FOXBOROUGH, Mass. --
New England Revolution midfielder Brandon Manzonelli has been named to the United States Under-20 Men's National Team's 18-player roster that will travel to Northern Ireland to play in the 2008 Milk Cup, head coach Thomas Rongen announced on Tuesday. The team will travel on Thursday, July 24, and will have four days of training before playing matches against host Northern Ireland (Monday, July 28 at 2 p.m. ET) and Wales (Wednesday, July 30 at 3 p.m. ET).
Manzonelli, 18, made his first appearance for the U.S. U-20 team in its most recent match, starting at midfield and earning two assists in a 3-0 victory over Mexico on July 11 in Laredo, Texas.
The native of St. Louis, Mo., was signed by the Revolution on May 22 following a brief trial with the club. He made his professional debut on July 1 in New England's U.S. Open Cup match against Richmond, but he has not appeared in an MLS match. Prior to joining the Revs, he spent two years with Villarreal in Spain, playing with the club's U-18 and reserve teams.
Also competing in the Milk Cup will be Belgium, Chile and Israel, with a playoff round and the final set to take place on Friday, Aug. 1.
The Milk Cup was established in 1983 and quickly progressed into one of the most prestigious youth soccer tournaments in the world. The event, always held in the last week of July, has attracted youth national and club teams from 56 countries around the world, including squads from top European teams such as Manchester United, Chelsea, Barcelona and Bayern Munich. Milk Cup alumni include the Los Angeles Galaxy's David Beckham and two of his fellow England National Team members, Wayne Rooney and Joe Cole.
The Revolution is currently Major League Soccer's top team with a 10-4-3 (33 pts.) record. The team has reached the semifinals of both SuperLiga 2008 and the 2008 U.S. Open Cup, and is still in contention for both titles. The Revs will continue their quest for SuperLiga glory on Wednesday, July 30, when they will host a semifinal match against Mexican power Atlante at 8 p.m. at Gillette Stadium. For more information, visit www.revolutionsoccer.net or call 1-877-GET-REVS.
