CHICAGO (Oct. 13, 2023) – The U.S. Under-15 Men’s Youth National Team will kick off a new cycle for 2009-birth year players from Oct. 14-21 at the Chula Vista Elite Athlete Training Center in Chula Vista, Calif. U-15 MYNT Tom Heinemann has called up 24 players for the training camp.
As one of U.S. Soccer’s youngest Youth National Teams, the U-15s serve an important role in the Federation’s mission to develop winning teams by helping build the foundation of the MYNT player pool.
The roster features players from 12 clubs, including 10 in Major League Soccer, led by five from the New York Red Bulls and four from the San Jose Earthquakes. A number of the New York Red Bulls players were a part of the team’s 2023 MLS Next Cup championship run this summer.
GOALKEEPERS (3): Marcelo Avalos (San Jose Earthquakes), James Donaldson (Atlanta United FC), Tobias Szewczyk (New York Red Bulls)
DEFENDERS (7): Edward Chadwick (LA Galaxy), Tomas Cortes (Chicago Fire FC), Liam Devan (Nashville SC), Tyson Espy (LAFC), Gabriel Florentino (Inter Miami CF), Alex Gomez (New York Red Bulls), Astin Mbaye (New York Red Bulls)
MIDFIELDERS (8): Alfredo Chavez (LAFC ), Christopher Cook (FC Dallas), Joaquin Cunningham (LA Galaxy), Adri Mehmeti (New York Red Bulls), Roko Pehar (Chicago Fire FC), William Recupero (FC Boston Bolts), Kaedren Spivey (San Jose Earthquakes), Robert Turdean (Chicago Fire FC)
FORWARDS (6): Mathis Albert (LA Galaxy), Omar Hassan (Seattle Sounders FC), Kevin Howard (North Carolina FC), William Ostrander (San Jose Earthquakes), Paul Sokoloff (New York Red Bulls), Jorge Torres Perez (San Jose Earthquakes)
Players born on or after Jan. 1, 2009 are age-eligible for this U-15 MYNT cycle, running from Aug. 1-July 31 to parallel the youth club soccer calendar. Heinemann selected 22 players born in 2009 and two born in 2010: midfielders William Recupero and Robert Turdean.
This is the first U-15 MYNT training camp since the USA took home its first Concacaf U-15 Championship title earlier this year. That tournament featured players born on or after Jan. 1, 2008 and the U.S. topped Mexico 4-2 in the championship match as midfielder Cavan Sullivan won the Golden Ball as the tournament’s best player.