By Mike Woitalla
The U.S. U-19 men’s national team upset host Spain, 1-0, at the Sub-20 l’Acudia COTIF tournament thanks to a free-kick goal by Brandon Vazquez, aSouthern Californian product who joined Tijuana Xolos’ youth program before playing for the USA at the 2015 U-17 World Cup.
Coach Brad Friedel’s team, which facesBahrain on Monday, opened the tournament with a 2-0 loss to Venezuela and a 1-0 win over Mauritania on a goal by the Chicago Fire academy’s Djordje Mihailovic. The USA is inthird place in Group A, tied on six points with second-place Spain, which has a superior goal difference, and one point behind first-place Venezuela.
Spain faces Venezuela in its final groupgame. The top two finishers in Group A and will reach the semifinals against the top two finishers in Group B, which is led by Argentina and Mexico, followed by Qatar, Costa Rica, Morocco.
Highlights:
USA 0 Venezuela 2
USA 1 Mauritania 0
Spain 0 USA 1
July 29 in Valencia,Spain
Spain 0 USA 1.
Goal: Vazquez 51.
Spain — Fernández, Buñuel, Cucurella, Martín, Castaño, Puado(R.Fernández, 56), Pepelu, Rodríguez (Navarro, 48), Jordan (García,56),Díaz (Rodríguez, 48), Nolaskoain (Genaro, 48).
USA —Vom Steeg, Nelson,Arellano, Fossey, McKennie, Da Silva (Agu, 80), Vázquez, Trusty, Mihailovic, Enriquez (Nelson, 64), Lankford (Young, 41).
July 28 in Valencia,Spain
USA 1 Mauritania 0.
Goal: Mihailovic 40.
USA — Vom Steeg, Arellano, Fossey (Munjoma, 61), Young, Da Silva,Vázquez (Colby, 61), Mihailovic (Hunsinger, 81), Nelson, Vega (McKennie, 41), Trusty, Pines.
Mauritania — Mbarek, Abeid (Babeker, 76), Niass (Konate, 61), Abdou, Traore,Teguedi (Alasanne Diop, min. 76), Tanjy (Mohamed, 61), Dellah Yaly, N’Diaye, El Hacen (Lemrabott, 61), El Ide, Sleimane.
July 26 in Valencia,Spain
USA 0 Venezuela 2.
Goals: Heber 48, Balza 53.
USA — Silva; Arellano (Pines, 73), Montalvo (Nelson, 41), Bashti (Mihailovic, 41),Fossey, McKennie (Enríquez, 73), Young (Monjoma, 57), Da Silva (Lankford, 57), Trusty, Hunsinger (Haji, 41), Agu (Vázquez, 57).
Venezuela — Fariñez, Quero(Hernández, 41), Fuentes, Rivas (Pinto, 74), Herrera, Chacón (Balza, 41), Soteldo (Silva, 74), Peña (Acebedo, 41), Ramírez (Heber, 30), Mejías, Hernández.
Att.: 5,000.
U.S. Roster:
GOALKEEPERS (3): Brady Scott (De Anza Force), Kevin Silva (PDA), Justin Vom Steeg(Unattached).
DEFENDERS (7): Hugo Arellano (LA Galaxy II), Marlon Fossey (Fulham/ENG), Hector Montalvo (FC Dallas academy), John Nelson (Internationals), Matthew Olosunde(Manchester United/ENG), Donovan Pines (D.C. United academy), Auston Trusty (Bethlehem Steel).
MIDFIELDERS (8): Amir Bashti (Stanford Univ.), Pierre Da Silva (Orlando City SCB), Christian Enriquez (Nomads FC), Nelson Hunsinger (Leg A-Z), Kevin Lankford (Heidenheim/GER), Weston McKennie (FC Dallas academy), Djordje Mihailovic (Chicago Fire academy), Devin Vega (FC Dallasacademy).
FORWARDS (4): Colby Agu (Capital Area Railhawks), Abdulkadir Haji (Seacoast United) Brandon Vazquez (Tijuana/MEX), Isaiah Young (PDA).
