United States U-18 Men's National Team coach Omid Namazi has named a roster of 28 players for a January camp at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida,
United States U-18 Men’s National Team coach Omid Namazi has named a roster of 28 players for a January camp at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, and seven players have California connections with four of them coming from the San Diego County.
Heading to the Sunshine state is goalkeeper Eric Lopez (LA Galaxy, Los Angeles), defenders Jonathon Esparza (Club Tijuana, Chula Vista) and Angel Uribe (Club Tijuana, Chula Vista), midfielders Andrew Paoli (San Jose Earthquakes, San Jose) and Brian Perez (Club Tijuana, San Diego), and forwards Shaft Brewer (FC Dallas, Sacramento) and Ernesto Espinoza (Club Tijuana, Chula Vista).
“The purpose of this camp is to identify new talent and expand our pool of players,” Namazi said. “For this camp, we have invited back some of the core players that we’ve identified through the last year. More than half of the players are either newer players we are inviting back to see how they’ve developed since our player identification camp last January, or brand new players who have never been invited to a previous Youth National Team camp.”
Camp at the IMG Academy will run from January 23-30 with friendlies against the U-17 National Team players currently in Residency at IMG Academy. Following this camp, the next domestic camp with be held in March when the team will begin preparations for the Slovakia Cup, which will take place in April in Trnava, Slovakia.
Roster by Position:
GOALKEEPERS (3): Eric Lopez (LA Galaxy; Los Angeles, Calif.), Trey Muse (Seattle Sounders; Tukwila, Wash.), Alec Smir (NC Fusion; Greensboro, N.C.)
DEFENDERS (10): Jose Alfaro (Chicago Fire: West Chicago, Ill.), Jonathon Esparza (Club Tijuana; Chula Vista, Calif.), Daniel Jones (New England Revolution Academy; West Hartford, Conn.), Jack Maher (Scott Gallagher; Caseyville, Ill.), Mark McKenzie (Philadelphia Union; Bear, Del.), Jake Morris (Seattle Sounders; Kirkland, Wash.), Stirling Russell (Seattle Sounders; Bellevue, Wash.), Aedan Stanley (St. Louis Scott Gallagher SC; Columbia, Ill.), Angel Uribe (Club Tijuana; San Diego, Calif), Aristotle Zarris ( LA Galaxy; Casa Grande, Ariz.)
MIDFIELDERS (7): Abdi Faris (IMG Academy; Bradenton, Fla.), Christian Cappis (Texans SC Houston; Katy, Texas), Jose Carranza (D.C. United; Manassas, Va.), Andrew Paoli (San Jose Earthquakes; San Jose, Calif.), Brian Perez (Club Tijuana; San Diego, Calif.), Brandon Servania (FC Dallas; Brimingham, Ala.), Noah Verhoeven (Vancouver Whitecaps; Surrey, B.C)
FORWARDS (8): Shaft Brewer (FC Dallas; Sacramento, Calif.), Griffen Dorsey (Colorado Rush; Evergreen, Colo.), Ernesto Espinoza (Club Tijuana; Chula Vista, Calif.), Will Inalien (Portland Timbers; Taramac, Fla.), Justin McMaster (Philadelphia Union; King of Prussia, Pa.), Alfred Perez (Weston FC; Miami, Fla.), Emanuel Perez (CASL; Garner, N.C.), Justin Rennicks (New England Revolution Academy; Hamilton, Mass.)
