The Toulon Tournament is viewed to be one of the best showcases for young international talent in world soccer. And the US national team is returning to test their mettle this year.
U.S. Soccer announced on Monday that the USMNT U-23 team is among the 10 teams invited to participate in the 2015 Toulon Tournament, which will run May 27-June 7.
“Toulon is one of the most prestigious tournaments in the world at this age level, and we’re fortunate to have the opportunity to compete against some of the top teams in the world,” said US U-23 head coach Andi Herzog on U.S. Soccer's website. “Having seen matches here many times before, I know the type of talent we will face. This is huge for us as we get ready for qualification this October, and is another step in the development of our players in international competition.”
The US, preparing for CONCACAF's qualifying tournament in October for next year's Olympic games tournament, have been drawn into Group A, where they will play France, the Netherlands, Costa Rica, and Qatar. On the other side in Group B is China, England, Ivory Coast, Mexico and Morocco.
The teams that finish atop the two groups will meet in the championship game, while the second-place teams in each group will face off in the consolation game.
Hosted in and around Toulon, France, the tournament is now held annually and brings some of the top youth international teams together. The US' best finish came in 1989, when they finished third, and last participated in 2013, when they finished seventh overall.
