U.S. Soccer is conducting a week-long identification camp in its U-14 boys development program.
The camp began on Sunday at Middlesex School in Concord, Mass.
The 119 players were selected from the four regions across the United States.
The director of the program is U.S. U-14 boys technical director Manny Schellscheidt.
Click here for Schellscheidt's philosophy on the program.
Region I (38): Dakota Banathan (Massapequa, N.Y.), Daniel Bedoya (Jackson Heights, N.Y.), Alexander Bello (New York, N.Y.), Kyle Bitterman (Lancaster, Pa.), Maximillian Brown (New York, N.Y.), Steven Carvajal (Astoria, N.Y.), Mael Corboz (Green Brook, N.J.), Michael Czyrnek (Hillsborough, N.J.), Philip Denara (West Islip, N.Y.), Devin Devoy (North Attleboro, Mass.), Jackson Eskay (Mount Airy, Md.), Diego Fagundez (Leominster, Mass.), Joseph Farrell (Blue Bell, Pa.), Christian Fechter (Westfield, N.J.), Aaron Freeman (Piscataway, N.J.), Malcolm Harris (Damascus, N.J.), Matt Headley (Marlborough, Mass.), John Hilger (Hopkinton, Mass.), Robert Kcira (New City, N.Y.), Shane McNamara (Arlington, Va.), Collin Martin (Chevy Chase, Md.), Brendan McSherry (Freehold, N.J.), Michael Mecham (Blacksburg, Va.), Dakota Niedermeier (Arnold, Md.), Zachary Pfeffer (Dresher, Pa.), Isaac Pitkow (Jenkintown, Pa.), Jalen Robinson (Catonsville, Md.), Luke Rossi (East Hanover, N.J.), Michael Russo (McLean, Va.), Jacob Shenk (Flemington, N.J.), Forest Sisk (Sudbury, Mass.), Morgan Smith (Ballston Spa, N.Y.), Rohan Sood (Short Hills, N.J.), Ross Tetro (Marlboro, N.J.), John Villantoy (Maspeth, N.J.), Edward Viscount (Smithtown, N.Y.), Todd Wharton (Glen Allen, Va.), Andrew Wheeler-Omiunu (Bellingham, Mass.)
Region II (24): Jeff Adkins (Shelby Township, Mich.), Benjamin Borns-Moore (Madison, Wis.), Andrew Chang (Highland Park, Ill.), Emmanuel Chavez (Chicago, Ill.), Drew Connor (Cary, Ill.), Jerome Cristobal (Sterling Heights, Mich.), Tyler Davis (St. Charles, Ill.), Brandon De La Torre (Roscoe, Ill.), Connor Gilmore (Warren, Ohio), Tom Granot (Beachwood, Ohio), Curtis Grysiewicz (Oswego, Ill.), Joseph Haberer (Loveland, Ohio), Danton Irelan (Ottumwa, Iowa), Maxwell Jones (Chicago, Ill.), Naoto Koga (Dublin, Ohio), John Lujano (McPherson, Kansas), Brian McLean (St. Charles, Ill.), Jesus Medina (Waukegan, Ill.), Michael Moscone (Washington, Mich.), Nicholas Parianos (Copley, Ohio), Joel Salmeron (Cicero, Ill.), Jonathon Spencer (Henderson, Ken.), Quint Wickett (Bettendorf, Iowa), Victor Zamora (Rockford, Ill.)
Region III (26): Atsouh Ayah (Tampa, Fla.), Ive Burnett (Brandon, Miss.), Bryan Celis (Houston, Texas), Sylvestor Contreras (Irving, Texas), Matthew Dunn (Dallas, Texas), Marcus Epps (Madison, Miss.), Alex Frankenfeld (Dallas, Texas), Preston Gayton (Peachtree City, Ga.), Daniel Gonzalez (Miami, Fla.), Marlon Hariston (Jackson, Miss.), James Hickey (Plano, Texas), Emerson Hyndman (Plano, Texas), Ricardo Jafif (Clearwater, Fla.), Nestor Jaramillo (Lexington, S.C.), Daniel Johnson (Duluth, Ga.), Brandon Jordi (Charlotte, N.C.), Ariel Lassiter (Cedar Park, Texas), Alexander Olofson (Raleigh, N.C.), Gabriel Palmero (Jupiter, Fla.), Andrew Park (Cary, N.C.), Fernando Pina (Houston, Texas), Erick Sanchez (Edinburg, Texas), Derek Sanchez (Midland, Texas), Mark Santibanez (Plano, Texas), Agustin Vargas (Pflugerville, Texas), Bennett Yort (Augusta, Ga.)
