By Mike Woitalla
The deadline to name rosters for the2015 U-17 World Cup that kicks off Oct. 17 in Chile isn’t until Oct. 5, but Concacaf champion Mexico has already named its 21-player squad. Included are two U.S. products, Northern Californian outsideback Edwin Lara (who moved to Pachuca in 2014) and goalkeeper Abraham Romero, a Southern Californian who plays for the Los Angeles Galaxy’s U.S. Soccer DevelopmentAcademy team.
Lara had been the youngest starter on Coach Richie Williams‘ U.S. U-17 until his switch to Mexico last year. He didn’t see action for Mexico at the ConcacafChampionship but Romero, who spent a semester in U.S. U-17 residency before returning to the LA Galaxy academy program, was Mexico’s starting goalkeeper.
Mexico, which won the 2005 and 2011U-17 World Cups, is grouped with Argentina, Germany and Australia at the 2015 U-17 World Cup.
Mexico U-17 World Cuproster
Goalkeepers: Raymundo Garcia (Santos), Daniel Hernandez (Monterrey), Abraham Romero (LA Galaxy).
Defenders: Joaquin Esquivel (Zacatecas),Edwin Lara (Pachuca), Bryan Salazar (Guadalajara), Ulises Torres (America), Brayton Vasquez (Atlas), Eduardo Venegas (Pachuca).
Midfielders: Jhosue Cervantes (Guadalajara), DiegoCortes (Guadalajara), Valdemar Escalante (Pachuca), Nahum Gomez (Pachuca), Eduardo Ibarra (Monterrey), Kevin Lara (Santos), Pablo Lopez (Pachuca), Claudio Zamudio (Monarcas).
Forwards: Daniel Aguirre (Santos), Jose Gurrola (Guadalajara), Kevin Magana (Guadalajara), Ricardo Marin (America).
U.S. U-17 boys split friendlies with Mexico
The U.S. U-17 national team, during its final training camp before the U-17 World Cup that kicks off in Chile Oct. 17,lost, 5-1, and won, 1-0, in friendlies with Mexico’s U-17s at the Centro de Alto Rendimiento in Mexico City.
In the first encounter, the Americans took the lead when BrandonVasquez met a through ball from Weston McKennie and chipped Mexico’s goalkeeper Fernando Hernandez in the 23rd minute. But the Mexicans equalizedtwo minutes later and were up 3-1 by halftime en route to the 5-1 win.
In the second game, Joe Gallardo’s penalty kick in the 20th minute held up for the 1-0 win. TheUSA was without European-based Danny Barbir, Christian Pulisic and Luca de la Torre.
Sept. 25 in MexicoCity
Mexico 0 USA 1. Goal: Gallardo (pen.) 20.
Mexico — Romero (Hernandez, 68); Torres (Marin, 46), Venegas (Salazar, 46), Esquivel (Vasquez, 46),Cortes; Magana (Escalante, 46), Cervantes, Lopez (E. Lara, 68), K. Lara; Zamudio (Ibarra, 46), Aguirre (Gurrola, 46).
USA — W.Pulisic; Nelson, Arellano, Trusty, Olosunde(Calvillo, 73); McCabe, Adams, Zendejas; Wright (McKennie, 93), Gallardo (Vazquez, 75), Perez (Da Silva, 55).
Sept. 23 in Mexico City
Mexico5 USA 1. Goals: Aguirre 25, Torres 27, Lopez, 38, Zamudio 60, Gomez 68; Vasquez (McKennie) 22.
Mexico — Hernandez (Garcia, 63); Torres (E. Lara, 63), Venegas (Salazar,63), Esquivel (Vasquez, 63), Cortes; Magana, Lopez (Escalante, 63), Cervantes (Ibarra, 63), K. Lara (Gomez, 63); E. Lara (Gurrola, 63), Zamudio (Marin, 63).
USA — Silva (Lopez,70); Panchot (Trusty, 46), Dieterich, Velela (Arellano, 46), Cannon (Olosunde, 67); Calvillo, Gonzalez (Adams, 46), McKennie (Zendejas, 67); Da Silva (Perez, 67), Vazquez (Gallardo, 67), Gaines(Wright, 46).
Roster: U.S. U-15 boys start new cycle
Forty-eight 2002-born players took part in a Sept. 20-27training camp that marked the start of a new cycle for the U.S. U-15 boys national team. They included Giovanni Reyna, the son of U.S. Hall of Famer ClaudioReyna.
Giovanni Reyna plays in the youth program of MLS club New York City, for which former U.S. World Cup captain Claudio Reyna serves as Sporting Director.
California wasmost represented on the 48-player roster followed by New York:
11 California.
6 New York.
4 North Carolina.
3Maryland, Texas.
