The U.S. Under-17 Men’s National Team kicks off the 2017 U-17 FIFA World Cup on Friday, Oct. 6 against hosts India (10:30 a.m. ET; FS2, UNIVERSO). Here’s what you should know about the squad heading into the tournament.
At the Helm
Head coach John Hackworth is back in charge for his third FIFA U-17 World Cup, a feat only two other coaches (Roy Rees and John Ellinger) in program history have achieved. The former Philadelphia Union manager previously coached the U.S. in the 2005 and 2007 editions of the tournament, earning fifth place and a 16th place finish, respectively. He also served as an assist at the 2003 U-17 World Cup under Ellinger, when the team finished fifth.
Get to Know the Guys
After two years of preparation, Hackworth has assembled a 21-player roster, 18 of whom have ties to the U.S. Soccer Development Academy. The squad is captained by Josh Sargent, who earned the Silver Boot at the 2017 FIFA U-20 World Cup earlier this year and recently announced he will sign with Bundesliga club Werder Bremen next February when he turns 18. The group also includes six players signed to MLS Homegrown contracts – Andrew Carleton (Atlanta United FC), Chris Durkin (D.C. United), Chris Goslin (Atlanta United FC), Jaylin Lindsey (Sporting Kansas City), Bryan Reynolds Jr. (FC Dallas) and James Sands (New York City FC), two of whom have already made their pro league debuts.
In addition, four members of the team compete for international clubs: Sergiño Dest (Ajax), CJ Dos Santos (S.L. Benfica), Jacobo Reyes (C.F. Monterrey) and Tim Weah (Paris Saint-Germain). Weah is the son of George Weah, the 1995 FIFA World Player of the Year.