Photo by Howard C. Smith/ISIphotos.com
January is a busy month for U.S. Soccer across almost all ages, and following Jurgen Klinsmann's roster announcement for the senior camp that kicks off today in Phoenix and Tab Ramos' roster announcement for this week's Under-20 camp in Florida, two more sets of U.S. youth teams have congregated to train and compete.
Richie Williams is hosting his first camp since becoming U-18 national team coach, calling in 24 players for a camp in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., that lasts until Jan. 9. U.S. U-17 World Cup participants Kellyn Acosta (FC Dallas) and Paul Arriola will take part in the camp, along with Philadelphia Union Homegrown Player Zach Pfeffer and Argentinos Juniors product Nicholas Gaitan.
A U-19 team will be departing for Germany today for the Junior Cup, a 6-v-6 indoor soccer tournament featuring European club teams. The United States, coached by U.S. futsal national team assistant Mark Litton, was drawn into a group with youth sides from Germany's Stuttgart and Mainz and Poland's Lechia Danzig. Of note on that 12-man roster is Houston Dynamo academy goalkeeper Fernando Pina and FC Dallas Homegrown Player Jonathan Top.
In addition to the senior team, U-20, U-19 and U-18 gatherings, U-23 coach Caleb Porter is slated to hold another training camp later this month in Los Angeles, culminating with a pair of friendlies in Costa Rica against Saprissa and Alajuelense.
Here are the rosters for the U.S. U-18 camp and the U-19 Junior Cup:
U.S. U-18 JANUARY CAMP ROSTER
GOALKEEPERS: Ethan Horvath (Real Colorado; Highlands Ranch, Colo.), Zackary Steffen (FC DELCO; Downington, Pa.).
DEFENDERS: Miguel Alves (Players Development Academy; Newark, N.J.), Robert Michael Amick (De Anza Force; Sunnyvale, Calif.), Suliaman Dainkeh (D.C. United; Reston, Va.), Dylan Greenberg (Albertson SC; Dix Hills, N.Y.), Trevor Haberkorn (Solar Chelsea SC; Keller, Texas), Matthew Habrowski (Crew Soccer Academy Wolves; Berkley, Mich.), Jalen Markey (Seattle Sounders FC; Renton, Wash.), Miguel Polley (Chicago Fire; Woodridge, Ill.).
MIDFIELDERS: Kellyn Acosta (FC Dallas; Plano, Texas), Osvaldo Chavez (Texas Rush; El Paso, Texas), Marco Delgado (Chivas USA; Glendora, Calif.), Nicholas Gaitan (Argentinos Juniors; Oceanside, N.Y.), Romain Gall (FC Lorient; Herndon, Va.), Adam Najem (New York Red Bulls; Clifton, N.J.), William Raygoza (LA Galaxy; South El Monte, Calif.).
FORWARDS: Jordan Allen (Real Salt Lake AZ; Rochester, N.Y.), Paul Arriola (Arsenal FC; Chula Vista, Calif.), Justin Dhillon (LA Galaxy; Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.), Benjamin Lopez (Real Salt Lake AZ; San Diego, Calif.), Zach Pfeffer (Philadelphia Union; Dresher, Pa.), Ben Spencer (Chivas USA; Albuquerque, N.M.), Jaime Villareal (LA Galaxy; Inglewood, Calif.).
U.S. U-19 JUNIOR CUP ROSTER
GOALKEEPERS: Jeffrey Joseph Gal (Sockers FC), Fernando Piña (Houston Dynamo).
DEFENDERS: Jonathan Campbell (North Carolina Fusion), Holden Fender (Concorde Fire), Luis Hernandez (Atlas Merced No Cal), Nico Rittmyer (South Carolina United Battery).
MIDFIELDERS: Diego Lopez (Atletico Santa Rosa No Cal), Casey Macias (Pateadores), Stefanos Stamoulacatos (Empire United), Cooper Vandermass-Peeler (North Carolina).
FORWARDS: Mario Rodriguez (LA Galaxy), Jonathan Top (FC Dallas).