U.S. U-20 men to face Cosmos and Red Bulls II
Coach TabRamos has called in a 20-player squad for a July 30-Aug. 8 U.S. U-20 men’s national team training camp in Basking Ridge, New Jersey, that will include games against theNASL’s New Cosmos Aug. 3 and New York Red Bulls II Aug. 7.
The squad is comprised of 19 players born in 1997 and one 1998-born, defender Robert Castellanos of SouthernCalifornia’s Nomads SC. Twelve players are collegians.
U.S. U-20 men’s national team
GOALKEEPERS (2): JonathanKlinsmann (University of California; Newport Beach, Calif.), JT Marcinkowski (Georgetown; Alamo, Calif.).
DEFENDERS (7): Marcello Borges (Michigan; Kearny, N.J.), RobertCastellanos (Nomads SC; Palmdale, Calif.), Jeremiah Gutjahr (Indiana; Bloomington, Ind.), Aaron Herrera (New Mexico; Casa Grande, Ariz.), Andrew Lombard (Ohio State; Montclair, N.J.), Chad Poarch(Continental FC Delco; Middletown, Dela.), Miles Robinson (Syracuse; Arlington, Mass.).
MIDFIELDERS (5): Danny Acosta (Real Salt Lake; Salt Lake City, Utah), Coy Craft (FCDallas; Frisco, Texas), Cameron Lindley (North Carolina; Carmel, Ind.), Jonathan Suarez (Queretaro, FC; Orange County, Calif.), Eryk Williamson (Maryland; Alexandria, Va.), Jackson Yueill (UCLA;Bloomington, Minn.).
FORWARDS (6): Sebastian Elney (Maryland; West Chester, Pa.), Jeremy Kelly (North Carolina; Chapel Hill, N.C.), Jonathan Lewis (Kendall SC; Plantation,Fla.), Emmanuel Sabbi (Chicago Magic; Libertyville, Ill.), Yosef Samuel (Philadelphia Union; Philadelphia, Pa.).
Coach Mark Carr has named an 18-player roster for the 2016Concacaf U-15 Girls Championship Aug. 9-21 in Orlando, Florida, at which the USA will face Trinidad & Tobago, Haiti, Mexico and the Dominican Republic in Group A.
The roster is comprisedmostly of players born in 2001 who are nearing the completion of a two-year cycle before moving to the U-17s in 2017.
States Represented
4 Georgia.
2 California, Hawaii, North Carolina, Virginia, Texas.
1 Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Illinois.
GOALKEEPERS (2): Ruthie Jones (Charlotte SA; Charlotte, N.C.), Lindsey Romig (Richmond United; Midlothian, Va.).
DEFENDERS (6): Talia DellaPeruta (Tophat SC; Cumming, Ga.), Tori Hansen (CASL; Raleigh, N.C.), D’awncey Jones-Black (Honolulu Bulls SC; Ewa Beach, Hawaii), Makenna Morris (BethesdaSC; Germantown, Md.), Leah Scarpelli (PDA; Brick, N.J.), Natalia Staude (Tophat SC; Atlanta, Ga.).
MIDFIELDERS (6): Croix Bethune (Concorde Fire; Alpharetta Ga.), Mia Fishel(San Diego Surf; San Diego, Calif.), Eleanor Glenn (Tophat SC; Avondale Estates, Ga.), Madison Mercado (San Diego Surf; San Diego, Calif.), Gabrielle Robinson (BRYSC; Springfield, Va.), Hollyn Torres(FC Dallas; Frisco, Texas).
FORWARDS (4): Sunshine Fontes (Honolulu Bulls SC; Wahiawa, Hawaii), Payton Linnehan (FC Stars of Mass.; Douglas, Mass.), Samantha Meza (DallasKicks; Balch Springs, Texas), Kalyssa Van Zanten (Eclipse Select SC; Buffalo Grove, Ill.).
South America’s Venezuela joins 22 Concacaf teams at the tournament. The USA facesTrinidad & Tobago Aug. 9, Mexico Aug. 10, Haiti Aug. 12 and the Dominican Republic on Aug. 13.
