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Williams hosts first Under-18 national team camp; U.S. U-19s head to Germany

Williams (ISIphotos)

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).

Comments

  1. Wow. Three kids from El Paso, tx got called up for the u20 (Salgado, Meza, and Ambrose). Now Chavez with u-18s. Good luck gentlemen.

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  2. thanks for clarifying…it sounds like argentina is #1, i guess how could you not choose argentina…i’m sure that’s why rossi chose italy….we’ll see how the chips fall….

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  3. As long as you are not playing by MISL rules indoor will help sharpen up your ball control and quickness. Limit it to one touch.

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  4. By the way, in mid December Benfica were talking with Estudiantes about trading Enzo Perez back to them in exchange for Hoyos.

    Last I saw Hoyos is still in Argentina but maybe he gets to go Freddy Adu one better.

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  5. From MLS soccer in November:

    “The common perception in US soccer circles is that, like Giuseppe Rossi, Hoyos is major young talent that slipped out of the clutches of the United States. However, Hoyos is adamant he has made no decision about his international future and is well aware that has the option to suit up for the US.

    “I’ll always have the opportunity to go back to the United States and it’s not a closed chapter on that yet,” Hoyos said. “I’ve not made a decision and, if it doesn’t work out for me here, I’ll hopefully have the opportunity to go for the United States.”

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  6. read on yanks abroad (?) that hoyos was in a car accident and was just starting to get his fitness back. he didn’t play for argentina in the pan am games this past summer because of the accident…can’t remember if the article mentioned that he was sticking with argentina. don’t think so b/c yanks abroad would not have interviewed him or would have made a note as such…

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  7. thanks for this post, I was just about to ask what the wisdom in playing a 6v6 indoor tournament was for players training to play 10v10 outdoor soccer. While my own experience with indoor has been limited (and I’m a goalie to boot) it’s always seemed like a very different sport to me, but your comments clarify the benefit.

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  8. Multiple 15-minute mini-games in six-a-side soccer on a 50 x 30 meter field with no walls. This is exactly what we need to focus on these qualities and not fitness and work.

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  9. Aahhhh. Thanks for the catch. I was wondering why I saw Jose or Jaime depending on where I was looking.Seems the kid brother is now the star of LA’s academy. Looks like the West Coast version of the Najar dynasty at the DCU Academy….maybe even a step up.

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  10. I’m thrilled to see the kids competing in a futsal tournament, which focuses on one touch, patience, skill, and beating your man. Futsal is the main reason that so many kids from Brazil and South America have these qualities.

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  11. The U17, U18, and at least the U19 (maybe the U20’s) should be held together in 1 part of the country while the U23’s and the Sr Nationals should be held in another. That way the coaching staff have a chance to review their player pools and have some intersquad scrimages.

    Would be great for the U-23 and Sr. Team to see how they match up and give players that extra incentive to fight for placement.

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  12. i’ll accept the U19’s absence seeing as they’ll be off to Germany to play. 😀

    But it did seem rather obvious to have all these players playing together (at least the U18,U19 & U20’s. The U23’s will be off training with the Seniors prior to the friendlies.

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  13. Yeah, that’s the one. Does anyone know that Boca actually made an offer? Goff has the story last summer that he was going to meet with Boca — and that he wasn’t even sure he wanted to leave Argentino Juniors.

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  14. Seems like a missed opportunity to have all the teams in one spot. Be great to have the young guys rubbing elbows with the vets.

    I’m sure there are good reasons why they didn’t, so I’m not complaining, merely an observation…

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  15. Thrilled to see Gaitan in the set-up. Is there any contact these days between the USSF and Hoyos?

    Seems like Jose Villareal will be very busy this month, with invites to the U18 and U20 camps.

    Reply

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