YOUTH: U.S. U-17 boys national team roster

• by Soccer America , Sep 9, 2005

U.S. U-17 boys national team coach John Hackworth named his 20-player roster today that will represent the U.S. at the 2005 Under-17 World Championship Sept. 16-Oct. 2 in Peru.

Of the players selected, 14 were part of the squad that took first place in Heredia, Costa Rica, in April to qualify for the USAÆs 11th consecutive U-17 World Championship, continuing the streak as the only country to qualify for every World Championship at this age level.

The naming of the roster culminates more than two years of preparation for the U.S. players, members of the 40-player U.S. Soccer U-17 Residency Program in Bradenton, Fla. All but two of the players are part of the 1988 class of players in residency, with forward Josmer Altidore and third-choice goalkeeper Brian Perk making the roster from the younger 1989 age group. Two players û Diego Restrepo and Daniel Kelly û made the team over the summer while not part of the residency program.

Goalkeepers - 20-Brian Perk (Pateadores, Calif.), 18-Diego Restrepo (HC United, Fla.), 1-Bryant Rueckner (PSG, Calif.)

Defenders 5-Ofori Sarkodie (Chicago Magic), 14-Neven Subotic (Manatee Magic, Fla.), 13-Blake Wagner (HC United, Fla.), 3-Kevin Alston (Potomac Cougars, Md.), 2-Amaechi Igwe (Santa Clara Sporting, Calif.)

Midfielders -16-Nikolas Besagno (Real Salt Lake), 12-Gabriel Farfan (Nomads, Calif.), 19-Michael Farfan (Nomads, Calif.), 17-Jeremy Hall (HC United, Fla.), 15-Daniel Kelly (TNFC, Tenn.), 8-Kyle Nakazawa (ISC Strikers, Calif.), 11-Ryan Soroka (FC Delco, Pa.)

Forwards - 4-Josmer Altidore (Boca Juniors, Fla.), 10-David Arvizu (Pateadores, Calif.), 7-Omar Gonzalez (Dallas Texans), 6-Quavas Kirk (Los Angeles Galaxy), 9-Preston Zimmerman (Crossfire Premier, Wash.)