach the quarterfinals of the last two
FIFA U-20 World Cups, and one of five nations to qualify for the last four tournaments. The USA has qualified for 16 of 22 all-time U-20 World Cups, tied for second-most in the world.
ROSTER NOTES
ACADEMY TIES