Myles Gardner, winger for Houston Dynamo's academy.
Head coach Alex Aldaz has called in eight new players not on last month’s roster to face England on November 13, Australia on November 15, and Ivory Coast on November 18 in Dubai. U.S. Soccer described these as closed-door friendlies, meaning they will not be broadcast. The camp continues preparations for U-17 World Cup qualification in February 2026.
The roster
GK – Tobias Szewczyk, New York Red Bulls
GK – Matthew White, Philadelphia Union
RB – Daniel Barrett, Houston Dynamo
RB – Eddie Chadwick, Unattached
LB – Manu Romero, Real Madrid
CB/LB – Liam Vejrostek, FC Dallas
CB – Tyson Espy, Orange County SC
CB – Astin Mbaye, AC Milan
DM – Jacob Ramirez, Orlando City
DM – Landry Walker, San Antonio FC
CM – KK Spivey, San Jose Earthquakes
CM/AM – Vicente Garcia, LA Galaxy
AM – Paul Sokoloff, New York Red Bulls
AM – Xander Newstead, Ajax
AM/W – Will Ostrander, PSV
W/RB – Myles Gardner, Houston Dynamo
W – Makai Wells, New England Revolution
W – Rylan Hashimoto, Real Salt Lake
CF – Malik Jakupovic, Philadelphia Union
CF – Matthias Vieux, Inter Miami
Top eligible players not on the roster
GK – Marcelo Avalos, San Jose Earthquakes
Appears to be leaning toward representing Mexico at this stage.
GK – James Donaldson, Atlanta United
One of the top two keeper options in this class. Unclear if this absence is due to a sporting decision or injury.
GK – Leonard Prescott, Bayern Munich
Missed U-17 European qualification with Germany due to injury.
GK – Philipp Eckle, FC Augsburg
Solid player, though not quite at Prescott’s level. Unclear if U.S. Soccer is in contact.
RB – Nash Dearmin, Inter Miami
A player I rate higher than some currently in camp.
RB – Alexito Gomez, New York Red Bulls
Another I rate above current options.
RB/LB – Linkon Ream, Real Salt Lake
Also a player I rate above some called in.
LB – Prince Forfor, Columbus Crew
Injured during the last camp and hasn’t returned for his club yet.
CB – Ethan Degny, Nice
Likely omitted with Espy’s return.
DM – Adri Mehmeti, New York Red Bulls
Currently focused on club football.
CM – Gustavo Borges, Eintracht Frankfurt
May be dealing with an injury; hasn’t appeared with Frankfurt’s U-17s recently.
CM – Judah Siqueira, New England Revolution
Arguably the best 2009-born player yet to receive a USYNT invite.
AM – Cavan Sullivan, Philadelphia Union
With the 2008s at the U-17 World Cup.
AM – Jai Bansoodeb, Brentford
A new name to track. Recently joined Brentford and is among their top players.
AM – Ademar Chavez, FC Cincinnati
Hasn’t been in U.S. camps recently but remains a strong player.
W – Mathis Albert, Borussia Dortmund
Also with the 2008s at the U-17 World Cup.
W – Omar Hassan, Seattle Sounders
Recovering from injury.
W – Kashan Hines, Sporting Kansas City
Still awaiting his first USYNT call-up.
W – Darris Hyte, Chicago Fire
Hasn’t featured in the last two camps.
W – Kairo Smith-Phillips, Crystal Palace
Impressive in limited footage but hasn’t been with U.S. Soccer in over a year.
CF – Zidane Cadet, Inter Miami
Appears to have fallen down the depth chart.
Roster grade: B
It’s a solid group from a very strong class. The two elite prospects from this age group—and arguably the two best USMNT prospects overall—Cavan Sullivan and Mathis Albert are currently playing up at the U-17 World Cup, while another top player, Adri Mehmeti, is focusing on club play. Even without them, the group has quality.
Some of Aldaz’s adjustments make sense—several players from October’s camp struggled. The one player I continue to scratch my head at not getting a look is Judah Siqueira from New England Revolution.
In goal, White replaces Donaldson. White’s father is now a part-owner of Philadelphia Union. The center-back unit is a clear strength: Espy, Mbaye, and Vejrostek may be the top three in the age group.
The fullback group is solid, though Forfor’s absence will be felt. It’s good to see Aldaz bring two right-backs this time after only one last month. Chadwick reportedly left LA Galaxy and is in England but has not finalized a new academy move.
In midfield, Spivey remains the standout—one of the premier prospects in the USYNT pool. Vincente Garcia, in his second U-17 camp as an ’09, looks to have permanently moved up. The rest of the group is steady but unspectacular.
Up front, Myles Gardner is the story. He was a late add to the previous camp but emerged as a standout performer and earned a deserved recall. He could become a key figure for this group heading into the next U-17 cycle and can also fill in at right-back. It’s also great to see Makai Wells return. He was overlooked for years, but appears to have won this staff over the last few camps.
Jakupovic remains the top striker in the class, and Vieux replaces Aaron Medina as the second center-forward option.
