Californians and Texans lead new generation of girls national team players

By Mike Woitalla

Coach April Kater has gathered 48 players for the first U.S. U-14 girls national team training camp of the year, March 19-26 at the U.S.Soccer National Training Center in Carson, California. Most the players called up were born in 2002. Fourteen are 2003-born.

Twelve players on the roster hail from California, followed by ninefrom Texas. Eleven of the 12 Californians are Southern Californians.

States represented on 48-player roster:
12 California.
8 Texas.
4 Georgia, New Jersey.
3 Florida, New York.
2 Kansas, Michigan, Ohio, Virginia.
1Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Maryland, Utah, Wisconsin.

U.S. Soccer’s explanation of the age grouping:

“The U.S U-14 girls national team did not have programming lastyear as players born in odd years start with two years in the U-15 girls national team program. For this cycle, with the majority of players born in an even year, which are the age cutoff years forthe FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, the players follow the path of one year as U-14s and then move to U-16 (2 years), U-18 (2 years) and U-20 (2 years).

U.S.U-14 girls national team
GOALKEEPERS (6): Azul Alvarez (Lonestar SC; Round Rock, Texas), Ryan Campbell (So Cal Blues; Dana Point, Calif.), Mia Justus (PDA; NorthBrunswick, N.J.), Madison Prohaska (Cincinnati United; Liberty Township, Ohio), Alia Skinner (Jacksonville FC; Fleming Island, Fla.), Stephanie Sparkowski (East Meadow SC; East Meadow, N.Y.).
DEFENDERS (14): Baleigh Bruster (Tophat SC; Smyrna, Ga.), Addison Bundy (Colorado Rush; Fort Collins, Colo.), Avery Chaney (Lonestar San Antonio; Helotes, Texas), Kayla Colbert(Arsenal FC; Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.), Kylie Daigle (Penn Fusion; Millville, N.J.), Cara Elmendorf (Florida Kraze Krush; Casselberry, Fla.), Sophia Fisher (SC Del Sol; Scottsdale, Ariz.), SamarGuidry (FC Dallas; McKinney, Texas), Isabel Loza (Fullerton Rangers; La Mirada, Calif.), Emily Matthews (Premier Soccer Group; Fraser, Mich.), Olivia Migli (FC Virginia; Harmarket, Va.), Litzy Morales(So Cal Blues; Santa Ana, Calif.), Emily Royson (PDA; Toms River, N.J.), Dasia Torbert (GSA; Dacula, Ga.)
MIDFIELDERS (14): Jessica Carlton (Legends FC; Upland, Calif.), LeahChancey (Solar Chelsea; Ovilla, Texas), Talia DellaPeruta (Tophat SC; Cumming, Ga.), Devi Dudley (Utah Celtic FC; American Fork, Utah), Emma Egizii (Beach FC; Downey, Calif.), Jillian Martinez(Lonestar SC; San Antonio, Texas), Alexis Missimo (Solar Chelsea; Southlake, Texas), Barbara Olivieri (Albion Hurricanes FC; Kat, Texas), Avery Patterson (Florida Elite Soccer Academy; Jacksonville,Fla.), Michaela Rosenbaum (Santa Rosa United; Rohnert Park, Calif.), Bella Sember (East Meadow Soccer Club; Center Point, N.Y.), Acacia Vanlandingham (Eagles SC; Santa Barbara, Calif.), Grace Watkins(Slammers FC; Manhattan Beach, Calif.), Natalie Wilson (FC Virginia; Fairfax, Va.).
FORWARDS (14): Trinity Byars (Solar FC; Richardson, Texas), Kailyn Dudukovich (CincinnatiUnited; West Chester, Ohio), Tatiana Fung (Arsenal FC; Fullerton, Calif.), Dilary Heredia-Beltran (Sporting Blue Valley; Wichita, Kan.), Amelia Horton (Sporting Blue Valley; Olathe, Kan.), SimoneJackson (So Cal Blues; Redondo Beach, Calif.), Jameese Joseph (Bethesda Soccer Club; Beltsville, Md.), Samantha Kroeger (Matchfit Academy; West Milford, N.J.), Kacey Lawrence (Connecticut FC, Monroe,Conn.), Renee Lyles (GSA; Atlanta, Ga.), Aryssa Mahrt (FC Wisconsin Eclipse; Wauwatosa, Wisc.), Jillian Shimkin (Albertson SC; Rockville Centre, N.Y.), Reilyn Turner (SC Blues; Aliso Viejo, Calif.),Joyelle Washington (Michigan Hawks; Canton, Mich.).

