ASN: With an eye fixed in direction of LA2028, U.S. Soccer broadcasts U-21 staff and a U-20 rosters

ASN’s Brian Sciaretta seems on the roster of the brand new U.S. U-21 staff in addition to the U-20 roster for 2006-born gamers who may also be a part of the 2028 Olympic pool. 

BY

Brian Sciaretta

Posted
November 08, 2025
9:10 AM

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ON FRIDAY, U.S. Soccer introduced plans for a U-21 nationwide staff that can assist to begin the 2028 Olympic cycle. Whereas this roster accommodates a number of gamers born in 2004, beginning in September 2026, it can revert to a 2005 and youthful age restrict – which is the cutoff for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic males’s event.

This primary camp of the U-21 staff will happen in Europe with two friendlies. First, the staff will face Denmark on November 14 after which Serbia on November 18.

The staff’s coach this camp is Michael Morris, who was the assistant to former Olympic and U-20 head coach Marko Mitrovic – who lately left the federation to take the job with the New England Revolution.

The aim of this camp is twofold.

First, it retains some proficient 2004-born gamers within the system as they push in direction of the total nationwide staff. Many of those gamers may not make the 2026 World Cup staff, however they’re anticipated to be within the combine beginning subsequent cycle with a coach nonetheless unknown at this level.

Second, it permits the gamers who’re within the 2005 and 2006 beginning years to construct momentum heading into the beginning of the Olympic cycle which was introduced to start in September 2026.

As well as, the federation additionally introduced the roster for a U-20 camp in Costa Rica. In the course of the camp, the U-20 MNT will play the Costa Rica U-20 facet on Nov. 15 and Nov. 18 at Estadio Piedades de Santa Ana. This camp can be coached by Rob Valentino, who lately served because the interim head coach of Atlanta United. 

That is for 2006-born gamers. Whereas these gamers gained’t be a part of the subsequent U-20 cycle for the 2027 U-20 World Cup, they’re eligible to be a part of the 2028 Olympic staff pool. The gamers on this roster didn’t participate within the 2025 U-20 World Cup however had been a part of that pool. U.S. Soccer has the target proper now to maintain as many gamers within the system as potential.

Listed here are ideas on all of it. 

U.S. U-21 roster for November

GOALKEEPERS (2): Diego Kochen (FC Barcelona/ESP Miramar, Fla.), Gaga Slonina (Chelsea/ENG; Addison, Ailing.)

DEFENDERS (6): Reed Baker-Whiting (Seattle Sounders; Seattle, Wash.), Noah Cobb (Colorado Rapids; Chattanooga, Tenn.), Brandan Craig (CF Montreal/CAN; Philadelphia, Pa.), Ethan Kohler (SC Verl/GER; Campbell, Calif.), Nolan Norris (FC Dallas; Fort Value, Texas), Thomas Williams (Orlando Metropolis; Titusville, Fla.)

MIDFIELDERS (6): Santiago Castañeda (Paderborn/GER; Tampa, Fla.), Jackson Hopkins (D.C. United; Fredericksburg, Va.), Rokas Pukstas (Hajduk Break up/CRO; Stillwater, Okla.), Brooklyn Raines (Houston Dynamo; Chicago, Ailing.), Niko Tsakiris (San Jose Earthquakes; Saratoga, Calif.), Gerardo Valenzuela (FC Cincinnati; Boca Raton, Fla.)

FORWARDS (6): Cole Campbell (Borussia Dortmund/GER; Peachtree Metropolis, Ga.), Damion Downs (Southampton/ENG; Werneck, Germany), Zavier Gozo (Actual Salt Lake; Eagle Mountain, Utah), Mykhi Joyner (St. Louis Metropolis; Bloomington, IL), Peyton Miller (New England Revolution; Unionville, Conn.), Darren Yapi (Colorado Rapids; Denver, Colo.)

Roster ideas

Rokas Pukstas is one other participant who has discovered his footing after a troublesome season in 2024/25. He’s additionally too outdated for the Olympics however is vital to have taking part in video games for the US as he could possibly be a part of the USMNT after the World Cup.

Damion Downs has been a part of the USMNT this yr, together with on the Gold Cup. However his switch to Southampton has not gone effectively and this permits him to proceed to be prepared for the USMNT as he figures out his membership state of affairs

Darren Yapi was a part of the U-20 World Cup staff in 2023 however made his most important strides as an expert participant in 2025 with the Rapids the place he scored seven targets. Like Downs, he’s behind gamers corresponding to Pepi and Balogun, however may emerge at a later age or if there are accidents.

