Six current Major League Soccer players will attempt to help the U.S under-20 national team qualify for their sixth consecutive FIFA U-20 World Cup, as the sextet is among the 20 players selected by coach Thomas Rongen to take part in the CONCACAF Final Round Qualifying Tournament in Panama from Jan. 17-21.
Rongen looked at more than 70 players over nine camps in 2006 before announcing his final selections on Monday. The squad will convene in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on Wednesday to train before departing for Panama City on Saturday. Aside from the six MLS players, the squad also includes three professionals currently employed by European teams, as well as several players that could be selected in the 2007 MLS SuperDraft on Friday.
"We've looked at a large number of players during the past year and believe that the 20 we've chosen to represent the U.S. in qualifying will provide us with the best chance of qualifying for our sixth straight World Cup," said Rongen, who is attempting to qualify a second U.S. under-20 team to a World Cup after leading his first as head coach in 2003. "This is the first time in two cycles that we have to try and qualify outside of the United States which will make it that much tougher, but we are confident we can head down to Panama and come away with a ticket to the World Cup in Canada."
To earn a spot in Canada, the USA must finish first or second in Group A, which also includes Haiti, Guatemala and the host nation. The U.S. will open the competition against Haiti on Jan. 17 before facing Guatemala on Jan. 19 and wrapping up the competition against Panama on Jan. 21.
Four MLS clubs are represented on the roster, with the Los Angeles Galaxy and Columbus Crew each providing a pair and Real Salt Lake and the New York Red Bulls sending one player each. The squad is led by RSL midfielder Freddy Adu, who is set to appear in his third consecutive FIFA U-20 World Cup, should the side qualify. He has been named the captain of the side, despite being the third youngest player on the team.
Galaxy defenders Quavas Kirk and Nathan Sturgis are regulars on the U-20s and each impressed during his rookie season in the league last year. Kirk played 22 games for L.A., recording two assists, while Sturgis made 15 appearances for the Green and Gold.
They are joined on the back line by Tim Ward, who would have played in the last U-20 World Cup had he not sustained an injury leading up to the competition. Injuries have also limited his time on the field in MLS, as he has played just 24 games over the last two seasons. His rookie campaign was spent in New York, while he moved to Columbus prior to the 2006 season.
The Crew's Danny Szetela is likely to be a starter in the midfield in front of his club teammate. Both Szetela and Sturgis took part in the 2005 edition of the FIFA U-20 World Cup, in which the U.S. advanced to the round-of-16, where Italy ended its run with a 3-1 win over the U.S. When Rongen led the 2003 team in the United Arab Emirates, the side won its group and finished in fifth place after falling to Argentina in overtime.
Red Bulls forward Josmer Altidore rounds out the MLS contingent. Altidore will be competing in his first U-20 World Cup after competing on the world stage with the U-17s in 2005. Altidore, who provided a spark for the Red Bulls late in the 2006 season, scored twice in eight appearances with the U-20s in 2006. He is coming off a thumb injury and attempting to get match-fit.
The U.S. is looking to make an impact in 2007 as well, as six Canadian cities will host the biennial tournament from June 30-July 22. Canada qualifies automatically as the host, while the other two CONCACAF berths will come from the Group B (Mexico, Costa Rica, St. Kitts & Nevis and Jamaica) qualifying tournament, which will take place from Feb. 21-25 in Mexico.
Jonathan Nierman is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
