2019 USMNT U-17 World Cup Thread

[Napoleon 8822]

The boys have qualified for this fall's FIFA U-17 World Cup (they just had to make it to the Semis) and now they play Mexico's U-17 boys in the CONCACAF U-17 Final tomorrow (May 16th, 2019).

Stars of note so far have been Giovanni Reyna (6 goals so far, 3 from set pieces) and FC Dallas'. 16 year-old foward/striker Ricardo Pepi (3 goals in last two games), plus Sporting Kansas City's wunderkind Gianluca Busio, who seems to provide an assist to nearly every goal from the run of play. That kid is short, but at 16 he has been a regular off the bench, and occasional starter, for Sporting Kansas City since the start of last year. If he could get a European passport, it would behoove him to make the jump ASAP. Otherwise, he'll just keep getting MLS 1st team minutes before going over (hopefully) in the Fall of 2020. (He turns 17 at the end of May.) Chituru Odunze (GK) who was born in London and lives in Canada, but somehow has an American passport and is somewhere between 6'5" and 6'7", depending on how accurate the various sources are. Supposedly he's also working on getting his Canadian passport, but don't know if playing in the U-17s would nullify Canada, because he didn't qualify for having that passport before he played an official FIFA tournament. (Can't remember if that applies to U-17 or U-20.)

 

ROSTER through qualifying:

2019 Concacaf U-17 Championship Roster by Position (Club; Hometown; U-17 Caps/Goals)
GOALKEEPERS (2): 
1-Damian Las (Chicago Fire; Norridge, Ill.; 13/0)
12-Chituru Odunze (Vancouver Whitecaps FC/CAN; Calgary, Alta.; 4/0)

DEFENDERS (7): 
4-Axel Alejandre (FC United; Chicago, Ill.; 14/0)
3-Adam Armour (North Carolina FC; Cary, N.C.; 11/0)
13-Mauricio Cuevas (LA Galaxy; Los Angeles, Calif.; 2/0)
14-Tayvon Gray (New York City FC; Bronx, N.Y.; 10/0)
5-Kobe Hernandez (LA Galaxy; Los Angeles, Calif.; 14/1),
2-Joseph Scally (New York City FC; Lake Grove, N.Y.; 14/1)
15-John Tolkin (New York Red Bulls; Chatham, N.J.; 3/0)

MIDFIELDERS (5): 
7-Gianluca Busio (Sporting Kansas City; Greensboro, N.C.; 7/2)
20-Gilbert Fuentes (San Jose Earthquakes; Tracy, Calif.; 13/0)
8-Bryang Kayo (D.C. United; Poolesville, Md.; 0/0)
6-Daniel Leyva (Seattle Sounders FC; Las Vegas, Nev.; 0/0)
16-Adam Saldana (LA Galaxy; Panorama City, Calif.; 17/1)

FORWARDS (6): 
18-Jack de Vries (Philadelphia Union; Wayne, Pa.; 0/0)
17-Tyler Freeman (Sporting Kansas City; Shawnee, Kan.; 3/1)
19-Alfonso Ocampo-Chavez (Tacoma Defiance; Kent, Wash.; 14/5)
9-Ricardo Pepi (North Texas SC; McKinney, Texas; 6/1)
10-Giovanni Reyna (Unattached; Bedford, N.Y.; 8/1)
11-Griffin Yow (D.C. United; Clifton, Va.; 6/3)          

[Knoxtnhorn 6290]

Article I read earlier today stated FS1 and 2 would be showing all WC games; not just the US.

Oops.  I was thinking of U-20.  My bad.

Edited May 15, 2019 by Knoxtnhorn

[ztejas 44223]

Was wondering why they are all with US clubs - then saw your note about Euro passports. 

So generally I'm guessing it's difficult for US teens to play in Europe before they turn 17? Unless they have dual citizenship or some shit?

[Napoleon 8822]

50 minutes ago, ztejas said:

Was wondering why they are all with US clubs - then saw your note about Euro passports. 

So generally I'm guessing it's difficult for US teens to play in Europe before they turn 17? Unless they have dual citizenship or some shit?

Before they turn 18.

Some clubs were signing a bunch of kids from "Developing Countries" and then would dump them at age 16 or 17 and they basically had no education and had been pulled away from their families for a number of years. FIFA got shamed into putting a stop to this.

Now, you have to have a Euro passport AND perhaps even have family over there, in order to sign before you are 18.

Claudio Reyna's kid, Giovanni, has a Portuguese passport through the kid's mom, so he is in Dortmund's youth system even though he is listed as "unattached". Other than that, they're all Stateside except for the kid in Vancouver. [12-Chituru Odunze (GK, Vancouver Whitecaps FC/CAN; Calgary, Alta.; 4/0)] His parents probably live up there, or across the border in that tiny peninsula that is US Territory- "Point Roberts", that is technically the state of Washington.

 

[ztejas 44223]

4 minutes ago, Napoleon said:

Before they turn 18.

Some clubs were signing a bunch of kids from "Developing Countries" and then would dump them at age 16 or 17 and they basically had no education and had been pulled away from their families for a number of years. FIFA got shamed into putting a stop to this.

Now, you have to have a Euro passport AND perhaps even have family over there, in order to sign before you are 18.

Claudio Reyna's kid, Giovanni, has a Portuguese passport through the kid's mom, so he is in Dortmund's youth system even though he is listed as "unattached". Other than that, they're all Stateside except for the kid in Vancouver. [12-Chituru Odunze (GK, Vancouver Whitecaps FC/CAN; Calgary, Alta.; 4/0)] His parents probably live up there, or across the border in that tiny peninsula that is US Territory- "Point Roberts", that is technically the state of Washington.

 

That plus I'm guessing the Canada/US rules are more lax seeing as the MLS spans both countries with multiple teams in each. 

[MoJames 8258]

[Napoleon 8822]

USA BATTLES HARD BUT FALLS TO MEXICO 2-1 IN EXTRA TIME OF 2019 CONCACAF U-17 CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL

the halftime whistle, the USA held over 60 percent of possession and outshot Mexico 15-3 as the U.S. front line -- Reyna, Alfonso Ocampo-Chavez and Yow - continued to spark chances.

https://www.ussoccer.com/stories/2019/05/17/02/33/20190516-recap-u17mnt-vs-mexico-cu17-final

[hornimal 80]

related, but not seeing much coverage.  I'm headed out to see u-16 usbnt vs. venezuela at the eufa development tournament in prague.  I can't find an updated team roster, any prospects to keep an eye on?

Edited May 17, 2019 by hornimal

[Knoxtnhorn 6290]

I'm not mysogynist, but I wish we got more coverage of the youth tourneys and less of the women's team.  I swear they (women) play every other night.

[hornimal 80]

reporting back now that I'm back home.  usbnt won against a lethargic venezuela team.  standout players were the combo of burners of #9 Samuel Sarver (scored on a nice diving header) and #7 Dante Sealy