U-20 Women’s World Cup: USA to open against France

Aiming for its fourth title, the USA was drawn into Group C to face France, New Zealand and Ghana at the2016 U-20 Women’s World Cup in Papua New Guinea (Nov. 13-Dec. 3).

The USA, which fell in the quarterfinals of the 2014 Women’s World Cup, won on the crown at the inaugural edition of thebiennial tournament in 2002, in 2008 and in 2012. Germany has won three times and North Korea once.

Year U.S. finish (U.S. coach)
2014 Quarterfinals (Michelle French)
2012 Champion (Steve Swanson)
2010 Quarterfinals (JillEllis)
2008 Champion (Tony DiCicco)
2006 Fourth Place (Tim Schulz)
2004 Third place(Mark Krikorian)
2002 Champion (Tracey Leone)

Of the USA’s first-round opponents, only France has reached the semifinals, finishingthird in 2014 and fourth in 2008.

Ghana has qualified for the last three U-20 World Cups and failed the reach the knockout stage. New Zealand reached the quarterfinals of the 2014tournament.

The USA fell on penalty kicks to North Korea in the 2014 quarterfinals.

USA 2016 U-20 World Cup, Group C schedule
Nov.14 USA vs. France
Nov. 17 USA vs. New Zealand
Nov. 21 USA vs. Ghana

USA 2016 U-20 World Cup Draw
Group A Papua New Guinea, Brazil, Sweden, North Korea.
Group B Spain, Canada, Japan, Nigeria.
Group C France, USA, Ghana, New Zealand.
Group D Germany, Venezuela, Mexico, South Korea.

U.S.U-17 boys head to France

The U.S. U-17 boys national team (2000s) are competing at the 44th International Montaigu Tournament in France March 18-29.

U.S. U-16 nationalteam coach Shaun Tsakiris is coaching the 20-player USA squad, which faces Brazil (March 22), England (March 24) and Russia (March 26) in group play. (U.S. U-17 head coachJohn Hackworth is assisting the U-23 national team, which faces Colombia in a two-game play-in series March 25 and 29 for the 2016 Olympic Games.)

The roster includes threeforeign-based players: Ayomide Akinola (Toronto FC), Nicolas Garcia-Morillo (Atletico Madrid) and Tim Weah (Paris Saint-Germain).

The U.S.U-17s finished runner-up at their first tournament of the year, the AegeanCup in Turkey.

U.S. U-17 boys national team
GOALKEEPERS (2): Alexander Budnik (Sockers FC; Arlington Heights, Ill.), JustinGarces (Kendall FC; Miami, Fla.).
DEFENDERS (7): Jake Arteaga (LA Galaxy; Glendora, Calif.), Kelee Cornfield-Saunders (LA Galaxy; San Marcos, Calif.), Christopher Durkin (D.C.United; Glen Allen, Va.), J.J. Foe Nuphaus (San Jose Earthquakes; San Jose, Calif), Rayshaun McGann (Philadelphia Union; Royal Palm Beach, Fla.), Tyler Shaver (Beachside Soccer Club; Riverside,Conn.), Arturo Vasquez (FC Golden State; Mira Loma, Calif.).
MIDFIELDERS (5): George Acosta (Weston FC; Hollywood, Fla.), Blaine Ferri (Solar Chelsea SC; Southlake, Texas),Christopher Goslin (Georgia United; Locust Grove, Ga.), James Sands (New York Soccer Club; Rye, N.Y.), Adrian Villegas (Portland Timbers; Hood River, Ore.).
FORWARDS (6):Ayomide Akinola (Toronto FC; Brampton, Ont.), Andrew Carleton (Georgia United; Powder Springs, Ga.), Nicolas Garcia-Morillo (Atletico Madrid; Madrid, Spain), Niccolo Lemoine (De Anza Force; Livermore,Calif.), Joshua Sargent (St. Louis Scott Gallagher Missouri; O’Fallen, Mo.), Tim Weah (Paris Saint-Germain F.C.; Rosedale, N.Y.).