2 Connecticut, Colorado, Illinois, Georgia, New Jersey, Pennsylvania.
1 Florida, Hawaii, Minnesota, Oregon, South Carolina, Virginia,Washington, Washington, D.C., Wisconsin.
U.S. U-15 boys national team
GOALKEEPERS (4): Alex Bobocea (NY Red Bulls; Glenn Oaks, N.Y.),Aaron Cervantes (LA Gaxay; Chino Hills, Calif.), Damian Las (Chicago Magic; Norridge, Ill.), Carlos Zuniga (San Diego Surf; Chula Vista, Calif.).
DEFENDERS (15): SebastianAnderson (Real Colorado; Highlands Ranch, Colo.), Noah Atanda (Bethesda-Olney; Olney, Md.), George Bello (Ambush; Douglasville, Ga.), Brian Carmona (Eastside Timbers; Portland, Ore.), Alan Enriques(La Esperanza; Santa Barbara, Calif.), Devin Faison (TFC Alliance; Cary, N.C.), Maximilian Goeggel (Ballistic United; San Francisco, Calif.), Tayvon Gray (Cedar Stars; Bronx, N.Y.), Mukisa Kiingi(Bethesda-Olney; Bethesda, Md.), Conner Maurer (NYRB; Levittown, N.Y.), Jake O’Connor (CASL; Cary, N.C.); Danny Ramm (NY Red Bulls; Freehold, N.J.), Jose Rios (FC Golden State; San Bernardino,Calif.); Peter Stroud (NYRB; Chester, N.J.), Juan Zuniga (Storm; Bluffton, S.C.).
MIDFIELDERS (17): Masango Akale (Minnesota Thunder; Minneapolis, Minn.), Efrain Alvarez (LAGalaxy; Los Angeles, Calif.), Julian Anderson (PDA; Ocean, N.J.), Henry Bowland (SA Scorpions; San Antonio, Texas), Gilbert Fuentes Perez (Ballistic United; Tracy, Calif.), Frank Gonzalez (FC GoldenState; South Gate, Calif.), Cade Hagan (LA Galxay; Naperville, Ill.), David Hughes (Richmond United; Moseley, Va.); Takumi Ikeda (Chicago Fire; Madison, Wis.), Jack Imperato (De Anza Force; San Jose,Calif.), Bryang Kayo (Bethesda-Olney; Montgomery Village, Md.), Diego Letayf (FC Dallas; Southlake, Texas), Mikey Maunsell (Oakwood; Oxford, Conn.), Daniel Robles (Seattle Sounders; Burien, Wash.),Evan Schweikert (Oakwood; North Haven, Conn.), Benjamin Smith (Real Colorado; Centennial, Colo.), Kai Thomas (Weston FC; Coral Springs, Fla.).
FORWARDS (12): Adam Armour (CASL;Cary, N.C.), William Burnett (CASL; Fayetteville, N.C.), Jack de Vries (Philadelphia Union; Wayne, Pa.), Cameron Dunbar (Albion; Chula Vista, Calif.), Julian Gaines (Lonestar; Austin, Texas), KayvonGray (Cedar Stars; Bronx, N.Y.), Bryson Hankins (Central CA Aztecs; Bakersfield, Calif.), Kawika Kelii (Maui United; Waianae, Hawaii), Daniel Mangarov (Georgia United; Duluth, Ga.), Giovanni Reyna(New York City FC, Bedford, N.Y.), Kalani Takamura (Capital FC; Washington D.C.), Jackson Temple (Continental FC Delco; Millville, Pa.).
Coach: John Hackworth.
Five players scored for the U.S. U-20 women’s national team in a 5-0 friendly win atHonduras. The Michelle French-coached squad was in San Pedro Sula for a seven-day camp preparing for the Honduras-hosted Concacaf U-20 Women’s World Cup qualifying tournament inDecember.
French’s young squad, without its college players, took the lead in the fifth minute on a strike by the San Diego Surf’s Marley Canales.
ZoeRedei (Eclipse SC, Ill.) and Ella Stevens (Gwinnett SA, Ga.) scored before halftime. Brianna Pinto (CASL, N.C.) and Jordan Harr (DallasSting) finished off the rout in the second half.
Photocourtesy U.S. Soccer.
Sept. 23 in San Pedro, Honduras
Honduras 0 USA 5. Goals: Canales (Demelo) 5, Redei (Pinto)18, Stevens (Doyle) 21, Pinto 48, Harr 64.
USA lineup — Heinsohn, Pickett, Hiatt (Otto, 60), Davidson, Doyle (Morse, 60), Harr (Bosco, 66), Stevens (Torres, 70), Canales(Fox, 66), Pinto (Spaanstra, 70), Redei.