MLS youngsters Jon Kempin, Luis Gil, Omar Salgado (pictured above) and Victor Pineda headline the 18 players picked by United States U-18 coach Mike Matkovich on Wednesday to contest the Milk Cup tournament, held July 21-30 in Northern Ireland.
Salgado, the Vancouver Whitecaps striker, is the only player who returns from the side that went undefeated a year ago and defeated the hosts 3-0 in the final.
The defending champion Americans face Israel on July 25 and Mexico two days later. The results of the first two matches will determine their third match. The other squads in the six-team tournament are Georgia, Denmark and Northern Ireland.
Eight teenagers from the MLS Development Academy, including FC Dallas teammates Michael Ambrose and Boyd Okuwonu, will also travel to Great Britain.
Ipswich Town's Cody Cropper, Tigres UANL's Juan Pablo Ocegueda, Hertha Berlin's Jerome Kiesewetter and Birmingham City's William Packwood make up the contingent that plays outside the US.
US U-18 MNT Roster by Position
GOALKEEPERS (2): Cody Cropper (Ipswich Town; Athens, Ga.), Jon Kempin (Sporting Kansas City; Leawood, Kans.)
DEFENDERS (8): Michael Ambrose (FC Dallas; Frisco, Texas), Bryan Gallego (New York Red Bulls; Kinnelon, N.J.), Jordan McCrary (North Carolina; Marietta, Ga.), Juan Pablo Ocegueda (UANL Tigres; Riverside, Calif.), Boyd Okwuonu (FC Dallas; Edmund, Okla.), Jalen Robinson (D.C. United; Cantonsville, Md.), Javan Torre (Pateadores; Santa Monica, Calif.), Walker Zimmerman (Furman University; Lawrenceville, Ga.)
MIDFIELDERS (5): Luis Gil (Real Salt Lake; Garden Grove, Calif.), William Packwood (Birmingham City; Concord, Mass.), Victor Pineda (Chicago Fire; Bollingbrook, Ill.), Marcus Salandy-Defour (D.C. United; Kensington, Md.), Alex Shinksy (Maryland; York, Penn.)
FORWARDS (3): Jerome Kiesewetter (Hertha BSC; Berlin), Luis Rendon (FC Richmond Magic; Chesterfield, Va.), Omar Salgado (Vancouver Whitecaps; El Paso, Texas).
