U-17 MNT Set to Kick Off 2018 Nike International Friendlies Against Portugal

USA READY FOR 18TH ANNUAL NIKE FRIENDLIES: The U.S. Under-17 Men’s National Team will close out 2018 with one of youth soccer’s premier annual events: the Nike International Friendlies. After compiling an 8-4-2 record so far this year, the USA will take on three strong international squads in Portugal, Turkey and Brazil at the Premier Sports Campus in Bradenton, Fla. All four teams are preparing to qualify for next fall’s 2019 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Peru. The U.S. kicks things off against Portugal on Wed., Nov. 28 at 6:30 p.m. ET (ussoccer.com, Facebook, YouTube).

TSAKIRIS NAMES FINAL TOURNAMENT ROSTER: As the Nike International Friendlies begin, acting U-17 MNT head coach Shaun Tsakiris has named his final 20-player roster for the tournament.

2018 Nike International Friendlies Roster by Position (Club; Hometown; Caps/Goals)
GOALKEEPERS (2): 1-Damian Las (Chicago Fire; Norridge, Ill.; 11/0), 12-Chituru Odunze (Vancouver Whitecaps FC/CAN; Calgary, Alberta; 3/0)
DEFENDERS (7): 4-Axel Alejandre (FC United; Chicago, Ill.; 12/0), 3-Adam Armour (North Carolina FC; Cary, N.C.; 8/0), 15-Sebastian Falsone (Virginia Development Academy; Warrenton, Va.; 0/0), 6-Tayvon Gray (New York City FC; Bronx, N.Y.; 7/0), 5-Kobe Hernandez (LA Galaxy; Los Angeles, Calif.; 11/1), 14-Mason Judge (Eintracht Frankfurt/GER; Tampa, Fla.; 10/0), 2-Joe Scally (New York City FC; Lake Grove, N.Y.; 11/1)
MIDFIELDERS (5):  7-Andre Luiz Costa (Rayo Vallecano/ESP; Madrid, Spain; 0/0), 16-William Reilly (Atlanta United FC; Decatur, Ga.; 2/0), 10-Giovanni Reyna (Unattached; Bedford, N.Y.; 5/1), 8-Adam Saldana (LA Galaxy; Panorama City, Calif.; 14/1), 18-Peter Stroud (West Ham United/ENG; Chester, N.J.; 12/0)
FORWARDS (6): 21-Gianluca Busio (Sporting KC; Greensboro, N.C.; 6/1), 17-Cameron Dunbar (LA Galaxy; Chula Vista, Calif.; 0/0), 9-Alfonso Ocampo-Chavez (Seattle Sounders FC; Kent, Wash.; 12/5), 19-Ricardo Pepi (FC Dallas; McKinney, Texas; 3/0), 20-Daniel Robles (Seattle Sounders FC; White Center, Wash.; 5/0), 11-Griffin Yow (D.C. United; Clifton, Va.; 3/2)

Forward Gianluca Busio joins the squad in Bradenton, while goalkeeper Trace Alphin, defender Jonathan Gomez, midfielder Masango Akale and forwards Ruben Hernandez and Alex Villanueva will return to their clubs and compete in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy Winter Showcase, running concurrently with the Friendlies in Bradenton.

2018 Nike International Friendlies Schedule 

HOW TO FOLLOW: The 2018 Nike International Friendlies will be streamed live on ussoccer.com, Facebook, and YouTube. Fans can also follow along via U.S. Soccer social media accounts on Twitter and Instagram.

THIS YEAR FOR THE USA: The U.S. U-17s have already played 14 international games in 2018, putting together an 8-4-2 record as they prepare for next spring’s 2019 Concacaf U-17 Championship. The USA kicked off the year at April’s Sportchain Cup in Benicassim, Spain, where four straight victories over India and Norway propelled the U.S. to the tournament title. Midfielder Giovanni Reyna scored the game-winner in stoppage time of the final game against Norway to clinch first place. Over the summer, the U-17 MNT went 2-1-1 in a four-game set played in Costa Rica against Los Ticos and Mexico. October saw the USA compete in back-to-back international tournaments. At Mexico’s 4 Nations Tournament, the U-17s faced off with the hosts, Argentina and Chile, while England’s U17 International Youth Tournament featured showdowns against the Three Lions, Nike Friendlies opponent Brazil and Russia. Two late comeback wins in the final two games clinched second place for the USA in England.

