Photo by Mark J. Rebilas/USA TODAY Sports
By RYAN TOLMICH
The U.S. U-18 Men’s National Team is set to convene for a camp this week with a roster full of new faces.
Head coach Javier Perez has called in a 36-player roster ahead of the camp, which is set to take place from Oct. 23-31 at U.S. Soccer’s National Training Center in Carson, California. Every player selected by Perez is born in 1997, signaling a focus on the upcoming qualification for the 2017 U-20 World Cup.
Among the players selected, all but one player is registered with Development Academy clubs, while every player currently has ties to an academy club. Headlining the roster are five players with ties to the LA Galaxy, as well as four players affiliated with each of Real Salt Lake AZ and Chicago Magic PSG.
The nine-day camp will see the players participate in an intra-squad contest on Oct. 26 and a potential match against a local club team that is yet to be announced.
Have a closer look at the roster after the jump:
GOALKEEPERS: Konrad Dziedzic (Chicago Magic PSG; Schiller Park, Ill.), Etan Marbourakh (Weston FC; Plantation, Fla.), Bennett Sneddon (LA Galaxy; Encino, Calif.), Mason Stajduhar (Orlando City SC; Lithia, Fla.)
DEFENDERS: Gavin Barger (Baltimore Celtic SC; Fallston, Md.), Nigel Blackwood (Georgia United; Marietta, Ga.), Sean Dedrick (BSC CT; Wilton, Conn.), Nicholas Hinds (Kendall SC; Plantation, Fla.), Elan Koenig (LA Galaxy; Los Angeles, Calif.), Andrew Lombard (New York Red Bulls; Montclair, N.J.), Michael Lopez (LA Galaxy; Cypress, Calif.), Donald Mason (CASL; Raleigh, N.C.), Diego Silva (Real Salt Lake AZ; Layton, Utah), Alex Vigliotti (Oakwood SC; Branford, Conn.), Aidan Wixted (Orlando City SC; Melbourne, Fla.)
MIDFIELDERS: Danilo Acosta (Real Salt Lake AZ; Sandy, Utah), Amir Bashti (San Jose Earthquakes; Cupertino, Calif.), Michael Boakye (Oakwood Soccer Club; East Hartford, Conn.), Juan Gamino Jr. (Kendall SC; Homestead, Fla.), Jeremiah Gutjahr (Indiana Fire; Bloomington, Ind.), Jack Miler (Minnesota Thunder; Lakeville, Minn.), James Murphy (PDA; Scotch Plains, N.J.), Stephen Payne (Chicago Magic PSG; Birmingham, Ala.), Jesus Perez Jr. (Chicago Magic PSG; Waukegan, Ill.), Grzegorz Solawa (Chicago Magic PSG; Niles, Ill.), Evan Waldrep (Real Salt Lake AZ; Peoria, Ariz.), Eryk Williamson (D.C. United; Alexandria, Va.)
FORWARDS: Aaron Hererra (Real Salt Lake AZ; Las Cruces, N.M.), Robert Knights (LA Galaxy; Bristol, England), Lucas Mendes (D.C. United; Washington, D.C.), Nebojsa Popovic (Vardar SC; Loznica, Serbia), Christian Ramirez (FC Dallas; Farmers Branch, Texas), DJ Reeves (D.C. United; Ashton, Md.), Juan Sanchez (New York Red Bulls; Ossining, N.Y.), Ryan Sierakowski (Chicago Fire; McHenry, Ill.), Adrian Vera (LA Galaxy; Norwalk, Calif.)
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What do you think of the U-18 roster? Which names stand out to you? Which players are you excited to see?
Share your thoughts below.
Keep an eye out for Lucas Mendes this kid will be special one day, mark my words.
Kid has a Top Drawer profile, check it out. Tell me what you think for a 97?
Everybody looks good in youtube videos. Look up Freddy Adu.
Trust me I post, game changer.
Move at 2:27 in that video, get out of here.GAME
Good height -6ft- on kid as well as a multi-sport athlete. There’s another kid playing at Dalton HS who is a two-sport player with amazing skill. Highly recruited by D1 football programs for his talent at the Safety position.
the move is sick. crossed that defender up, damn dynamic.
Where’s Pennsylvania! I notice we rarely have players on these teams. 🙁
Take a look for a 97 in Dalton Georgia:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DuwDVmDONx4&feature=youtube_gdata_player
Kid looks legit, should be scouted. If GUSA kid is invited from GA, this kid is at a different level than NB.
You obviously have not seen NB play lately. The kid in the video is skilled but the team they are playing in that video do not look very good.
Kobe, great name , is known in that region as a baller and commander at his position. If NB is getting the nod, KP would shred some in this class 97. Not knocking NB, just gauging talent and noticing the obvious snub for the better talent in this age group.
we need players of this caliber
I claim ignorance here, but just curious: How closely does the Paris Saint-Germain HQ monitor Chicago Magic PSG? Do they see it as a realistic pipeline of talent to the home club in France at some point?
They watch youtube videos.