photo by Tony Quinn/ISIphotos.com
U.S. Soccer has named Caleb Porter and Tab Ramos as head coaches of its U-23 and U-20 men's national teams.
Porter will coach the U-23 team and lead it through qualifying for the the 2012 Olympic games in London. Porter is to remain as head coach of Akron University, and will coach both the Zips and U.S. U-23 team.
Ramos will be in charge of the U-20 team, which he coached on an interim basis earlier this year when the team had a training camp and two friendlies in France.
The first training camp for both teams will be held from Nov. 7-16 in Germany. Ramos will be in charge of the camp and will get assistance from U.S. Soccer Youth Technical Director Claudio Reyna. The full coaching staff and team schedule for Germany will be announced at a later date.
The 36-year-old Porter has coached some of the country's top young talents since joing Akron in 2006. He has a 90-13-10 record through five seasons, and the highest winning percentage amongst active coaches in NCAA Division 1.
Porter, who was named NSCAA National Coach of the Year, guided Akron to an NCAA National Championship in 2010. He has coached U.S. national team forward Teal Bunbury as well as D.C. United's Perry Kitchen and Seattle Sounders' Steve Zakuani.
Ramos, a fomer U.S. men's national team player who earned 81 caps, was a part of three World Cups and scored eight goals in his career at the international level. He has played in MLS, Mexico and Spain.
What do you think of this development? Think Porter and Ramos are good hires? How do you see the U.S. youth teams doing under them?
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