Chicago Fire Academy midfielder Victor Pineda has been called into the U17 Men's National Team Residency Program at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla. for the fall 2008 semester. Pineda is one of six players joining the team from Major League Soccer associated clubs.
The U.S. players live on campus at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., and train in the morning under the guidance of head coach Wilmer Cabrera and assistant coaches Paul Caffrey, Paul Grafer and Keith Fulk, and attend classes at Bradenton Preparatory Academy in the afternoon.
"We are very proud to have a member of the Chicago Fire Academy selected to join the U17 U.S. Residency Program," said Roland Hahn, Director of Player Development. "Victor is a very talented player and the Chicago Fire Academy looks forward to developing more players like him."
Pineda will be among those players competing for a place on the U.S. team that will attempt to qualify for its 14th consecutive FIFA Under-17 World Cup in April or May, when the qualifying tournament will be held in Mexico.
Since its inception in 1999, nearly 200 players have been through the full-time Residency Program, including current Fire midfielder Justin Mapp and former Fire midfielder DaMarcus Beasley.