FAMILIAR FOES: This year’s Friendlies field is filled with familiar foes. Brazil has appeared at every installment of the Nike Friendlies since it assumed its current format in 2008, and also sent teams to earlier editions in 2006 and 2007. Portugal and Turkey have appeared at the competition four of ten times since 2008, tied with England for second-most all-time.

REPPING THE RED, WHITE AND BLUE: Tsakiris has selected a mix of newcomers and players experienced at the U-17 level for his Friendlies roster. Sixteen players have been capped with this age group, led by midfielder Adam Saldana with 14, while four will hope to make their first appearance in their first U-17 call-up. Seattle Sounders FC forward Alfonso Ocampo-Chavez enters the Friendlies as the U-17s’ leading scorer, with five career goals.

Sixteen clubs are represented on the roster, with the most players, three, coming from LA Galaxy. Eighteen of the 20 players on the final roster have spent time playing in the Development Academy, and the team features four players that took home national championships in the Academy last summer: Reyna and Joseph Scally with New York City FC U-18/19 as well as Ocampo-Chavez and Robles with Seattle Sounders FC U-16/17.

ONE YEAR LATER: Eight players return from last winter’s Nike International Friendlies: goalkeeper Damian Las, defenders Axel Alejandre, Mason Judge and Joseph Scally, midfielders Adam Saldana and Peter Stroud and forwards Gianluca Busio and Alfonso Ocampo Chavez. Last year, the USA fell 1-0 in its opener to the reigning FIFA U-17 World Cup champion England, despite a stand-out performance from goalkeeper Damian Las. After a shake-up in the starting XI, the U.S. fell 5-1 to the Netherlands but finished on a high note with a hard-fought 1-1 draw against Brazil.

FRIENDLIES HISTORY: Founded in 2001 to challenge the U-17 Men’s National Team against elite competition, the tournament has grown tremendously as the 18th annual edition kicks off. Originally, the U-17s would face high-quality club teams with an international opponent sprinkled in, but the event assumed its current format in 2008. Last year, Brazil took home the tournament title, and the South Americans are historically the most-successful team at the Friendlies, with five championships. 

The Friendlies have proven to be a prime platform for players bound for the full international level. Seven players on the latest MNT roster competed at the Friendlies: Kellyn Acosta (2010), Tyler Adams (2014), Shaq Moore (2011, 2012), Christian Pulisic (2014), Josh Sargent (2015, 2016), Luca de la Torre (2013, 2014) and Tim Weah (2016).

Many current international stars have also passed through the Premier Sports Campus for the Nike International Friendlies. Brazil’s Philippe Coutinho, Neymar and Marcelo all played at the tournament, as well as the Netherlands’ Memphis Depay and England’s Jadon Sancho, among others. Thirteen players from England’s 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup championship run participated in the 2015 event, Sancho included.

ROSTER NOTES

• The U.S. roster is made up of 19 players born in 2002 and one born in 2003.
• Forty-three players have appeared for the U-17 MNT in 2018, and three more have the opportunity to earn first caps at the Friendlies, their first U-17 call-up: Andre Luiz Costa, Cameron Dunbar and Sebastian Falsone.
• Sixteen clubs are represented on the roster, with the most players, three, coming from LA Galaxy. Two players each come from New York City FC and Seattle Sounders FC.
• Eighteen of 20 players have spent at least one season in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy.
• Eight players earned Conference Best XI honors after the 2017-18 Academy season: Alejandre (Central), Kobe Hernandez (West), Judge (East), Las (Central), Giovanni Reyna (East), Saldana (West), Scally (East), Yow (East).
• Reyna was named Eastern Conference Player of the Year at the U-16/17 level after helping lead New York City FC U-18/19 to the Academy Championship.
• Scally also played a key role in New York City FC’s run to the U-18/19 Development Academy Championship in 2018. He’s the only player on the roster currently signed as an MLS Homegrown player.  
• Ocampo-Chavez and Daniel Robles helped lead Seattle Sounders FC to the U-16/17 Academy Championship last summer.
• The pair both appeared for Seattle Sounders FC 2 in the United Soccer League this season. Kobe Hernandez and Saldana have also logged professional minutes with LA Galaxy II in the USL.
• Four players currently play for clubs abroad: Andre Luiz Costa (Rayo Vallecano/ESP), Judge (Eintracht Frankfurt/GER), Chituru Odunze (Vancouver Whitecaps FC/CAN), Stroud (West Ham United/ENG), though Odunze and the Whitecaps compete in the Development Academy.
• With 14 caps, Saldana enters the Friendlies as the roster’s most-experienced player. Alejandre, Stroud and Ocampo Chavez rank second with 12 caps each.
• Alejandre, Las and Saldana have appeared in all eight U-17 training camps/events this cycle, while Judge and Stroud have appeared in seven of eight.
• Ocampo-Chavez enters the Friendlies as the team’s leading scorer this cycle with five goals. Forward Griffin Yow has tallied twice in his first three U-17 appearances.
• Nine players return from the USA’s first appearance at the Concacaf U-15 Boys’ Championship in 2017: Alejandre, Busio, Judge, Las, Ocampo Chavez, Reyna, Saldana, Scally and Stroud.
• Eleven states are represented on the roster, with the most players (four) coming from California. Three players come from New York, while two players were born internationally (Canada and Spain).

