Great Post On The US U-20 Team's College Members...

Remember how the US can't field an entirely professional U-20 World Cup team like most of the rest of the soccer world? Want to know more about those players joining the team from the college ranks? Here you go: yanks-abroad.com has done an outstanding job.

US U-20 World Cup Squad Announced...

Unlike the senior team, Coach Rongen is announcing his roster almost a month before the first match of the U-20 World Cup. Yup, kick off for the Americans in this youth World Cup is September 25th.

GOALKEEPERS - Sean Johnson (Central Florida), Josh Lambo, Brian Perk (UCLA)

DEFENDERS - Gale Agbossoumonde, Kyle Davies, Jorge Flores, Ike Opara (Wake Forest), Anthony Wallace, Sheanon Williams

MIDFIELDERS - Daniel Cruz, Mikkel Diskerud, Dilly Duka (Rutgers), Jared Jeffrey, Aaron Maund (Notre Dame), Brian Ownby (Virginia), Dillon Powers (Notre Dame), Michael Stephens (UCLA)

FORWARDS - Sam Garza (Denver), Peri Marosevic, Brek Shea, Tony Taylor (Jacksonville)

I've highlighted the college players in the above list. 42% of the players are playing college ball. I've got to imagine the professionals will make up more of the starting eleven with the college guys filling in as needed. It is just hard to imagine how the Americans will compete against the rest of the world when 42% of the team doesn't play professionally and the rest of the world does.

Also of note, Soccer by Ives has the US vs. Germany game on ESPN Classic as opposed to ESPN360.com as I listed in my last post. Not sure when USsoccer.com will update their website to show the correct television schedule on their schedule page.

US U-20 WC Television Schedule Announced...

USsoccer.com announced the U-20 Men's television schedule yesterday. Here is the only problem, the first game is on-line only.

9/26: USA vs. Germany - LIVE at 9:55 a.m. ET on ESPN360.com, 9:55 a.m. ET/PT on Galavision

9/29: USA vs. Cameroon - LIVE at 12:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2, DELAYED at 5 p.m. ET/PT on Galavision

10/2: USA vs. Korea Republuc - LIVE at 12:40 p.m. ET on ESPN2, DELAYED at 4 p.m. ET/PT on Galavision

Why is the match against Germany on-line only? ESPN2 for Cameroon and Korea is great...but what is up with Germany only being on-line? That is arguably the biggest match of all three. Well, we'll have to figure out a way to watch, won't we.

U-20 World Cup is coming up quickly!

Players Starting the Fall Season With Some Extra Practice...

While most of the news these days is about David Beckham's return to MLS, the US' performance in the Gold Cup and MLS' drop in attendance, I'd like to remind everyone that we still have the U-17 World Cup and U-20 World Cup coming up this summer/fall. As part of that, many college players are getting some extra credit training in this summer. While their peers are playing on club and/or PDL teams, there are many college players training and playing matches with the young nats.

Tomorrow, July 21st 2009, the US U-20 team heads to Argentina for a 10-day camp with a couple international matches as part of the Copa Cuidad de Rosario. College players making the trip: Brian Perk - GK UCLA, Gale Agbossoumonde - D UCLA, Ike Opara - D Wake Forest, Dilly Duka - M Rutgers, Brian Ownby - M University of Virginia, Dillon Powers - M Notre Dame, Michael Stephens - M UCLA, Sam Garza - F University of Denver and Tony Taylor - F Jacksonville University. Wow, UCLA is going to have some fit players when they return to NCAA action this fall.

Do you think it will help their campaign to have some many players coming in from National Team camp? There is downside, if these guys perform well and make the U-20 WC team they head to Egypt in late September and could be gone for up to one month.

At the same time the US U-17 men are down in Brazil training and playing in the Copa Macae. These guys are still on their club teams and haven't quite reached college. Most of these guys have been part of the US U-17 Bradenton Residency program but I did see one or two who haven't. It was also interesting to see a couple names from the recent Development Academy Starting XI; Riley Wolfe & Victor Chavez. Another common thread...Parade's annual All-American list.

I don't know about you but I am excited for these events later this year.

US U-20's To Train In Florida

The USA Under 20's will be training in Sarasota, Florida from May 23rd to May 28th.

