ASN: U.S. U-23s Face a Tough Highway in Toulon Event

Tab Ramos’ U-20 staff is getting ready for its World Cup. Jurgen Klinsmann’s senior staff is eyeing this summer season’s Gold Cup. And Andi Herzog’s U-23s discover themselves on the new seat proper now.

BY

Josh Deaver

Posted
Could 26, 2015
8:30 AM

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THE LATEST U-23 ROSTER is out and, boy, it positive is underwhelming.

We’ve mentioned this earlier than: The age group hoping to characterize the US on the 2016 Olympic Video games represents a wierd anomaly in U.S Soccer—a useless zone {of professional} improvement that includes only a few age-eligible gamers who’re excelling on a membership degree. Only a few.

If the end result of the 2013 U-20 World Cup wasn’t sufficient to disclose this uncomfortable reality—an egregious pasting within the Group of Dying—to have lots of the similar gamers stagnating (or falling off the map utterly) some two years later makes the state of affairs a problematic one for U.S. Soccer.

Seeking to proper the ship earlier than Olympic qualifying begins within the fall, the U-23 age group will subsequent head to France to compete within the prestigious Toulon Event starting on Wednesday. Drawn into Group A, the People should navigate a tough pool of opposition together with host-nation France, the Netherlands, Qatar, and acquainted CONCACAF foe Costa Rica.

Right here is the complete 19-man roster launched by U.S Soccer.

GOALKEEPERS: Cody Cropper (Southampton; Maple Grove, Minn.), Charlie Horton (Cardiff Metropolis; Cleveland, Ohio), Tyler Miller (Zweibrücken; Woodbury, NJ)

DEFENDERS: Juan Pablo Ocegueda (Alebrijes de Oaxaca; Riverside, Calif.), Boyd Okwuonu (Actual Salt Lake; Edmund, Okla.), Shane O’Neill (Colorado Rapids; Boulder, Colo.), William Packwood (Unattached; Harmony, Mass.), Jalen Robinson (D.C. United; Catonsville, Md.), Dillon Serna (Colorado Rapids; Brighton, Colo.), Sam Sturdy (Santa Barbara; Santa Barbara, Calif.)

MIDFIELDERS: Fatai Alashe (San Jose Earthquakes; Northville, Mich.), Benji Joya (Santos Laguna; San Jose, Calif.), Daniel Metzger (New York Pink Bulls II; Holmdel, NJ), Marc Pelosi (Liverpool; Sunnyvale, Calif.)

FORWARDS: Julian Inexperienced (Bayern Munich; Tampa, Fla.); Alonso Hernandez (CF Monterrey; El Paso, Tex.), Jerome Kiesewetter (Stuttgart; Berlin, Germany), Alfred Koroma Shams (Southlake Carol, Texas), Jordan Morris (Stanford; Mercer Island, Wash.)

Leaping out instantly are the names of primarily three “unattached” gamers in Shams, Packwood, and Joya, who, regardless of lately re-signing with Santos Laguna, has been out of contract for the higher a part of six months. Becoming a member of them are 5 gamers who’ve by no means performed an expert minute and a number of other who haven’t superior past the reserve ranks of their respective golf equipment. Of the gamers named (another will reportedly be a part of the group) solely Shane O’Neill, Dillon Serna, and Fatai Alashe are seeing common first-team, first-division minutes. 

Talking of which, there’s Julian Inexperienced. Exhausting to consider however this World Cup goalscorer has performed precisely 90 aggressive minutes in 2015.

That’s one match. In March. For the Hamburg reserves. Within the German fourth division.

This was the gamble when Inexperienced got here aboard. Desirous to safe his worldwide companies, U.S. Soccer placed on a full-court press for the Bayern Munich teenager who had but to essentially show himself on the skilled degree except for, , getting an expert contract with the perfect membership staff on the earth. Now that’s he’s forged his lot with the People, there are nonetheless a number of questions left to reply concerning the participant.

For starters: What’s his place within the participant pool and may Jurgen Klinsmann proceed to justify senior staff call-ups? A while and, hopefully, success with the U-23s ought to assist present some readability going ahead. Getting on an precise soccer discipline is all the time a great first step.

As threadbare as this roster could look, it shouldn’t essentially set off any alarm bells. Not precisely a first-choice roster from coach Andreas Herzog, the People can be lacking John Brooks, DeAndre Yedlin, Luis Gil, Wil Trapp, and the injured Caleb Stanko—a number of of whom can be requested to play an enormous position for the upcoming Olympic qualifying event.

Then again, I wouldn’t be too optimistic both.

The People will battle France in its opening match on Wednesday (1pm ET, BeIN Sports activities).