Region IV (31): Tren Biswell (Tulare, Calif.), Derek Carver (Boise, Idaho), Albert Diaz (Chula Vista, Calif.), Mikhail Doholis (Vancouver, Wash.), Ruben Duran (Las Vegas, Nev.), Alfred Edmonds (San Jose, Calif.), Dean Goboya (Mililani, Hawaii), Eric Gozales (Corona, Calif.), Alejandro Guido (Chula Vista, Calif.), Wade Hamilton (Murrieta, Calif.), Sagar Jambusaria (San Clemente, Calif.), Kusina Leonard (Fairbanks, Alaska), Gabriel Lock (Antelope, Calif.), Diego Lopez (West Covina, Calif.), Ryan Masch (San Jose, Calif.), Kendall McIntosh (Santa Rosa, Calif.), Raul Mendiola (San Bernardino, Calif.), Cory Miller (Thousand Oaks, Calif.), Josh Miller (Portland, Ore.), Oscar Ortega (San Isidro, Calif.), Marc Pelosi (Sunnyvale, Calif.), Travis Pillon (Oakland, Calif.), Jose Reyna (Oxnard, Calif.), Anthony Riga (Las Vegas, Nev.), Hector Rivera (Chula Vista, Calif.), Jesus Rochin (Corona, Calif.), Esteban Rodriguez (Bell Gardens, Calif.), Aaron Safadi (Westminster, Colo.), Tanner Thompson (Loomis, Calif.), Angel Velasquez (Bakersfield, Calif.), Sebastian Velasquez (Los Angeles, Calif.)
's 119-player roster was released today for their weeklong identification camp from July 29-Aug. 4 a
U.S. Under-14 Boys Technical Director Manny Schellscheidt will run the camp, along with a number of assistants. (Click here for a Schellsheidtâ¬"s thoughts as he prepares for the camp next week.)
In recent years, the United Statesâ¬" play at the Youth National Team level has confirmed its status as the top youth nation in CONCACAF and one of the most improved in the world. In existence since 1997, the U.S. Under-14 National Team program is a major reason for the increasing quantity and quality of young players vying for spots in the U.S. Youth National Teams program.
In August of 1997, U.S. Soccer started the U.S. Under-14 National Development Program, knowing that to continue to compete with the elite countries on the international level, the U.S. would have to build a base of soccer players from the youth level up. The Under-14 program introduces young players to a level of soccer they would not otherwise see at such a young age and allows the countryâ¬"s top youths the chance to experience soccer at its highest level and in an international setting.
â¬SOne thing we have always tried at these camps is to make the game itself the teacher,⬠said Schellscheidt. â¬SWe let the game and the situations guide the teaching. Just to see the talent of some of those 14-year-olds is amazing. With programs like this we are putting ourselves in a position where the young players coming through our Youth National Team system can play with any other youth players in the world.â¬
The players for the Under-14 Identification Camp are selected by regional USYS ODP coaches, with each region sending at least 20 players and sometimes as many as 35 to the weeklong camp. At the national camp the players receive instruction and play games for a week, while being watched, evaluated and directed by U.S. Soccerâ¬"s National Staff coaches, U.S. Soccer coaches and other regional and state coaches.
At the Boysâ¬" Under-14 Identification Camp the teams play twice a day, training in the morning and playing matches in the evening. The coaches at the camp stressed problem-solving within the game, speed of play and competing in competitive environments.
"We donâ¬"t even have a set curriculum," said Schellscheidt. "We evaluate every day in the evening, and then decide what to do from there, and see what is best for everybody on the next day. And the coaches, the staff enjoy the freedom to do what they think is best for the players in the training sessions.
After the large initial camp in Massachusetts, fewer players are selected for additional camps throughout the year.
U-14 Identification Camp Rosters By Region
Region I (38): Dakota Banathan (Massapequa, N.Y.), Daniel Bedoya (Jackson Heights, N.Y.), Alexander Bello (New York, N.Y.), Kyle Bitterman (Lancaster, Pa.), Maximillian Brown (New York, N.Y.), Steven Carvajal (Astoria, N.Y.), Mael Corboz (Green Brook, N.J.), Michael Czyrnek (Hillsborough, N.J.), Philip Denara (West Islip, N.Y.), Devin Devoy (North Attleboro, Mass.), Jackson Eskay (Mount Airy, Md.), Diego Fagundez (Leominster, Mass.), Joseph Farrell (Blue Bell, Pa.), Christian Fechter (Westfield, N.J.), Aaron Freeman (Piscataway, N.J.), Malcolm Harris (Damascus, N.J.), Matt Headley (Marlborough, Mass.), John Hilger (Hopkinton, Mass.), Robert Kcira (New City, N.Y.), Shane McNamara (Arlington, Va.), Collin Martin (Chevy Chase, Md.), Brendan McSherry (Freehold, N.J.), Michael Mecham (Blacksburg, Va.), Dakota Niedermeier (Arnold, Md.), Zachary Pfeffer (Dresher, Pa.), Isaac Pitkow (Jenkintown, Pa.), Jalen Robinson (Catonsville, Md.), Luke Rossi (East Hanover, N.J.), Michael Russo (McLean, Va.), Jacob Shenk (Flemington, N.J.), Forest Sisk (Sudbury, Mass.), Morgan Smith (Ballston Spa, N.Y.), Rohan Sood (Short Hills, N.J.), Ross Tetro (Marlboro, N.J.), John Villantoy (Maspeth, N.J.), Edward Viscount (Smithtown, N.Y.), Todd Wharton (Glen Allen, Va.), Andrew Wheeler-Omiunu (Bellingham, Mass.)