— Colorado Rapids (@ColoradoRapids) November 7, 2025

It’s anticipated that lots of the gamers who had been concerned on the current U-20 World Cup would be the spine of the U-23 staff for the 2028 Olympic staff. Then following the 2027 U-20 World Cup, the highest gamers from that squad will push for a spot.

In whole, 9 gamers on this roster had been a part of final month’s U-20 World Cup staff. Diego Kochen would have made it 10 as he was named to the ultimate roster however needed to withdraw.

It is a good step ahead by U.S. Soccer each by way of looking forward to the Olympics, which can be crucial in 2028 when it’s performed on residence soil, and as a manner of holding prospects concerned for the USMNT.

The Olympics would be the final of three huge tournaments to be hosted on U.S. soil following the 2024 Copa America and the 2026 World Cup. It can function a option to break within the subsequent era of American gamers that observe Christian Pulisic, Tyler Adams, and Weston McKennie. 

Except the U.S. staff performs within the Copa America that summer time (and there have been no indications but that would be the case), anticipate an inventory of prime American gamers wish to be among the many three allowed overage gamers. 

The Olympics and the subsequent World Cup cycle can be right here earlier than we all know it. There must be an eye fixed past the 2026 World Cup.

U.S. U-20 roster (2006) for November

Goalkeepers (2): Julian Eyestone (Brentford/ENG; Dallas, Texas), Andrew Rick (Philadelphia Union; Berwyn, Pa.)

Defenders (7): Freddie Anderson (Cork Metropolis/IRE; Manchester, England), Riley Dalgado (LA Galaxy; Redondo Seashore, Calif.), Christian Diaz (LAFC; San Bernardino, Calif.), Stuart Hawkins (Seattle Sounders; Fox Island, Wash.), Sawyer Jura (Portland Timbers; Bend, Ore.), Owen Presthus (Hartford Athletic; Columbus, Ohio), Tahir Reid-Brown (Orlando Metropolis; Orlando, Fla.)

Midfielders (6): Devon Decorte (Anderlecht/BEL; Southampton, Pa.), Diego Garcia Murillo (FC Dallas; El Paso, Texas), Eric Klein (New England Revolution; Manheim, Pa.), Cruz Medina (San Jose Earthquakes; San Francisco, Calif.), Edwyn Mendoza (San Jose Earthquakes; San Jose, Calif.), CJ Olney (Philadelphia Union; Hillsborough, N.J.)

Forwards (5): Micah Burton (Austin FC; Mound View, Minn.),?Bajung Darboe (Bayern Munich/GER; Madison, Wisc.), Edward Davis (Philadelphia Union; Los Angeles, Calif.), Keyrol Figueroa (Liverpool/ENG; Warrington, England), Andre Gitau (Mainz/GER; Richmond, Texas)

 
Roster ideas

These gamers all missed out on the 2025 U-20 World Cup however U.S. Soccer nonetheless desires them to be a part of the system because the 2028 Olympics approaches.

Most of those gamers are nonetheless but to interrupt by on the first-team degree with vital minutes apart from a couple of exceptions. However will probably be fascinating to see how this staff performs with the Olympic cycle beginning in full pressure within the fall.

Listed here are a couple of gamers I’m following.

Bajung Darboe has been impressing with Bayern Munich’s second staff and he stays one of many few gamers who’ve been offered for a switch price when the German giants paid LAFC to amass him.

Andrew Rick, CJ Olney, and Eddy Davis have been chosen to signify the U.S. U-20 facet in Costa Rica for a pair of friendlies in opposition to the host nation.#doop #USYMNT #USMNT ????: Carl Gulbish and Don Robson pic.twitter.com/St4na6dQp0

— José Roberto Nuñez (@JoserNunez91) November 9, 2025

Andrew Rick can be an vital goalkeeping prospect and he crammed in very effectively for the Philadelphia Union when Andre Blake was injured. However Rick’s inclusion in addition to Eddy Davis and CJ Olney proceed to point out that the Philadelphia Union is a pressure in producing gamers for the USMNT and all the varied USYNTs. 

Keyrol Figueroa has begun to search out his scoring contact once more with the youth groups of Liverpool.