The United States U-17 men’s national team heads into its final camp before the U-17 World Cup in November, a chance to regroup after a disappointing September window. That camp in the Netherlands featured two losses to the Dutch, including a humbling seven-goal defeat in the second match. Gonzalo Segares and his staff will need to restore confidence and implement structure into a talented but inconsistent group.
This camp is domestic-only, with no European-based players making the trip. That’s not unusual given timing and logistics. The U.S. will open their World Cup campaign against Burkina Faso on November 5.
The roster
GK – Aidan Stokes, New York Red Bulls (#17 2008 prospect)
GK – Jack Kortkamp, Sporting Kansas City (#19 2008 prospect)
GK – William Mackay, Real Salt Lake
RB – Gio Villa, Real Salt Lake (#18 2008 prospect)
CB – Christopher Cupps, Chicago Fire (#6 2008 prospect)
CB – Ramiz Hamouda, Birmingham Legion (#9 2008 prospect)
CB – Enrique Martinez, LA Galaxy
CB – Micah Harris, Houston Dynamo
CB – Adrian Sanders, LAFC
LB – Pedro Guimarães, Orange County SC
LB – Jordan Griffin, Philadelphia Union
CM – Jude Terry, LAFC (#1 2008 prospect)
CM – Cristiano Oliveira, New England Revolution (#16 2008 prospect)
CM – Cooper Sanchez, Atlanta United
CM – Luca Moisa, Real Salt Lake
CM – Mateo Tsakiris, LA Galaxy
AM – Cavan Sullivan, Philadelphia Union (#1 2009 prospect)
AM – Maximo Carrizo, NYCFC (#7 2008 prospect)
AM – Kellan LeBlanc, Philadelphia Union
W – Nimfasha Berchimas, Charlotte FC (#4 2008 prospect)
W – Jamir Johnson, Philadelphia Union (#13 2008 prospect)
W/CF – Julian Hall, New York Red Bulls (#2 2008 prospect)
CF – Chase Adams, Columbus Crew (#11 2008 prospect)
CF – Tanner Rosborough, New York Red Bulls
Top eligible players not on the roster
GK – William Lodmell, Sporting CP
Still very much in contention for a World Cup spot. The final roster will likely include three keepers, and Lodmell is battling for one of those slots.
RB – Oliver Tan, Famalicão
With Segares likely to only take three full-backs, Tan remains in the mix but misses out on this domestic camp.
CB – Ian James, Sporting KC (#5 2008 prospect)
Now featuring for Sporting KC’s first team, his absence makes sense here. He’s almost certain to be on the World Cup roster.
CM/AM – Jack Mize, FC Cincinnati
Finally with a club, but the timing hasn’t helped. He’s still regaining fitness and probably won’t make the final roster.
AM/W/CM – Lionel Gitau, Houston Dynamo (#14 2008 prospect)
From a talent perspective, he should be in the mix, but it doesn’t look like Segares will call him for the World Cup.
W – Mathis Albert, Borussia Dortmund (#2 2009 prospect)
If fit and released by Dortmund, Albert is a lock for the World Cup roster. No surprise he skipped this domestic camp.
W – Eric Preston, LA Galaxy
Has impressed in previous looks, but probably only gets in if there are injuries or release issues.
W – Gabriel Wesseh, Atlanta United (#20 2008 prospect)
Surprising that he never got a call in this cycle despite his breakout season.
CF – Austyn Jones, PSV (#15 2008 prospect)
Only received one camp look despite strong PSV production. For me, his exclusion remains one of the bigger head-scratchers.
Top players provisionally tied elsewhere
RB – Wes Okoduwa, Wolves (tied to England) (#10 2008 prospect)
DM – Decarlo Guerra, LAFC (tied to Guatemala) (#12 2008 prospect)
DM – Landon Emenalo, Chelsea (tied to England) (#8 2008 prospect)
CF – Alexander Staff, Eintracht Frankfurt (tied to Germany) (#3 2008 prospect)
Player receiving first camp
None — no surprise this close to the World Cup.
Roster grade: A-
Segares has made sensible adjustments after September’s poor performances, particularly with the expanded center-back pool. The reinclusion of Cristiano Oliveira is a smart move as well — he adds a dynamic presence to the midfield. I’d personally prefer Gitau over LeBlanc or Tsakiris, and I would take Austyn Jones over Rosborough, but those are relatively minor gripes.
The reality is that the core is intact: Terry, Sullivan, Hall, Berchimas, Carrizo, Adams, Cupps, and Johnson are all here. The absences — Lodmell, James, Albert — have logical explanations. This is still a supremely talented group, but they need to rediscover their identity quickly. The U-17 World Cup is just weeks away, and it’s the biggest stage of their young careers.
.svg){kind=logo}
