U.S. Soccer names new women's youth national team coaches -- Kacey White and Keri Sarver

• by Mike Woitalla  @MikeWoitalla, Apr 21, 2017

Kacey White, former Capital Area Soccer League (CASL) Director of Coaching, is the new U.S. U-16 girls national team coach. Keri Sarver, Director of Coaching of the Internationals SC in Ohio for the last seven years, has been hired as the new U.S. U-19 women’s national team coach. Both played pro ball after their college careers and White made 18 appearances for the U.S. national team.

Sarver replaces Jitka Klimkova, who is now head coach of the U-20 national team, replacing Michelle French. White succeeds Jaime Frias, now in charge of the U-18s. Mark Carr, the former U-15 coach, was named U-17 coach earlier this month, replacing B.J. Snow. April Kater remains the U-14 head coach, a position she has held for four and a half years.

2017 U.S. Youth National Team Coaches
U-23: TBD
U-20: Jitka Klimkova
U-19: Keri Sarver
U-18: Jaime Frias
U-17: Mark Carr
U-16: Kacey White
U-15: TBD
U-14: April Kater

“This is the first time in our history that we’ve had full-time youth national team coaches who are dedicated year-round to these specific age groups outside the World Cup teams [U-17 and U-20],” said Women’s Youth National Teams Director April Heinrichs, who had also been serving as U-18 head coach. “Keri Sarver and Kacey White have committed themselves to coaching professionally, have coached club and college soccer and became mainstays as assistant coaches within our Youth National Team program over the last several years. We are excited to welcome them to our staff in their new positions.”

KACEY WHITE (U-16)
Age: 32
Hometown: Arlington, Texas
Coaching:
• U.S. Soccer trains camp assistant for U-14s, U-15s and U-16s since 2015.
• Xavier University, head coach (2017).
• CASL, Director of Coaching (2015-16).
• Univ. of Wisconsin-Green Bay, head coach (2014-15).
• Univ. of Oklahoma, assistant coach (2012-14).
Playing:
• USA (18 caps)
• WPS: Sky Blue (2009-10), Atlanta Beat (2011).
• Swedish Damallsvenskan: AIK (2006-07), Balinge (2006-07).
• Univ. of North Carolina (NCAA champ 2003, All-America 2004 & 2005)

KERI SARVER (U-19)
Age: 41
Hometown: Akron, Ohio
Coaching:
• U.S. Soccer scout since 2011. Also ran training centers and assisted with U-18s.
• Internationals SC, Director of Coaching (2000-2017).
• Univ. of Akron, assistant coach (2012-14).
• Cleveland Internationals/W-League, assistant coach (2007-09).
Playing:
• WUSA: Washington Freedom (2001), the New York Power (2002) and the Carolina Courage (2003).
• Univ. of Maryland (All-America 1998).
• U.S. youth national team pool U-16 through U-21 (1991-1997).

Mondial Minimes: U.S. U-16s fall to Brazil, finish sixth

The U.S. U-16 boys national team finished sixth at the 12-team Mondial Minimes in Montaigu, France, with a 2-0 loss to Brazil in the fifth-place game.

Portugal beat France, 3-1, in the final while Japan beat Denmark, 2-1, in the third-place game.

The USA, coached by coached by U.S. under-18 head coach Omid Namazi while U-16 head coach Shaun Tsakiris is serving as an assistant coach with the U.S. U-17 national team, opened with a 1-0 win over Belgium, fell, 3-2, to Japan, and beat Mexico, 3-0.

Mexico beat Cameroon, 3-1, in the seventh-place game, Belgium beat England, 4-0, in the ninth-place game, and Morocco beat China, 1-0, in the 11th-place game.

U.S. U-16 Roster:
GOALKEEPERS (2): Nico Defreitas-Hansen (Everton/ENG), David Ochoa (Real Salt Lake).
DEFENDERS (5): Julian Araujo (Santa Barbara SC), Abraham Gonzalez (FC Golden State), Ian Hoffmann (Karlsruher/GER), Kevin Peraza (IMG Academy), Victor Rangel (FC Golden State).
MIDFIELDERS (6): Mario Anaya (San Jose Earthquakes), Armando Haro (San Diego Surf), Nelson Martinez (D.C. United), Matko Miljevic (Argentinos Juniors/ARG); Aidan Morris (Weston FC), Aidan O'Toole (Lonestar SC).
FORWARDS (7): Jalen Anderson (Oakwood SC), Jordan Bender (Orlando City), Mitch Cruz (LA United FA), Konrad De La Fuente (Barcelona/ESP), Jose Rivas (Weston FC), Gabe Segal (Bethesda SC), Stefan Stojanovic (Sockers FC).

U.S. U-18 men head to Slovakia Cup

U.S. U-18 men’s national team coach Omid Namazi  has named a 23-player roster for the 2017 Slovakia Cup at which the USA faces Hungary (April 24), Belarus (April 25) and Slovakia (April 27) in Group B in a quest to repeat as champion.

"The Slovakia Cup has been held for many years now,” Namazi said. “We entered the tournament last year with our U-19 group, Brad Friedel's group, and Brad's group was able to win it. And now this year, with the U-18s, our goal is the same. We are going with a very good group of players. Obviously, we are coming to the end of this (U-18 player pool) cycle, so our aim is to evaluate the players more, but also have some good performances and hopefully win the tournament."

