Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder Quavas Kirk and defender Nathan Sturgis were named to the 19-man roster for U.S. Under-20 Men's National Team on Tuesday for its upcoming match against Guatemala on Wednesday, November 12, at Florida Atlantic University Stadium in Boca Raton, Fla. Kickoff for the match is at 7:00 p.m. ET. The U.S. Under-20 National team is continuing its 2007 CONCACAF Final Round Qualifying preparations.
"We are very pleased to see Quavas and Nathan selected for the U.S. Under-20s," said L.A. Galaxy Head Coach Frank Yallop. "It is always an honor to have the opportunity to represent your country and with their good play this season they are fully deserving of the call up. It is also another positive step in their development as professional players."
U.S. Under-20 MNT head coach Thomas Rongen named a 19-player roster for the match, which will closeout a four-day training camp in Sunrise, Fla. The players and staff will arrive on Sunday, Nov. 12, and train for three days before facing Guatemala on Nov. 15.
A 6-1, 185 pound midfielder, Kirk saw his first action with the Galaxy this season appearing in 22 games and adding two assists. A native of Aurora, Illinois, he spent the 2005 season with the U.S. Under-17 National Team, recording four goals and one assist in nine appearances including a quarterfinal finish at the FIFA U-17 World Championship in Peru. Kirk scored his first career professional goal on August 1, 2006 in a U.S. Open Cup match against Roma FC.
A native of St. Augustine, Florida, Sturgis was selected by the Galaxy in the first round of the 2006 MLS SuperDraft (12th overall) and is a member of this year's Generation adidas class following two standout seasons at Clemson University. He has appeared in 15 games (all starts) and made his MLS debut on April 1 in a 1-0 loss against the New England Revolution. Sturgis registered his first professional assist on August 23 vs. the Colorado Rapids in U.S. Open Cup.
The match is just two months before the U.S. Under-20s will attempt to qualify for their sixth straight FIFA U-20 World Cup (formerly FIFA World Youth Championship), when they take part in the 2007 CONCACAF Under-20 Final Round Qualifying Tournament this January in either Mexico or Panama. Group A of the 2007 CONCACAF Under-20 Final Round will take place from Jan. 17-21 in Panama City, Panama, while Group B will occur a month later from Feb. 21-25 in Culiacan, Sinaloa, which is on the west coast of Mexico.
The match against Guatemala will be the U.S. Under-20 MNT's 11th international match of the year. The U.S. is 4-4-2 overall this year, with wins against Argentina, Canada, Haiti and Wales.
U.S. Under 20 Men's National Team
Training Camp
Sunrise, Florida
November 12-16, 2006
GOALKEEPERS (2): Zac MacMath (St. Petersburg, Fla.), Nicholas Skverer (NEC Nijmegen)
DEFENDERS (7): Kris Banghart (N.C. Wesleyan College), Kyle Davies (Pleasanton, Calif.), Quavas Kirk (L.A. Galaxy), Nathan Sturgis (L.A. Galaxy), Neven Subotic (Mainz 05), Anthony Wallace (USF), Tim Ward (Columbus Crew)
MIDFIELDERS (6): Freddy Adu (D.C. United), Bryan Arguez (Miami, Fla.), Miguel Gonzalez (New England Revolution), Dax McCarty (FC Dallas), Nico Mosquera (University of Central Florida), Danny Szetela (Columbus Crew)
FORWARDS (4): Josmer Altidore (N.Y. Red Bulls), David Arvizu (N.Y. Red Bulls), Ellis McLoughlin (Seattle, Wash.), Johann Smith (Bolton FC)
The L.A. Galaxy are now accepting deposits for the 2007 season. A non-refundable deposit of just $100 per seat secures your place for all of the Galaxy's 2007 regular season games, plus great benefits including exclusive events with the team, special season seat holder gifts, and much more! Call 1-877-3GALAXY or visit www.lagalaxy.com.
