By Mike Woitalla
This month’s U.S. youth national trips include the U-17 boys going to India while the U-20 women are headed to Papua New Guinea.
The U-17 boys, whothis year have already played in tournaments hosted by France and Turkey, are competing at the AIFF (All India Football Federation) Youth Cup, a dress rehearsal for India’s hosting of the 2017U-17 World Cup. The U.S. U-17s are in the early stages of their quest to qualify for the biennial U-17 World Cup that the USA has reached a record 15 times (failing only once, in 2013, toqualify).
The U-20 women, world champions three times (2002, 2008, 2012), kept their qualifying record perfect when in December they clinched a spot at the 2016 U-20 World Cup, hosted by PapuaNew Guinea (Nov. 13-Dec. 3).
‘Learning to acclimate’
The U.S. U-20 women’s national team’s May 21-June 1 training camp in Papua New Guinea, the island nation 100 miles north of Australia, includes games against Japan (May27) and Papua New Guinea (May 30) in the capital of Port Moresby, which will host all of the 2016 U-20 World Cup games, in four stadiums.
“The trip to PNG will be a fantastic opportunityfor our group to continue to learn how to acclimate, adapt and adjust to a new environment and culture prior to our arrival in November for the World Cup,” said U.S. head coach Michelle French. “We werefortunate enough to schedule a similar trip prior to World Cup qualifying in Honduras and it proved extremely valuable in our preparations for that tournament.”
In Honduras, French’steam, after opening with a 2-2 tie with Mexico, outscored its next four opponents, 20-1 to win the Concacaf Championship. The stay in San Pedro Sula came while it was under a U.S. State Department TravelWarning.
French has called in 21 players for the trip, 17 of whom are collegians. The youth players include So Cal Blues forward Ashley Sanchez and Beach FC midfielderSavannah Demelo.
Ashley Sanchez (Photo courtesy U.S. Soccer)
Sanchez helped the U.S. U-20s and the U-17s qualify for their 2016 World Cups, andtrained with the full national team in April. Demelo, 18, leads this roster with 14 appearances for the U-20s.
U.S. U-20 women’s national team
GOALKEEPERS (3): Emily Boyd (Cal; Seattle, Wash.), Rose Chandler (Penn State; Atlanta, Ga.), Casey Murphy (Rutgers; Bridgewater, N.J.) .
DEFENDERS (7):Madeline Elliston (Penn State; Omaha, Neb.), Emily Fox (FC Virginia; Ashburn, Va.), Sabrina Flores (Notre Dame; Livingston, N.J.), Ellie Jean (Penn State; Coventry, Conn.), Natalie Jacobs (Notre Dame;Coto de Caza, Calif.), Taylor Otto (CASL; Apex, N.C.), Kaleigh Riehl (Penn State; Fairfax Station, Va.).
MIDFIELDERS (7): Marley Canales (San Diego Surf; San Diego, Calif.),Katie Cousins (Tennessee; Forest, Va.), Savannah DeMelo (Beach FC; Bellflower, Calif.), Kelcie Hedge (Washington; Post Falls, Idaho), Emily Ogle (Penn State; Strongsville, Ohio), Courtney Petersen(Virginia; Canton, Mich.), Parker Roberts (Florida; Leawood, Kansas).
FORWARDS (4): Taylor Racioppi (Duke; Ocean Township, N.J.), Ashley Sanchez (So Cal Blues; Monrovia, Calif.),Jessie Scarpa (North Carolina; Lakeland, Fla.), Ally Watt (Texas A&M; Colorado Springs, Colo.).
Coach John Hackworth is taking a 23-player squad to the U.S. U-17 boysnational team’s appearance at the AIFF Youth Cup in India May 11-26.
The USA will play Tanzania (May 15), host India (May 19), South Korea (May 21) and Malaysia (May 23). The final andthird-place game take place May 25.
So far in 2016, the U.S. U-17s beat Canada twice in friendlies in April, won the 44th Mondial Football de Montaigu Tournament in March, and placed second inthe 2016 Aegean Cup in January.
U.S. U-17 national team
GOALKEEPERS (3): Alexander Budnik (Sockers FC; Arlington Heights, Ill.),Justin Garces (Kendall FC; Miami, Fla.), Quantrell Jones (Baltimore Celtic; Baltimore, Md.).
DEFENDERS (8): Jake Arteaga (LA Galaxy; Glendora, Calif.), Jean-Julian Foe Nuphaus(San Jose Earthquakes; San Jose, Calif.), Christopher Gloster (New York Red Bulls; Montclair, N.J.), Jaylin Lindsey (Sporting Kansas City; Charlotte, N.C.), Rayshaun McGann (Philadelphia Union; RoyalPalm Beach, Fla.), Tyler Shaver (Beachside Soccer Club; Riverside, Conn.), AJ Vasquez (FC Golden State; Mira Loma, Calif.), Chandler Vaughn (D.C. United; Hood River, Ore.).
