United States Under-20 men's national team head coach Tab Ramos named a 21-man squad for an upcoming U-21 national team camp on Friday, featuring a who's-who of young talent from across Major League Soccer and Liga MX in Mexico.
The camp, which will take place in Carson, Calif., from April 20-24, is intended to form a group of core players for the US Under-23 national team's push to qualify for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
“We’re excited to bring some of our best young players together for this initial U-21 camp,” Ramos said in a statement. “We’re hoping that we can have another two or three camps between now and the end of the year. This camp is purely to have the team together so that we begin moving in the right direction.
“When the time is right, we can put a group that has kept playing together and is familiar with each other in front of the permanent coach.”
All 21 players call are based in North America and only goalkeeper Kendall McIntosh (Santa Clara) and forward Jordan Morris (Stanford) do not currently hold professional contracts. MLS teams will provide 13 of the pro players on the roster, with goalkeeper Jon Kempin, on loan from Sporting KC at Oklahoma City Energy FC, the lone representative from USL PRO. Five Mexico-based players are also on the roster.
The camp will consist of three days of training, followed by a friendly aganist Club Tijuana on April 23.
US U-21 ROSTER FOR APRIL CAMP:
GOALKEEPERS (2): Jonathan Kempin (Oklahoma City Energy; Leawood, Kan.), Kendall McIntosh (Santa Clara Univ.; Santa Rosa, Calif.)
DEFENDERS (5): Christian Dean (Vancouver Whitecaps FC; East Palo Alto, Calif.), Juan Pablo Ocegueda (Tigres UANL; Riverside, Calif.), Shane O’Neill (Colorado Rapids; Boulder, Colo.), Dillon Serna (Colorado Rapids; Brighton, Colo.), Oscar Sorto (LA Galaxy; Los Angeles)
MIDFIELDERS (7): Luis Gil (Real Salt Lake; Garden Grove, Calif.), Alejandro Guido (Club Tijuana; Chula Vista, Calif.), Marlon Hairston (Colorado Rapids; Jackson, Miss.), Benji Joya (Chicago Fire; San Jose, Calif.), Collin Martin (D.C. United; Chevy Chase, Md.), Esteban Rodriguez (Club Tijuana; Bell Gardens, Calif.), Wil Trapp (Columbus Crew; Gahanna, Ohio)
FORWARDS (7): Daniel Cuevas (CF Lobos BUAP; Sacramento, Calif.), Danny Garcia (FC Dallas; Dallas), Jack McBean (LA Galaxy; Newport Beach, Calif.), Jordan Morris (Stanford Univ.; Mercer Island, Wash.), Sean Okoli (Seattle Sounders FC; Federal Way, Wash.), Victor Pineda (Chicago Fire; Bolingbrook, Ill.), Jose Villarreal (Cruz Azul; Inglewood, Calif.)
