CHICAGO (Jan. 20, 2016) – U.S. Under-18 Men’s National Team head coach Omid Namazi called 36 players for the program’s initial training camp of 2016; it is the first roster he has named since being appointed head coach of the U-18s earlier this month.
The camp will run Jan. 17-23 at Premiere Sports Campus in Lakewood Ranch, Florida.
Only 12 of the 36-player roster had previous YNT experience. This will be the first call up for the 24 remaining players.
Sounders FC Academy defender Samual Rogers, midfielder Stirling Russell and forward Kei Tomozawa have been called into the camp.
The U-18 MNT is made up of players born in the year 1999, who will prepare for their first international matches of the year in Argentina in early March.
Roster by Position:
GOALKEEPERS (4): James Fetterly (Texas Rush; The Woodlands, Texas), Eric Lopez (LA Galaxy; Westminster, Calif.), Alec Smir (North Carolina Fusion; Greensboro, N.C.), Seth Steibel (St. Louis Scott Gallagher Missouri; O’Fallon, Mo.)
DEFENDERS (11): Jose Alfaro Jr. (Monarcas Morelia; West Chicago, Ill.), Corey Anton (FC Kaiserslautern; Wollstein, Germany), McKay Eves (RSL Arizona; Casa Grande, Ariz.), Christopher Grey (San Jose Earthquakes; San Jose, Calif.), Harold Hanson (FC Golden State; Ontario, Calif.), Mark McKenzie (Philadelphia Union; Bear, Del.), Alessandro Milesi (Shattuck-St. Mary’s; Fairbault, Minn.), Matthew Real (Philadelphia Union; Drexel Hill. Pa.), Samual Rogers (Seattle Sounders; Seattle, Wash.), Callum Stretch (Aston Villa FC; Encino, Calif.), Carson Vom Steeg (Real So Cal; Santa Barbara, Calif.)
MIDFIELDERS (12): Faris Abdi (IMG Academy; West Bradenton, Calif.), Alberto Alvarenga (Real So Cal; Canoga Park, Calif.), Omir Fernandez (New York Red Bulls; Bronx, N.Y.), Anthony Fontana (Philadelphia Union; Newark, Del.), Andrew Paoli (San Jose Earthquakes; San Jose, Calif.), Emanuel Perez (Capital Area Railhawks Academy; Garner, N.C..), Nicholas Pergjini (Troyes AC; DIGAS, France), Stirling Russell (Seattle Sounders; Bellevue, Wash.), Kazuyoshi Shigenobu (New York Red Bulls; Ridgewood, N.J.), Gregory Tracey (Colorado Rapids, Arvada, Colo.), Erik Virgen (RSL Arizona; Tucson, Ariz.), Hanif Wright (Unattached; Los Angeles, Calif.)
FORWARDS (9): Arda Bulut (San Jose Earthquakes; Los Gatos, Calif.), Joshua Burnett (Players Development Academy; Glen Ridge, N.J.), Rhys de Sota (Real Colorado; Foxfield, Colo.), Damen Marcu (Real Colorado; Arvada, Colo.), Leonardo Marquez-Ramirez (Club Leon; Vasilia, Calif.), Justin McMaster (Philadelphia Union, King of Prussia, Pa.), Cody Sundquist (ACF Fiorentina; Lincoln, Calif.), Kei Tomozawa (Seattle Sounders; Bellevue, Wash.), Alex Vedamanikam (RSL Arizona; Casa Grande, Ariz.)