UPDATES

One other title lacking from the U-23 roster is Borussia Monchengladbach ahead Mario Rodriguez. One of many extra profitable members of this his class, Rodriguez scored his sixth objective of the season final week in a 4-0 win over KFC Uerdingen 05—besting his whole from the earlier season. The win additionally clinched a spot within the upcoming 3.Liga promotion playoffs, giving Rodriguez and different starters a relaxation in opposition to Schalke on Saturday (2-1 loss) within the Regionalliga season finale. Gladbach II begins its two-leg promotion collection with Werden Bremen II on Wednesday.

On the opposite facet of the coin, Borussia Dortmund II ended a disappointing season final week by falling 3-2 to FC Dynamo Dresden, thereby guaranteeing relegation into the Regionalliga subsequent season. This can be a clear setback for Joe Gyau and Junior Flores, who had garnered some strong recreation expertise taking part in with the reserves within the German 3.Liga this season. Together with the departure of Jurgen Klopp, it will likely be an uneasy few months in Dortmund. INQUEST!

— Steven Goff (@SoccerInsider) Could 21, 2015

After lacking out on the U-20 World Cup for the US, Flores may reportedly take a look at the worldwide waters with El Salvador, which has pursued {the teenager} for its senior setup for the higher a part of two years. If he “defects,” El Salvador may cap-tie Flores as quickly as this summer season’s Gold Cup. Nevertheless, a query stays: Was excluding him actually a “snub”?
Positives? The Dortmund U17s, which play within the B-Junioren Bundesliga West, have gained the division for the second consecutive yr. U.S. under-17 hype prepare conductor, Christian Pulisic, completed the season with six targets in solely 320 minutes of labor (4 appearances). The U-17s will end its season subsequent weekend.
Talking of relegation, Zweibrucken, taking part in the Regionalliga Sudwest, can be mercifully dropped to the German fifth division subsequent season after shedding its seventeenth consecutive match on Saturday, a 1-0 loss to FC Astoria Waldorf. U-23 goalkeeper call-up Tyler Miller received the beginning and performed 90 minutes within the loss.
German 3.Liga facet SpVgg Unterhacing, which options former Freiburg prospect Eric Lickert, may even be relegated to the Regionalliga.
After making his debut earlier within the month for Hannover U-19, Abuchi Obinwa made a late substitute look for the membership in a 1-0 win over TSV Havelse to win the A-Junioren Bundesliga Pokal Cup.

’97 #usynt Abuchi Obinwa wins Pokal A-Junioren Bundesliga Nord/Nordost with Hannover 96 U19s. pic.twitter.com/kGMJnQ9uW7

— USAprospects (@USAprospects) Could 15, 2015

U-23 ahead Jerome Keisewetter made his thirty third look for VfB Stuttgart II on Saturday, getting the beginning and taking part in 67 minutes in a 3-2 season-ending win over Energie Cottbus. Keisewetter has quietly had one of many extra productive seasons for any foreign-based American youth participant, ending second on the membership in appearances; sixth in minutes (2,155), third in targets (4); and first in assists with 5.
Andrija Novakovich completed out his season with Studying U-21 final weekend, getting the beginning and taking part in 90 minutes in a 1-0 loss to West Brom. Novakovich loved a spectacular rise on the membership this season, going from the U-18s to incomes a first-team look in lower than three months. Slated for a first-team place subsequent season, Novakovich’s output helped safe promotion into the U-21 Premier League Division 1 for the reserve Royals.
Djair Parfitt-Williams additionally made a fast ascent for West Ham United this season, dominating for the U-18s (9 targets and 6 assists in 20 matches) earlier than transferring to the reserves, including two targets and two assists in 14 appearances. Final week, Parfitt-Williams received the beginning, taking part in 90 minutes in a 1-0 win over U-21 champs Chelsea. The Bermuda-born ahead sat out the staff’s season finale in opposition to Leicester Metropolis final weekend.
Earlier than jetting off to France with the U-23s final week, Cody Cropper picked up his third consecutive begin in a 4-0 loss to Manchester Metropolis.
Flying approach beneath the radar in England is U.S under-18 left again Antonee Robinson. That includes largely for the Everton U-18s this season, Antonee completed the yr with the reserve squad, beginning the ultimate 5 matches of the season, together with a 90-minute shift in 3-1 win over Tottenham to shut out the season.
Fellow U-18 Kyle Scott wrapped up his season with the U-21 Premier League champs on Tuesday, getting the beginning and taking part in 86 minutes in a 2-2 draw with Norwich metropolis. Subsequent season must be an enormous one for Scott and we’ll proceed to watch his precarious worldwide state of affairs.

ASN Contributing Editor Josh Deaver is a former educational turned soccer obsessive. Comply with him on Twitter.