US Soccer announced on Monday that Under-17 head coach Richie Williams has called 24 players to a pre-World Cup training camp taking place in Mexico City this week.
Williams named 11 players with MLS connections to the roster, which will face Mexico in friendlies on Wednesday and Friday in their final action ahead of next month’s FIFA U-17 World Cup in Chile.
FC Dallas midfielder Alex Zendejas, New York Red Bulls II midfielder Tyler Adams and LA Galaxy II goalkeeper Eric Lopez headline the squad, which also includes eight players from MLS academy systems. The FC Dallas and New York Red Bulls academies each sent two players to the camp, while the Real Salt Lake, Philadelphia Union and Orlando City youth setups all had one player named to the roster.
The US U-17s – which went 1-1-2 at the Vaclav Jezek Tournament in the Czech Republic in August before taking second-place at the Limoges Tournament in France earlier this month – were drawn into Group A with Nigeria, Croatia and Chile at the upcoming World Cup. They’ll kick off the tournament on Oct. 17, facing Nigeria in the competition’s opening match.
FULL US UNDER-17 CAMP ROSTER:
GOALKEEPERS (3): Eric Lopez (LA Galaxy II; Westminster, Calif.), William Pulisic (Richmond United; Mechanicsville, Va.), Kevin Silva (Players Development Academy; Bethlehem, Pa.)
DEFENDERS (8): Hugo Arellano (LA Galaxy Academy; Norwalk, Calif.), Reggie Cannon (FC Dallas Academy; Grapevine, Texas), Tanner Dieterich (Real Salt Lake Academy; Nashville, Tenn.), John Nelson (Internationals; Medina, Ohio), Matt Olosunde (New York Red Bulls Academy; Trenton, N.J.), Logan Panchot (St. Louis Scott Gallagher Missouri; St. Louis, Mo.), Auston Trusty (Philadelphia Union Academy; Media, Pa.), Alexis Velela (New York Cosmos; San Diego, Calif.)
MIDFIELDERS (6): Tyler Adams (New York Red Bulls II; Wappinger Falls, N.Y.), Eric Calvillo (Real So Cal; Palmdale, Calif.), Jonathan Gonzalez (Monterrey; Santa Rosa, Calif.), Thomas McCabe (Players Development Academy; South Orange, N.J.), Weston McKennie (FC Dallas Academy; Little Elm, Texas), Alejandro Zendejas (FC Dallas; El Paso, Texas)
FORWARDS (7): Pierre da Silva (Orlando City Academy; Port Chester, N.Y.), McKinzie Gaines (Lonestar SC; Austin, Texas), Joe Gallardo (Monterrey; San Diego, Calif.), Josh Perez (unattached; La Habra, Calif.), Brian Saramago (New York Red Bulls Academy; Garden City Park, N.Y.) Brandon Vazquez (Club Tijuana; Chula Vista, Calif.), Haji Wright (New York Cosmos; Los Angeles, Calif.)
