Head coach Tab Ramos named nine MLS players to the 21-man US roster for the upcoming FIFA Under-20 World Cup which kicks off on May 20 in South Korea.
Real Salt Lake lead the way with four players named (Danny Acosta, Justen Glad, Brooks Lennon, Sebastian Saucedo), while Sporting Kansas City (Erik Palmer-Brown), Orlando City (Tommy Redding), the Philadelphia Union (Derrick Jones), the Portland Timbers (Jeremy Ebobisse) and the New York Red Bulls (Tyler Adams) are all represented by one player each.
Among the other 12 players on the squad, forward Lagos Kunga plays for Atlanta United's academy, while University of New Mexico defender Aaron Herrera (Real Salt Lake), Georgetown University goalkeeper J.T. Marcinkowski (San Jose Earthquakes) and University of Maryland midfielder Eryk Williamson (D.C. United) are all products of MLS youth academies.
Signed by the Philadelphia Union last July, Jones made his MLS debut this season, and the 20-year-old midfielder has already made eight appearances in the club's nine league matches to date. Jones needed to be cleared by FIFA to represent the USA after he was previously capped by youth national teams from his native Ghana.
Palmer-Brown makes his second appearance in a FIFA U-20 World Cup after representing the USA in the 2015 edition, held in New Zealand, in which the USA lost to eventual champions Serbia in the quarterfinals.
The US U-20 team will face Ecuador (May 22), Senegal (May 25) and Saudi Arabia (May 28) in Group F play, with all matches broadcast live on FS1 in the United States.
US U-20 2017 World Cup roster
| Goalkeepers (3) | |
|---|---|
| GK | Jonathan Klinsmann (University of California) |
| GK | J.T. Marcinkowski (Georgetown / San Jose Earthquakes Academy) |
| GK | Brady Scott (De Anza Force) |
| Defenders (7) | |
| D | Danny Acosta (Real Salt Lake) |
| D | Cameron Carter-Vickers (Tottenham Hotspur) |
| D | Justen Glad (Real Salt Lake) |
| D | Aaron Herrera (University of New Mexico / Real Salt Lake Academy) |
| D | Erik Palmer-Brown (Sporting Kansas City) |
| D | Tommy Redding (Orlando City) |
| D | Auston Trusty (Philadelphia Union) |
| Midfielders (5) | |
| M | Tyler Adams (New York Red Bulls) |
| M | Luca De La Torre (Fulham) |
| M | Derrick Jones (Philadelphia Union) |
| M | Eryk Williamson (University of Maryland / D.C. United Academy) |
| M | Gedion Zelalem (Arsenal) |
| Forwards (6) | |
| F | Jeremy Ebobisse (Portland Timbers) |
| F | Lagos Kunga (Atlanta United Academy) |
| F | Brooks Lennon (Real Salt Lake) |
| F | Emmanuel Sabbi (unattached) |
| F | Josh Sargent (St. Louis Scott Gallagher Missouri) |
| F | Sebastian Saucedo (Real Salt Lake) |
