How Zelalem & Co., are faring since the U-20 World Cup

By Mike Woitalla

It’s been nearly two months since the USA’s quarterfinal run at the 2015 U-20 World Cup. The performance included wins over Myanmar, New Zealand and Colombia.Coach Tab Ramos’ team held eventual champion Serbia to a scoreless tie before getting eliminated in a penalty kick shootout.

Here are club updates on some of the U-20players:

EUROPE: Playermaker Gedion Zelalem only got 26 minutes of first-team action for Arsenal during summer preseason play, but the18-year-old is shining for the Gunners at the Durban Under-19 International Tournament in South Africa. He scored the deciding spot kick panenka-style against VfB Stuttgart that sent Arsenal to thefinal and highlights of some his skillful displays have gone viral.

Emerson Hyndman, who ran the midfield with Zelalem, has reportedly turned down an extension to his contract, which expires nextsummer, with second-tier English club Fulham. He has reportedly drawn interest from other clubs throughoutEurope.

Striker Maki Tall has joined Swiss Super League FC Sion on a three-year contract following his transfer from French club Lille, which last season loaned himto French third division Red Star. Defender Shaquell Moore signed with Spanish club Huracan Valencia on the eve U-20 World Cup. It failed to win its promotion playoff so Moorewill be playing third division ball.

The one player set to be regular with a top flight European club for a second straight season is forward Rubio Rubin, whoscored three goals in 26 appearances for Dutch Eredivisie club Utrecht in the 2014-15 season.

MEXICO: Paul Arriola scored for Club Tijuana in its 2-1 win over Zacatepec in its Copa MXopener and also saw action off the bench in Tijuana’s first two Liga MX games of the Apertura 2015.

MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER: Marky Delgado hasbeen serving Toronto FC well as a replacement for Michael Bradley, who was on Gold Cup duty and is now sidelined with an injury. Delgado has started eight straight games, most recently a 4-1 win overOrlando City on Wednesday. He has two goals and two assists.

Matt Miazga returned to his starting position on the Red Bulls’ backline after the U-20 World Cup and hasgone the full 90 in their last seven games. The central defender scored his first MLS goal in June.

Midfielder Kellyn Acosta has played every minute of FC Dallas’ lasteight games – a 6-1-1 run – and scored twice.

Midfielder Jordan Allen has come off the bench four times and started once for Real Salt Lake and forwardBradford Jamieson IV has made one appearance for the Galaxy since the U-20 World Cup. Defender Erik Palmer-Brown got his second start of the season for SportingKansas City on July 24. San Jose’s Tommy Thompson has played in the Earthquakes’ last seven games (three starts).

Roster: U.S. U-15 boys head to England

Coach John Hackworth has named a 20-player roster for the U.S. U-15 boys national team’s third international tripof 2015 — Aug. 11-20 in England.

The camp will include friendly matches against England on Aug. 16 and 19.

“At the moment England is trying to do a lot of the same things that weare,” Hackworth said. “Now we’ll go there and there will be a buzz about soccer and the new season starting and at the same time we’ll be at [the FA’s] national trainingcenter, and I think both coaching staffs are very much of the mindset that these friendlies are an opportunity to build on the player development principles while doing it against a similaropponent.”

Last spring, the U-15s won Tournament delle Nazioni in Gradisca d’Isonzo, Italy. In their second trip abroad, they lost Uruguay, 1-0, Argentina, 1-2, and Paraguay,3-1.

U.S. U-15 boys national team
GOALKEEPERS (2): Alexander Budnik (Sockers FC; Arlington Heights, Ill.), Hunter Pinho (PDA;Cranford, N.J.).
DEFENDERS (7): Jake Arteaga (LA Galaxy, Glendora, Calif.), Carlos Asensio (Georgia United, Roswell, Ga.), Kelee Cornfield-Saunders (LA Galaxy; San Marcos,Calif.), Rayshaun McGann (Philadelphia Union; Royal Palm Beach, Fla.), Bryan Perez (LA Premier FC; Los Angeles, Calif.), Nykolas Sessock (Philadelphia Union; Holland, Pa.), Tyler Shaver (Beachside SC;Riverside, Conn.).
MIDFIELDERS (6): Brenden Aaronson (Philadelphia Union; Medford, N.J.), George Acosta (Estudiantes de La Plata/ARG; Miami, Fla.), Carlos Anguiano Diaz (LAGalaxy; Los Angeles, Calif.), Christopher Durkin (Richmond United; Glen Allen, Va.), Blaine Ferri (Solar Chelsea SC; Southlake, Texas), Adrian Villegas (Portland Timbers; Hood River, Ore.).
FORWARDS (5): Ayomide Akinola (Toronto FC; Brampton, Ont.), Niccolo Lemoine (De Anza Force; Pleasanton, Calif.), Will Sands (New York SC; Rye, N.Y.), Joshua Sargent (Scott GallagherMissouri; O’Fallen, Mo.), Timothy Weah (Paris Saint-Germain/FRA.; Rosedale, N.Y.).

U.S. U-18 boys split in Nordic Cupopeners

The U.S. U-18 boys national team — comprised of 15- and 16-year-olds – opened the 2015 Open Nordic Cup in Sweden with a 2-0 win against Faroe Islands. They fell,2-0, in their second game against Iceland on a pair of own goals.

The New England Revolution’s Danny Jones and Richmond United’s Nick Taitaguescored against the Faroe Islands.

The USA, coached by Javier Perez, faces host Sweden on Friday.

Photo courtesy U.S. Soccer.

Aug.5 in Sunne, Sweden
USA 0 Iceland 2. Goals: own goal 27, own goal 80.
USA — Scott; Stretch (Avila, 40), Aroh (Vom Steeg, 49), Stanley; Aguilera,Paniagua (Gonzalez, 49), Jones (Carleton, 40), Taitague (Carranza, 77); Dorsey (Harris, 56), Zarris, Rennicks (Del Rosario, 56).
Iceland — Stefansson; Petursson, AtliKristjansson, Gunnarsson, Ingi Kristinsson Hauksson, Aoalsteinsson, Panic (Sigurosson, 63), Birgir Finnsson (Dagbjartsson, 80); Tryggvason (Guojonsson, 56), Hrafn Andrason (Heimisson, 63).

Aug. 4 in Mallbaken, Sweden
USA 2, Faroe Islands 0. Goals: Jones (Del Rosario) 52, Taitague (Stanley) 70.
USA —Lopez; Avila (Stretch, 77), Vom Steeg, Stanley; Gonzalez (Paniagua, 77), Torres (Aguilera, 76), Carranza (Taitague, 53), Jones; Carleton (Zarris, 68), Del Rosario (Dorsey, 53), Harris (Rennicks,53).
Faroe Islands — Reynatroo; Pauli Nielsen (Michelsen, Reynatroo, Tuni Petersen, Rasmussen;  Jacobsen  (Kruse, 58), Magnussen, Mortensen (Danielsen, 83), Knudsen(Giessing, 77); Sevnsson (Hentze, 57), Agnarsson (Annfinsson, 77).