By DAN KARELL
With a look to build the future U.S. Under-18 and Under-20 squads, 64 players from across the nation have been invited to take part in U.S. Soccer’s National Combine in Portland, Oregon.
MLS club academies feature 28 of the 64 players invited, which also include previous U.S. youth internationals such as Brooks Lennon of Real Salt Lake AZ, Ben Swanson of the Columbus Crew, and Malcolm Jones of Chivas USA. U.S. Soccer Director of Scouting Tony Lepore and a number of youth national team staff will run the combine.
The combine, which takes place from August 9-13, includes 31 players who had taken part in recent regional combines across the United States during June and July. This event is set to feature players born in the years 1996, 1997, and 1998.
Nearly the entire U.S. U-17 squad from the CONCACAF U-17 Championships this past spring was left off the list, though this is likely because they are all well scouted and potentially have a place on future youth national teams.
Here’s the full list of invitees to the U.S. Soccer National Combine:
U.S. SOCCER NATIONAL COMBINE INVITEES:
West Region (6):
No previous combine:
GOALKEEPERS (1): Avery Miller (Crossfire; Selah, Wash.)
DEFENDERS (2): Justen Glad (Real Salt Lake AZ; Tucson, Ariz.), Quentin Pearson (Colorado Rapids; Longmont, Colo.)
MIDFIELDERS (1): Joshua Doughty (Real Salt Lake AZ; Phoenix, Ariz.)
FORWARDS (2): Brooks Lennon (Real Salt Lake AZ; Phoenix, Ariz.), Sebastian Saucedo (Real Salt Lake AZ; Park City, Utah)
Northern California Region (6):
San Francisco Combine participants:
GOALKEEPERS (1): JT Marcinkowski (San Jose Earthquakes; Alamo, Calif.)
DEFENDERS (2): David Chavez (De Anza Force; Redwood City, Calif.), Luis Urias (SCC Breakers; Calif.)
MIDFIELDERS (1): DJ Villegas (Davis Legacy; Sacramento, Calif.)
FORWARDS (1): Amir Bashti (San Jose Earthquakes; Cupertino, Calif.)
No previous combine:
DEFENDERS (1): Sam Junqua (De Anza Force; Saratoga, Calif.)
Southern California Region (10):
Los Angeles Combine participants:
GOALKEEPERS (2): Justin Vom Steeg (Real So Cal; Santa Barbara, Calif.), Dakota Havlick (Irvine Strikers; Murrieta, Calif.)
DEFENDERS (3): Felipe Liborio (Strikers FC; Chula Vista, Calif.), Alex Ramos (LA Galaxy; Reseda, Calif.), Juan Reyna (LA Galaxy; San Marcos, Calif.)
MIDFIELDERS (1): Joab Santoyo (Arsenal; Fontana, Calif.)
No previous combine:
DEFENDERS (2): Malcolm Jones (Chivas USA; Chino Hills, Calif.), Pablo Pelaez (San Diego Surf; San Diego, Calif.)
MIDFIELDERS (1): Amirgy Pineda (Fullerton Rangers; Santa Ana, Calif.)
FORWARDS (1): Alejandro Vergara (Chivas USA; Long Beach, Calif.)
Southeast Region (6):
Chicago Combine participant:
MIDFIELDERS (1): Abuchi Obinwa (Chicago Magic PSG; Gotha, Fla.)
No previous combine:
GOALKEEPERS (1): Marius Heislitz (Georgia United (Cumming, Ga.)
MIDFIELDERS (1): Tommy Redding (FC America; Ovieda, Fla.)
FORWARDS (3): Sebastian Elney (Boca United; Lake Worth, Fla.), DeAndre Robinson (Concorde Fire; Miramar, Fla.), Dembakwi Yomba (Concorde Fire; Lithonia, Ga.)
Midwest Region (13):
Chicago Combine participants:
GOALKEEPERS (2): Carter Richardson (Crew Soccer Academy; Dublin, Ohio), Parker Siegfried (Crew Soccer Academy; Granville, Ohio)
DEFENDERS (2): Shannon Seymour (Chicago Fire; Bourbonnais, Ill.), Mauricio Pineda (Chicago Fire; Bolingbrook, Ill.)
MIDFIELDERS (4): Cameron Lindley (Indiana Fire; Carmel, Ind.), Collin Fernandez (Chicago Fire; Downers Grove, Ill.), Kosti Moni (Crew Soccer Academy Wolves; Grand Rapids, Mich.), Brad Dunwell (Vardar; Grand Rapids, Mich.)
No previous combine:
DEFENDERS (1): Peter Schropp (Omaha FC; Omaha, Neb.)
MIDFIELDERS (1): Ben Swanson (Crew Soccer Academy; Grove City, Ohio)
FORWARDS (3): Mukwelle Akale (Minnesota Thunder; Minneapolis, Minn.), Andrija Novakovich (Chicago Magic PSG; Muskego, Wis.), Mark Segbers (St. Louis Scott Gallagher Missouri; St. Louis, Mo.)
Northeast Region (10):
Philadelphia Combine participant:
DEFENDERS (1): Brian White (PDA; Flemington, N.J.)
N.Y./N.J. Combine participants:
DEFENDERS (3): Brandon Tetro (New York Red Bulls; Freehold, N.J.), Henry Martin (New York Red Bulls (New York, N.Y.), David Manzinares (Albertson SC; Hempstead, N.Y.)
No previous combine:
GOALKEEPERS (1): Austin Aviza (New England Revolution; Medway, Mass.)
DEFENDERS (1): Miles Robinson (FC Bolts Celtic; Arlington, Mass.)
MIDFIELDERS (1): Declan McCabe (New England Revolution; Weston, Mass.)
FORWARDS (3): Matt Vasquenza (Oakwood SC; East Hampton, Conn.), Brendan Constantine (Oakwood SC; Glastonbury, Conn.), Mohamed Kenawy (FC Bolts Celtic; Boston, Mass.)
Mid-Atlantic Region (6):
Philadelphia Combine participant:
DEFENDERS (1): Chris Gomez (PDA; Jamison, Pa.)
Washington, D.C., Combine participants:
MIDFIELDERS (1): Connor Smith (Baltimore Bays Chelsea; Baltimore, Md.)
FORWARDS (2): Jeremy Ebobisse (Bethesda Olney; Bethesda, Md.), Umar Bangura (Baltimore Bays Chelsea; Sykesville, Md.)
No previous combine:
DEFENDERS (1): Chase Gasper (Bethesda Olney; Alexandria, Va.)
FORWARDS (1): Coy Craft (FC Dallas; Glade Springs, Va.)
Texas Region (7):
Dallas Combine participants:
DEFENDERS (1): Wilfred Williams (FC Dallas; Frisco, Texas)
MIDFIELDERS (1): Martin Salas (FC Dallas; Dallas, Texas)
FORWARDS (1): Christian Ramirez (FC Dallas; Farmer’s Branch, Texas)
No previous combine:
DEFENDERS (3): Alex Radilla (FC Dallas; El Paso, Texas), Jordan Cano (FC Dallas; Frisco, Texas), Sergio Ruvalcaba (Alianza Houston; Austin, Texas)
FORWARDS (1): Christian Lucatero (Houston Dynamo; Pasadena, Texas)