Busy week for U.S. Soccer and California as a combined 11 natives have been called up to action. To keep you up to date with the best in local talent,
Busy week for U.S. Soccer and California as a combined 11 natives have been called up to action. To keep you up to date with the best in local talent, we’ll be dropping these U.S. Youth Soccer Updates to keep you informed.’
U-17 Women’s National Team
The U-17 Women’s National Team is one its way Europe to compete in the 2nd Torneo Femminile Delle Nazioni tournament from April 19-30. Included in the roster are 6 California natives.
They include defenders Kennedy Wesley (SoCal Blues; Rossmoor) and Kate Wiesner (Slammers FC; Monrovia) and midfielders Maya Doms (Davis Legacy; Davis), Mia Fishel (San Diego Surf), and Madison Mercado (San Diego Surf).
The USA opens against Slovenia on Tuesday, April 25 at the Sportni Park Ajdovscina in Ajdovscina, Slovenia, which is just 18 miles past the northeast border of Italy. The USA will then face Mexico on Wednesday, April 26 at ASD Fiumicello in Fiumicello, Italy and finishes group play against England on Friday, April 28 at ND Adria Miren in Miren, Slovenia, which is located just over the border with Italy.
After group play, each team will play a placement game on Saturday, April 29, with the group winners playing for the championship, the second-place finishers playing for third, the third-place finishers playing for fifth and the fourth-place finishers playing for seventh.
U-18 Women’s National Team
The U-18 Women’s National Team is currently in San Diego this week for an April training camp that will run conclude on April 22.
Five California natives are currently in camp and they include defenders Jillian Arriola (Beach FC; Rancho Palos Verdes) and Madelyn Desiano (SoCal Blues; San Clemente), midfielders Laura Fuentes (Palo Alto SC; Newark) and Jenna Nighswonger (Slammers FC; Huntington Beach), and forward Hailey Smith (Palo Alto SC; San Jose).
U.S. Soccer Development Coach Jaime Frias will run the camp and has called up 24 players, all born in 2000. This group of players is at the start of a two-year cycle as U-18s before transitioning to U-20s in 2019 and will form the core of the group that will eventually attempt to qualify for the 2020 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup.