• The USA is 1-3-0 all-time against Portugal at the Nike Friendlies.
• Most recently, the USA downed Portugal in dominant fashion, 7-1, in the opener of the 2016 Friendlies. Sargent netted a hat trick in the game, while Andrew Carleton also added two goals.
• In 2013, the USA dropped a hard-fought loss to Portugal 2-1, after the Europeans found the game-winner in the first minute of stoppage time. Recent Bundesliga debutante Haji Wright got the U.S. on the board first with a 13th-minute goal.
• A wild 4-3 win for Portugal in 2012 clinched them their first and only Nike Friendlies title against a U.S. team captained by current MNT defender Shaq Moore.

USA vs. Portugal at the Nike International Friendlies

• Portugal has qualified for three U-17 World Cups and put together its best performance in 1989, finishing third.
• Portugal has advanced from the first of two qualifying rounds for the 2019 UEFA U-17 Championship, the UEFA qualifying tournament for the U-17 World Cup.
• In October, Portugal hosted qualifying Group 11 and went undefeated, downing Kazakhstan 10-0, Belarus 3-0 and Wales 5-1.
• All 20 players on Portugal’s roster were born in 2002, the cut-off year for the 2019 U-17 World Cup.
• Portugal’s roster comes from six clubs, with the most, nine, coming from perennial Portuguese power Benfica. Seven more come from Benfica’s Lisbon-based rival Sporting CP.
• Midfielder Tiago Ribeiro is the only foreign-based player on the roster, currently at AS Monaco.
• The U-17 MNT is 3-3-0 against European teams in the 2018-19 cycle so far.
• Head coach Emilio Peixe has worked with the Portuguese federation since 2008. As a player, he won the Golden Boot as Portugal took home the 1991 U-20 World Cup on home soil and went on to play for all three of Portugal’s “big three” clubs, Benfica, FC Porto and Sporting CP.

Portugal - 2018 Nike International Friendlies Roster (Club)
GOALKEEPERS (2): 12-Sergio Dutra (Vitoria SC), 1-Samuel Soares (Benfica)
DEFENDERS (7): 3-Tomas Araujo (Benfica), 5-Rafael Brito (Benfica), 15-Leonardo Buta (SC Braga), 14-Filipe Cruz (Benfica), 2-Rafael Rodrigues (Benfica), 4-Eduardo Quaresma (Sporting CP), 13-Rodrigo Rêgo (Sporting CP)
MIDFIELDERS (5): 19-Gonçalo Batalha (Sporting CP), 10-Paulo Bernardo (Benfica), 6-João Daniel (Sporting CP), 8-Tiago Ribeiro (AS Monaco/FRA), 20-Daniel Rodrigues (Sporting CP)
FORWARDS (6): 11-Pedro Silva (Benfica), 7-Henrique Pereira (Benfica), 9-Francisco Conceição (FC Porto), 17-Gerson Sousa (Benfica), 16-Bruno Tavares (Sporting CP), 18-Tiago Tomas (Sporting CP)