Region II (24): Jeff Adkins (Shelby Township, Mich.), Benjamin Borns-Moore (Madison, Wis.), Andrew Chang (Highland Park, Ill.), Emmanuel Chavez (Chicago, Ill.), Drew Connor (Cary, Ill.), Jerome Cristobal (Sterling Heights, Mich.), Tyler Davis (St. Charles, Ill.), Brandon De La Torre (Roscoe, Ill.), Connor Gilmore (Warren, Ohio), Tom Granot (Beachwood, Ohio), Curtis Grysiewicz (Oswego, Ill.), Joseph Haberer (Loveland, Ohio), Danton Irelan (Ottumwa, Iowa), Maxwell Jones (Chicago, Ill.), Naoto Koga (Dublin, Ohio), John Lujano (McPherson, Kansas), Brian McLean (St. Charles, Ill.), Jesus Medina (Waukegan, Ill.), Michael Moscone (Washington, Mich.), Nicholas Parianos (Copley, Ohio), Joel Salmeron (Cicero, Ill.), Jonathon Spencer (Henderson, Ken.), Quint Wickett (Bettendorf, Iowa), Victor Zamora (Rockford, Ill.)
Region III (26): Atsouh Ayah (Tampa, Fla.), Ive Burnett (Brandon, Miss.), Bryan Celis (Houston, Texas), Sylvestor Contreras (Irving, Texas), Matthew Dunn (Dallas, Texas), Marcus Epps (Madison, Miss.), Alex Frankenfeld (Dallas, Texas), Preston Gayton (Peachtree City, Ga.), Daniel Gonzalez (Miami, Fla.), Marlon Hariston (Jackson, Miss.), James Hickey (Plano, Texas), Emerson Hyndman (Plano, Texas), Ricardo Jafif (Clearwater, Fla.), Nestor Jaramillo (Lexington, S.C.), Daniel Johnson (Duluth, Ga.), Brandon Jordi (Charlotte, N.C.), Ariel Lassiter (Cedar Park, Texas), Alexander Olofson (Raleigh, N.C.), Gabriel Palmero (Jupiter, Fla.), Andrew Park (Cary, N.C.), Fernando Pina (Houston, Texas), Erick Sanchez (Edinburg, Texas), Derek Sanchez (Midland, Texas), Mark Santibanez (Plano, Texas), Agustin Vargas (Pflugerville, Texas), Bennett Yort (Augusta, Ga.)
Region IV (31): Tren Biswell (Tulare, Calif.), Derek Carver (Boise, Idaho), Albert Diaz (Chula Vista, Calif.), Mikhail Doholis (Vancouver, Wash.), Ruben Duran (Las Vegas, Nev.), Alfred Edmonds (San Jose, Calif.), Dean Goboya (Mililani, Hawaii), Eric Gozales (Corona, Calif.), Alejandro Guido (Chula Vista, Calif.), Wade Hamilton (Murrieta, Calif.), Sagar Jambusaria (San Clemente, Calif.), Kusina Leonard (Fairbanks, Alaska), Gabriel Lock (Antelope, Calif.), Diego Lopez (West Covina, Calif.), Ryan Masch (San Jose, Calif.), Kendall McIntosh (Santa Rosa, Calif.), Raul Mendiola (San Bernardino, Calif.), Cory Miller (Thousand Oaks, Calif.), Josh Miller (Portland, Ore.), Oscar Ortega (San Isidro, Calif.), Marc Pelosi (Sunnyvale, Calif.), Travis Pillon (Oakland, Calif.), Jose Reyna (Oxnard, Calif.), Anthony Riga (Las Vegas, Nev.), Hector Rivera (Chula Vista, Calif.), Jesus Rochin (Corona, Calif.), Esteban Rodriguez (Bell Gardens, Calif.), Aaron Safadi (Westminster, Colo.), Tanner Thompson (Loomis, Calif.), Angel Velasquez (Bakersfield, Calif.), Sebastian Velasquez (Los Angeles, Calif.)