U.S. roster named for qualifying
- by Paul Kennedy @pkedit, Feb 24, 2009
[CONCACAF UNDER-20 CHAMPIONSHIP] Coach Thomas Rongen named the 20 players who will represent the USA at the 2009 CONCACAF Under-20 Championship, which will be played March 6-15 in Trinidad & Tobago.
They gather Tuesday in Bradenton, Fla., for five days of training before traveling on Monday to Bacolet, Tobago, site of the USA's three group games.
The U.S. roster also features three players who were part of the U.S. team that advanced to the quarterfinals of the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Canada: goalkeeper Brian Perk, defender Anthony Wallace and in midfielder Bryan Arguez.
(Jozy Altidore and Freddy Adu, who played for the USA at the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup, are eligible for 2009 U-20 World Cup qualifying and finals but are not expected to participate.)
Wallace is one of four FC Dallas players on the roster. Arguez is one of three players based overseas.
Notre Dame Aaron Maund's participation is conditional on receiving FIFA clearance. He would become the first male to represent the USA under FIFA's rules that permit a player to change his or her allegiance after participating for one country in an official competition at the youth level. Maund represented T&T at the 2007 Under-17 World Cup in South Korea.
The top four teams at the CONCACAF Under-20 Championship will qualify for the 2009 FIFA Under-20 World Cup Sept. 24-Oct. 16 in Egypt.
U.S. Under-20 Roster:
GOALKEEPERS:
Sean Johnson (Univ. of Central Florida)
Josh Lambo (FC Dallas)
Brian Perk (UCLA)
DEFENDERS:
Gale Agbossoumonde (unattached)
Kyle Davies (Southampton, England)
Jorge Flores (Chivas USA)
Aaron Maund* (Univ. of Notre Dame)
Amobi Okugo (San Juan SC)
Anthony Wallace (FC Dallas)
Sheanon Williams (unattached)
MIDFIELDERS:
Bryan Arguez (Hertha Berlin, Germany)
Danny Cruz (Houston Dynamo)
Dilly Duka (Rutgers Univ.)
Jared Jeffrey (Club Brugge, Belgium)
Brian Ownby (Univ. of Virginia)
Brek Shea (FC Dallas)
FORWARDS:
Sam Garza (Univ. of Denver)
Peri Marosevic (FC Dallas)
Billy Schuler (Univ. of North Carolina)
Tony Taylor (Jacksonville Univ.)
*Pending FIFA approval