MIDFIELDERS(6): George Acosta (Weston FC; Hollywood, Fla.), Christopher Durkin (D.C. United; Glen Allen, Va.), Blaine Ferri (Solar Chelsea SC; Southlake, Texas), Christopher Goslin (Georgia United;Locust Grove, Ga.), James Sands (New York Soccer Club; Rye, N.Y.), Adrian Villegas (Portland Timbers; Hood River, Ore.).
FORWARDS (6): Ayomide Akinola (Toronto FC; Brampton,Ontario), Andrew Carleton (Georgia United; Powder Springs, Ga.), Niccolo Lemoine (De Anza Force; Livermore, Calif.), Kevin Negrete (LA Galaxy; Hawthorne, Calif.), Will Sands (New York Soccer Club;Rye, N.Y.), Joshua Sargent (Scott Gallagher Missouri; O’Fallen, Mo.).
Jaime Frias named U.S. Soccer Development Coach
U.S. Soccer has hired University of Virginia assistant coach Jaime Frias as a U.S. SoccerDevelopment Coach for the youth women’s and girls national teams. He will also head coach the U.S. U-16 girls national team.
Frias, who was the U-20 women’s national team scout andperformance analyst when it won the 2012 Women’s World Cup, is replacing Tricia Taliaferro.
Jaime Frias (Photo courtesy U.S.Soccer)
U.S. Soccer women’s development staff
April Heinrichs (Technical Director)
April Kater (Head Development Coach)
Mark Carr (Development Coach)
Jitka Klimkova (Development Coach)
Jaime Frias(Development Coach)
At UVA, Frias served under head coach Steve Swanson, who was an assistant to Jill Ellis’ during last year’s Women’sWorld Cup win and the U-20 head coach for its 2012 world championship win.
Frias served as U.S. U-23 assistant coach in 2013, U-20 assistant coach at the 2014 Women’s World Cup, and U-19assistant coach in 2015.
Before arriving at UVA in 2010, Frias was head coach at the University of Nevada and Stephen F. Austin State University.
“We’re excited to bringJaime on board full-time as he has been involved with us part-time for nearly four years,” said Heinrichs. “His involvement at twoUnder-20 Women’s World Cups adds great experience and we look forward to his work as a Development Coach in continuing to educate our club coaches, in scouting and with our U-16 national teamplayers.”
Roster: U.S. U-19 women convene in ChulaVista
Coach Jitka Klimkova has named a 26-player squad for a U-19 women’s national team training camp May 14-21 in Chula Vista, California.
Fifteenof the players are collegians and 11 are still in youth ball. The majority were born in 1997, four in 1996, and three in 1998. All are eligible for the 2016 U-20 Women’s World Cup in Novemberwhile the ’98s are eligible for the 2018 U-20 Women’s World Cup in France.
U.S. U-19 women’s national team camp
GOALKEEPERS(3): Amanda Dennis (Penn State; Murrieta, Calif.), Samantha Leshnak (North Carolina; Liberty Township, Ohio), Lauren Rood (Crossfire; Camas, Wash.).
DEFENDERS (8): HollyDaugirda (Utah Avalanche; Salt Lake City, Utah), Tierna Davidson (Stanford; Menlo Park, Calif.), Stefani Doyle (Dallas Sting; Lewisville, Texas), Shannon Horgan (Clemson; Long Beach, N.Y.), Ann MarieJaworski (Shattuck St. Mary’s; Grinnell, Iowa), Michaela Kovacs (Michigan State; Hudsonville, Mich.), Jacey Pederson (PSV Union; Palo Alto, Calif.), Ally Prisock (USC; Fontana, Calif.).
MIDFIELDERS (7): Breanna Dewaal (Utah Celtic FC; Sandy, Utah), Jordan DiBiasi (Stanford; Highlands Ranch, Colo.), Kayla Hill (TCU; Highlands Ranch, Colo.), Mayra Pelayo-Bernal(Florida; West Palm Beach, Fla.), Shannon Simon (Washington; Torrance, Calif.), Briana Solis (Florida; Orlando, Fla.), Ella Stevens (GSA; Grayson, Ga.).
FORWARDS (6): ElizabethBraby (BYU; Murray, Utah), Mallory Eubanks (Mississippi State; Lexington, Ky.), Marissa Everett (Oregon; Canyon Lake, Calif.), Cecilia Gee (Lamarinda United; Orinda, Calif.), Cyera Hintzen (DallasSting; Richardson, Texas), Leah Pruitt (San Diego State; Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.).