“I am very excited about the group of players we have selected to represent the USA atthis tournament,” said Carr. “It’s a technical group that is very creative, unpredictable and exciting to watch. We have a good balance of different personalities that willcomplement each other and that will allow us to play an exciting brand of soccer. I am looking forward to seeing us improve and come together as the tournament progresses.”
The groupwinners and second-place teams from groups A, B and C, will advance to the quarterfinals.
Group A: United States, Mexico, Trinidad & Tobago, Haiti, Dominican Republic
Group B: Canada, Costa Rica, Venezuela, Jamaica, El Salvador
Group C: Puerto Rico, Nicaragua, Santa Lucia, Grenada, St. Vincent & the Grenadines
Group D: Barbados, U.S. Virgin Islands, Curaao, Anguilla
Group E: Bermuda, Cayman Islands, Antigua & Barbuda, Bahamas
U.S. U-17 girls to face Brazil twice
The U.S. U-17 girls national team,which is preparing for the 2016 U-17 Women’s World Cup in Jordan (Sept. 30-Oct. 21), is training Aug. 1-13 in Michigan and will face fellow World Cup qualifier Brazil Aug. 9 and Aug. 12.
Coach B.J. Snow has called in a squad of 28 players for the training camp, including all 20 players who were on the squad that won the Concacaf U-17 Women’s Championship inGrenada in March while earning the World Cup berth.
Midfielder Ashley Sanchez returns to the Snow’s squad after playing with the U.S. U-20 women’s national sincewinning the MVP Golden Ball award at the U-17 qualifying tournament.
Sixteen players on the squad were being born in 1999, the age-cut for participation in this fall’s World Cup, eightwere born in 2000, and four were born in 2001, including defenders Kennedy Wesley and Kate Wiesner and forward Jordan Canniff, who were in thequalifying tournament squad.
“The decisions that we will have to make to finalize our roster will be exceptionally difficult and that is why playing these two international games is sovitally important,” Snow said in a press release. “These games offer us one of the last opportunities to assess our players and our team so we are hoping to simulate a World Cupenvironment as much as possible.”
U.S. U-17 girls national team
GOALKEEPERS (5): Hillary Beall (So Cal Blues; Laguna Beach,Calif.), Zoe Clevely (Irvine Strikers; Huntington Beach, Calif.), Laurel Ivory (West Florida Flames; Surfside, Fla.), Meagan McClelland (PDA; Kearny, N.J.), Katie Meyer (Real So Cal; Newbury Park,Calif.).
DEFENDERS (10): Kerry Abello (Benet Academy; Aurora, Ill.), Sierra Enge (Carlsbad Elite; Cardiff, Calif.), Naomi Girma (Central Valley Crossfire; San Jose, Calif.),Shea Holland (PDA; Toms River, N.J.), Kiara Pickett (Eagles; Santa Barbara, Calif.), Isabel Rodriguez (Michigan Hawks; Canton, Mich.), Karina Rodriguez (So Cal Blues; Torrance, Calif.) Emily Smith (DeAnza Force; Los Gatos, Calif.), Kennedy Wesley (So Cal Blues; Rossmoor, Calif.), Kate Wiesner (Slammers FC; Monrovia, Calif.).
MIDFIELDERS (5): Jaelin Howell (Real Colorado;Windsor, Colo.), Brianna Pinto (CASL; Durham, N.C.), Frankie Tagliaferri (PDA; Colts Neck, N.J.), Taryn Torres (FC Dallas; Frisco, Texas), Sydney Zandi (Penn Fusion; West Chester, Penn.).
FORWARDS (8): Jordan Canniff (Richmond United; California, Md.), Lia Godfrey (JFC Storm; Fleming Island, Fla.), Rachel Jones (Tophat SC; Lawrenceville, Ga.), Civana Kuhlmann (ColoradoRush; Littleton, Colo.), Adrienne Richardson (Minnesota Thunder Academy; Oakdale, Minn.), Ashley Sanchez (So Cal Blues; Monrovia, Calif.), Sophia Smith (Real Colorado; Windsor, Colo.), Alexa Spaanstra(Michigan Hawks; Brighton, Mich.).