The U-18s are comprised of players born in 1999 or later.

• FC Dallas and Tijuana Xolos have the largest representation of players on the roster with three each: Shaft Brewer, Brandon Servania and Paxton Pomykal (FC Dallas); and Jonathan Esparza, Brian Perez and Angel Uribe (Tijuana).

U.S. U-18 men’s national team
GOALKEEPERS (3): Brandon Austin (Tottenham Spurs; U.S. Virgins Islands) Trey Muse (Seattle Sounders; Tukwila, Wash.), Brady Scott (DeAnza Force; Petaluma, Calif.) DEFENDERS (8): Jonathan Esparza (Club Tijuana: Chula Vista, Calif.), Kyle Gruno (Leicester City; Wyckoff, N.J.), Daniel Jones (New England Revolution Academy; West Hartford, Conn.), Jack Maher (Scott Gallagher; Caseyville, Ill.), Mark McKenzie (Philadelphia Union; Bear, Del.), Aedan Stanley (St. Louis Scott Gallagher; Columbia, Ill.), Angel Uribe (Club Tijuana; San Diego, Calif.).
MIDFIELDERS (6): Paolo Belloni (Genoa FC; Delray Beach, Fla.), Koby Carr (Texas Rush; San Antonio, Texas), Jose Carranza (North Carolina FC; Manassas, Va.), Brian Perez (Club Tijuana; San Diego, Calif.), Paxton Pomykal (FC Dallas; Highland Village, Texas), Brandon Servania (FC Dallas; Birmingham, Ala.).
FORWARDS (7): Shaft Brewer (FC Dallas; Sacramento, Calif.), Lucas del Rosario (CASL; Durham, N.C.), Griffin Dorsey (Colorado Rush; Evergreen, Colo.), Jonathan Gonzalez (FC Monterrey; Santa Rosa, Calif.), Will Inalien (Portland Timbers; Tamarac, Fla.), Emanuel Perez (CASL; Garner, N.C.), Justin Rennicks (New England Revolution Academy; Hamilton, Mass.).

2017 Slovakia Cup Groups
Group A: Russia, Czech Republic, Ireland, Turkey
Group B: Slovakia, USA, Hungary, Belarus

A 36-player U.S. U-15 girls national team squad convenes for a April 22-29 training camp in College Station, Texas, under U.S. Soccer Development Coach April Kater, who is also head coach of the U.S. U-14 girls.

Thirty-four of the players were born in 2003 and two in 2004. This group is at the start of two-year cycle before transitioning in 2019 to to U-17s, who aim to qualify for the 2020 U-17 Women’s World Cup.

U.S. U-15 girls national team
GOALKEEPERS (4): Azul Alvarez (Lone Star SC; Round Rock, Texas), Payton Cahill (Minnesota Thunder Academy; Cottage Grove, Minn.), Haley Craig (Hawks-Wolves SC; Dexter, Mich.), Madison Kragt (Michigan Jaguars; South Lyon, Mich.).
DEFENDERS (11): Baleigh Bruster (Tophat SC; Smyrna, Ga.), Kennedy Chambers (Scottsdale Blackhawks; Chandler, Ariz.), Abigail Dunbar (San Diego Surf; Coronado, Calif.), Holly Hunter (Arsenal FC; Temecula, Calif.), Emerson Layne (Colorado Rush; Fort Collins, Colo.), Phoenix Dawn Miranda (Surf & Leahi; Aiea, Hawaii), Kellie Pagador (Placer United; Roseville, Calif.), Elizabeth Rappole (Boston Breakers Academy; Winchester, Mass.), Lilly Reale (South Shore Select; Rockland, Mass.), Emily Schleifer (Weston FC; Lake Worth, Fla.), Alyssa Stadeker (Southern SA Chelsea; Smyrna, Ga.).
MIDFIELDERS (10): Kayla Adams (Crossfire Premier; Bellevue, Wash.), Korbin Albert (Eclipse Select SC; Gurnee, Ill.), Summer Denigan (Kings Hammer Academy; Union, Ky.), Emma Egizii (Beach FC; Downey, Calif.), Sophia Fisher (SC Del Sol; Scottsdale, Ariz.), Juliana Hayward (Real Colorado; Thornton, Colo.), Kelly Monaco (NJ Crush FC; Dumont, N.J.), Olivia Pena (Solar Chelsea; Irving, Texas), Bella Sember (East Meadow SC; Centerport, N.Y.), Susanna Soderman (Penn Fusion; Schwenksville, Pa.).
FORWARDS (11): Trinity Byars (Solar Chelsea; Richardson, Texas), Amelia Horton (Sporting Blue Valley; Olathe, Kan.), Simone Jackson (So Cal Blues; Redondo Beach, Calif.), Caetlyn Johannes (Valley Isle SA; Kihei, Hawaii), Andrea Kitahata (De Anza Force; Hillsborough, Calif.), Lumi Kostmayer (Oakwood SC; Southbury, Conn.), Devin Lynch (Eclipse Select SC; Naperville, Ill.), Arianna Manrique (Tophat SC; Buford, Ga.), Ayo Oke (GSA; Lawrenceville, Ga.), Doriann Savage (San Diego Surf; Chula Vista, Calif.), Amelia White (Fort Wayne United; Fort Wayne, Ind.).

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