Luis Gil's good week continues.
Just three days after learning he would be part of the United States U-20 squad's trip to France from May 15-20, the Real Salt Lake midfielder found out Thursday that he will re-join the U-18 squad as well as part of head coach Mike Matkovich's 20-man roster for the Lisbon International Tournament.
The Americans will depart for Portugal on May 19 and will play the Netherlands (May 25), the host nation (May 26) and Finland (May 28) during the event. RSL officials told MLSsoccer.com on Thursday that the 17-year-old Gil will meet up with the U-18s directly after wrapping the U-20 trip to France.
Including Gil, the roster features 10 MLS representatives, including Home Grown products like goalkeeper Jon Kempin of Sporting Kansas City, Victor Pineda of the Chicago Fire and Jonathan Top of FC Dallas. Other star talents include Juan Pablo Ocegueda of Tigres UANL and Will Packwood of Birmingham City.
Sixteen of the 20 players train in Development Academies, while three — North Carolina's Jordan McCrary, Furman's Walker Zimmerman and Maryland's Alex Shinsky — are college players. Gil, Packwood, Shinsky and FC Dallas Academy product Boyd Okwuonu played for the US U-17 side during the 2009 World Cup in Nigeria.
University of Akron head coach Caleb Porter will serve as an assistant to Matkovich on the trip.
US U-18 Roster by Position:
GOALKEEPERS (2): Jeff Gal (Sockers FC; Bartlett, Ill.), Jon Kempin (Sporting Kansas City; Leawood, Kans.).
DEFENDERS (7): Michael Ambrose (FC Dallas Academy; Frisco, Texas), Jack Coleman (FC Dallas Academy; Norman, Okla.), Bryan Gallego (New York Red Bulls Academy; Kinnelon, N.J.), Jordan McCrary (North Carolina; Marietta, Ga.), Juan Pablo Ocegueda (Tigres; Riverside, Calif.), Boyd Okwuonu (FC Dallas Academy; Edmund, Okla.), Walker Zimmerman (Furman; Lawrenceville, Ga.).
MIDFIELDERS (7): Luis Gil (Real Salt Lake; Garden Grove, Calif.), Daniel Metzger (New York Red Bulls Academy; Holmdel, N.J.), William Packwood (Birmingham City; Concord, Mass.), Victor Pineda (Chicago Fire; Bollingbrook, Ill.), Alex Shinsky (Maryland; York, Penn.), Christopher Somerville (Baltimore Bays Chelsea; West Chester, Pa.), Wil Trapp (Crew Soccer Academy; Gahanna, Ohio).
FORWARDS (4): Villyan Bijev (Cal Odyssey; Fresno, Calif.), Luis Rendon (FC Richmond Magic; Chesterfield, Va.), Khiry Shelton (Lonestar SC; Leander, Texas), Jonathan Top (FC Dallas Academy; Ft. Worth, Texas)
Noah Davis covers the United States national team for MLSsoccer.com. Follow him on Twitter at @noahedavis.
