Head coach Tab Ramos named seven MLS players to the US Under-20 national team roster for the 2015 FIFA U-20 World Cup in New Zealand, which runs from May 30-June 20. Although the final roster will consist of 21 players, only 20 players were named in Thursday's announcement; the deadline to submit the roster to FIFA is May 15.
"I'm very excited about this particular group," said Ramos in a statement. "It was very difficult making the final decision, because there were quite a few players who deserved to go to the World Cup. Unfortunately, in the end I can only select a certain number, and I'm very happy with the selections that we made."
Players will begin reporting to the National Training Center in Carson, California, on May 14, and the group departs May 16 for training in Australia, where the remaining players will join the camp prior to arrival in New Zealand. Of the 20 players, 11 were part of the US squad that qualified via the CONCACAF U-20 Championship in January.
FC Dallas midfielder Kellyn Acosta was one of the seven MLS players named to this year's roster, becoming one of nine players in US history to make the roster for two different editions of the tournament. Other MLS selections include New York Red Bulls defender Matt Miazga, Sporting Kansas City defender Erik Palmer-Brown, Toronto FC midfielder Marky Delgado, San Jose Earthquakes attacker Tommy Thompson, Real Salt Lake forward Jordan Allen and LA Galaxy forward Bradford Jamieson IV.
The US were drawn into Group A with host New Zealand, Ukraine and Myanmar. The US open group play against Myanmar at midnight ET on the morning of May 30 in Whangarei, followed by matches against New Zealand on June 2 and Ukraine on June 5, both of which will be played in Auckland. All US group matches will be broadcast live on FOX Sports 1 in English and NBC Universo in Spanish.
The best US finish at the U-20 World Cup came in Saudi Arabia in 1989, when the team finished in fourth place. In the most recent edition of the tournament two years ago, Ramos’ squad was drawn into a group with Spain, eventual third-place finisher Ghana, and eventual 2013 U-20 World Cup champions France, and were unable to advance past the group stage despite a hard-earned draw with the French.
US U-20 national team roster by position:
GOALKEEPERS (3): Jeff Caldwell (University of Virginia; Todd, N.C.), Ethan Horvath (Molde FK; Highlands Ranch, Colo.), Zack Steffen (Freiburg; Downingtown, Pa.)
DEFENDERS (6): Cameron Carter-Vickers (Tottenham Hotspur; Westcliff on Sea, England), Matt Miazga (New York Red Bulls; Clifton, N.J.), Shaquell Moore (Unattached; Powder Springs, Ga.), Erik Palmer-Brown (Sporting Kansas City; Lee's Summit, Mo.), Desevio Payne (FC Groningen; Greenwood, S.C.), John Requejo (Club Tijuana; Carpinteria, Calif.)
MIDFIELDERS (6): Kellyn Acosta (FC Dallas; Plano, Texas), Paul Arriola (Club Tijuana; Chula Vista, Calif.), Russell Canouse (Hoffenheim; Lancaster, Pa.), Marco Delgado (Toronto FC; Glendora, Calif.), Emerson Hyndman (Fulham; Dallas, Texas), Joel Soñora (Boca Juniors; Buenos Aires, Argentina)
FORWARDS (5): Jordan Allen (Real Salt Lake; Rochester, N.Y.), Bradford Jamieson IV (LA Galaxy; Los Angeles, Calif.), Rubio Rubin (Utrecht; Beaverton, Ore.), Maki Tall (Red Star; Washington, D.C.), Tommy Thompson (San Jose Earthquakes; Loomis, Calif.)
