Twenty-four players called up to U20 MNT

by U.S. Soccer

January 8, 2020

New U.S. Under-20 Men’s National Team head coach Anthony Hudson will lead his first training camp from Jan. 7-19 at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla. Hudson has assembled a 24-player roster for the camp, which will face Mexico on Jan. 16 and 18.

"I’m very proud to be joining U.S. Soccer,” Hudson said. “It’s a really exciting time with the game's rapid growth in this country and especially with so many talented young players coming through the ranks. I can’t wait to work with them and help develop these players into contributors at the highest level."

The training camp will provide Hudson his first chance to work with the U-20 player pool ahead of this summer’s Concacaf U-20 Championship, where the USA will look to defend its confederation title after winning the 2017 and 2019 editions. The U.S. is set to take on Costa Rica, Jamaica and St. Kitts and Nevis in the group stage of the tournament.

Twelve players, half of the roster, logged professional minutes in 2019. Seventeen are based at U.S. clubs, while seven play internationally. Twenty-one of 24 players have spent at least one season in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy.

Players born on or after Jan. 1, 2001 are age-eligible for the 2020 Concacaf U-20 Championship. Hudson has called 20 players born in 2001, two born in 2002 and one born in 2003.

U-20 USMNT ROSTER BY POSITION:

GOALKEEPERS (4): David Ochoa (Real Salt Lake; Oxnard, Calif.), Chituru Odunze (Leicester City/ENG; London, England), John Pulskamp (Sporting Kansas City; Bakersfield, Calif.), Patrick Schulte (Saint Louis; Saint Charles, Mo.)

DEFENDERS (10): Jacob Akanyirige (San Jose Earthquakes; Pleasanton, Calif.), Nico Benalcazar (Wake Forest; Wilton, Conn.), Kevin Bonilla (FC Dallas; Dallas, Texas), Nathan Harriel (Philadelphia Union; Oldsmar, Fla.), Ian Hoffmann (Karlsruher/GER; Bethany Beach, Del.), Blake Malone (North Carolina; Las Vegas, Nev.), Bobby Pierre (Real Salt Lake; Fort Lauderdale, Fla.), Andre Reynolds II (Chicago Fire FC; Chicago, Ill.), Stuart Ritchie (Hannover 96/GER; Pleasanton, Calif.), Leonardo Sepulveda (Salamanca/ESP.; Corona, Calif.)

MIDFIELDERS (5): Cole Bassett (Colorado Rapids; Littleton, Colo.), Leon Flach (St. Pauli/GER; Bad Schwartau, Germany), Aidan Morris (Columbus Crew S.C.; Fort Lauderdale, Fla.), Marcelo Palomino (Houston Dynamo; Houston, Texas), Thomas Roberts (FC Dallas; Little Rock, Ark.)

FORWARDS (5): Gianluca Busio (Sporting Kansas City; Greensboro, N.C.), Cameron Harper (Celtic/SCO; Roseville, Calif.), Matko Miljevic (Argentinos Juniors/ARG; Miami, Fla.), Dante Sealy (FC Dallas; Frisco, Texas), Marlon Vargas (Seattle Sounders FC.; Bakersfield, Calif.)

ROSTER NOTES:

Seventeen clubs are represented on the roster, with 10 players based domestically and seven abroad in Germany (three), Argentina, England, Scotland and Spain (one each). Three play collegiately.
The most players (3) come from FC Dallas. The trio helped lead USL League One affiliate North Texas SC to the inaugural league championship last fall.
Midfielder Marcelo Palomino signed a Homegrown contract this week with the Houston Dynamo.
With Palomino, there are nine MLS Homegrown Players on the roster.
Goalkeeper David Ochoa is the lone returnee from the USA’s 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup squad. Ochoa started two games for the U.S. in Poland.
Ochoa backstopped Real Monarchs to the USL Championship title this fall.
Forward Gianluca Busio and goalkeeper Chituru Odunze return for their first National Team action since the 2019 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Brazil.
Two players -- midfielder Leon Flach and defender Ian Hoffmann -- have previously been called to training camps with Germany’s Youth National Teams.

ACADEMY NOTES:

Three players have won Development Academy national championships. Defender Nico Benalcazar helped lead New York City FC U-18/19 to back-to-back titles in 2018 and 2019. Defender Blake Malone and forward Marlon Vargas won the 2018 U-16/17 championship with Seattle Sounders FC.
Three players were named to 2019 Academy Best XIs: goalkeeper Patrick Schulte and midfielder Aidan Morris in the Central Conference as well as defender Jacob Akanyirige in the West.

Related Topics: Atlantic 10, Atlantic Coast