Roster By Position (Club; Hometown):
GOALKEEPERS (2): Josh Lambo (FC Dallas; Middleton, Wis.), Brian Perk (UCLA; Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.)
DEFENDERS (6): Kyle Davies (FC Dallas; Danville, Calif.), Jorge Flores (Chivas USA; Anaheim, Calif.), Aaron Maund (Notre Dame; Dorchester, Mass.), Ike Opara (Wake Forest; Durham, N.C.), Anthony Wallace (FC Dallas; St. Petersburg, Fla.), Sheanon Williams (unattached; Boston, Mass.)
MIDFIELDERS (9): Danny Cruz (Houston Dynamo; Glendale, Ariz.), Dilly Duka (Rutgers; Montville, N.J.), Jose Gonzalez (Atlante FC; Soquel, Calif.), Jared Jeffrey (Club Brugge; Richardson, Texas), Gerson Mayen (Chivas USA; Los Angeles, Calif.), Alfredo Morales (Hertha BSC Berlin; Berlin, Germany), Brian Ownby (Virginia; Glen Allen, Va.), Brek Shea (FC Dallas; College Station, Texas), Guillermo Torres (Longview Lobos HS; Longview, Texas)
FORWARDS (3): Fuad Ibrahim (Toronto FC; Richfield, Minn.), Peri Marosevic (FC Dallas; Rockford, Ill.) Tony Taylor (Jacksonville University; Jacksonville, Fla.)

http://www.ussoccer.com/articles/viewArticle.jsp_14352389.html

Interesting things to note?

1. The return of Jose Gonzalez.
- Jose Gonzalez is an Youth Soccer Internet Legend. He became one when stories about his path to U.S. citizenship came out of his hometown of Santa Cruz. He came here with his parents illegally as an infant and his father passed a U.S. Citizenship test in March of 2006 just in time for Jose to travel with the US Under-18's to Slovakia for a tournament. Then his story continued as he won the ESP Camp Golden Ball as a Sophomore in High School. He dropped off the map after High School but it was found out that he is playing with the youth squads of Atlante F.C. of the Mexican First Division.

Read about his story here:
http://www.scsextra.com/story.php?sid=39068
and here:
http://www.scsextra.com/story.php?sid=39687
and here:
http://www.scsextra.com/story.php?sid=44073

2. No Mikkel Diskerud.
- If you have missed out on his story you will have to check this thread from Bigsoccer.com:
http://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?t=939469

He is a 19 year old Norwegian-born Arizonian (sp? :D) who has played for US U-20 squad and the Norwegian U-19's. He has yet to make his final decision on which National Team he will represent. Good news is that he was invited, but is too busy with his club to attend the camp. He has scored 3 goals from Midfield this year.
http://www.yanks-abroad.com/get.php?mode=content&id=4582

3. No Bryan Arguez, Vincenzo Bernardo, or Guiseppe Nazzani.
-There are some questions over whether these players are ready to play for the U-20's or whether Rongen has lost interest. It would be a real shame if Bryan Arguez failed to make the 2009 World Youth Championship team after being an underage player on the 2007 team.

4. Ike Opara is back.
- He is arguably the best Under 20 defender in the NCAA right now so it is good news if he is healthy.

5. Guillermo Torres
- He appears to be the little brother of Jose Francisco Torres. Hopefully he has as much or more talent than his older brother. This is his first ever USYNT Camp.

6. Gerson Mayen
- He was rumored to be attracting attention from El Salvador(country of his parents), but he is apparently still interested in representing the United States. This is great news as he has 4 assists in MLS this season and has shone in his few starts and multiple substitute appearances.

7. Sean Johnson, Gale Agbossoumonde, Amobi Okugo, Sam Garza, and Billy Schuler
- They are not here after participating in Qualifying.
Agbossoumonde and Okugo (both 1991's) are with the USA Under 18's on a trip to Portugal:
http://www.ussoccer.com/articles/viewArticle.jsp_14352384.html

Contact me at USvsIreland AT gmail.com

US U-20 Team Off To A Good Start...

Last night the US U-20 team kick started their quest to reach the U-20 World Cup this summer with a 3-0 pasting of Jamaica. Goals from recent MLS draftee Peri Marosevic, Rutgers Freshman Dilly Duka and UNC man Billy Schuler carried the US to the comfortable win. The match featured more professionals than college kids but the US educational system was represented. The US can clinch with a win on Sunday against Honduras.