With this year’s U-20 World Cup in Indonesia fast approaching, 23 players have been named by US Soccer for the first training camp of the year, set to take place in Bradenton, Florida.
With normal U-20 head coach Mikey Varas busy in southern California working with the senior players for their yearly “Camp Cupcake”, the U-20 squad in Florida will be led by Gonzalo Segares, who splits time as the current coach for the U-17 team as well as an assistant to Varas.
The roster consist of players eligible for this summer’s World Cup, namely those born on or after January 1, 2003, and is, with a few exceptions, mostly drawn from players on MLS rosters.
Several prominent U-20 players such as Gabriel Slonina, Cade Cowell, Jalen Neal and Paxten Aaronson will be in California, opening the door for a total of six players making their first ever trip to a U-20 camp.
Two U-20 stars who will be at the camp are Philadelphia’s Jack McGlynn and Quinn Sullivan, who have already combined for 80 first-team appearances with the Union as well as 13 goals over 27 appearances for Varas and Segares since late-2021.
Sullivan was one of the stars of last year’s CONCACAF U-20 Championship, where he scored six goals on the way to helping the Americans qualify for the World Cup and 2024 Paris Olympics.
Notably, three of the 23 players are currently with European-based clubs, including Brugge’s Mauricio Cuevas, Vizela’s Alejandro Alvarado and RB Leipzig’s Caden Clark. None of the three are expected to feature for their clubs’ first teams anytime in the near future, likely prompting their release outside of an official FIFA window.
The camp runs from January 19-29 at the IMG academy in Bradenton.
USMNT U-20 Roster for January Camp
GOALKEEPERS (2): Antonio Carrera (FC Dallas; Frisco, Texas), Emmanuel Ochoa (San Jose Earthquakes; Salinas, Calif.)
DEFENDERS (8): Brandan Craig (Philadelphia Union; Philadelphia, Pa.), Mauricio Cuevas (Club Brugge/BEL); Marcus Ferkranus (LA Galaxy; Santa Clarita, Calif.), Alexander Freeman (Orlando City SC; Plantation, Fla.), Michael Halliday (Orlando City SC; Apopka, Fla.), Caleb Wiley (Atlanta United FC; Atlanta, Ga.), Thomas Williams (Orlando City SC; Titusville, Fla.), Joshua Wynder (Louisville City FC; Louisville, Ky.)
MIDFIELDERS (7): Alejandro Alvarado Jr. (Vizela/POR; Los Angeles, Calif.), Daniel Leyva (Seattle Sounders FC; Las Vegas, Nev.), Diego Luna (Real Salt Lake; Sunnyvale, Calif.), Jack McGlynn (Philadelphia Union; Middle Village, Pa.), Niko Tsakiris (San Jose Earthquakes; Saratoga, Calif.), Owen Wolff (Austin FC; Braselton, Ga.)
FORWARDS (6): Jackson Hopkins (D.C. United; Fredericksburg, Va.), Roald Mitchell (Wake Forest; Montclair, N.J.), Korede Osundina (Orange County SC; Redmond, Wash.), Quinn Sullivan (Philadelphia Union; Philadelphia, Pa.), Tyler Wolff (Atlanta United FC; Austin, Texas)
