World Cup Preparations
United States U-20 Team Kicks Off NTC Tournament
The 2015 Under-20 World Cup is 10 months away, and Tab Ramos will be using the NTC Invitational tournament to assess talent, try out player combinations, and take another step toward qualifying.
BY
Josh Deaver
Posted
July 14, 2014
1:57 PM
ON THE HEELS of a second-place finish at the Dallas Cup in April, the U.S under-20 men’s national team has reconvened in Carson, Calif., in preparation for the 2014 NTC invitational tournament, where Tab Ramos’ squad will face Chile on Monday before matches with Bermuda and Australia later in the week.
July 14, 2014
1:57 PM
The 20-man roster
GOALKEEPERS: Santiago Castano (New York Red Bulls; Union City, N.J.), Zack Steffen (Maryland; Downington, Pa.) DEFENDERS: Michael Amick (UCLA; Sunnyvale, Calif.), Conor Donovan (Carolina RailHawks Academy; Fuquay Varina, N.C.), Chris Odoi-Atsem (Maryland; Mitchellville, Md.), Shaquell Moore (FC Dallas; Powder Springs, Ga.), John Requejo Jr. (Club Tijuana; Carpinteria, Calif.), Caleb Smith (Solar Chelsea SC; Arlington, Texas), Jesus Vasquez (UANL Tigres; San Luis Obispo, Calif.) MIDFIELDERS: Fernando Arce (Club Tijuana; Chula Vista, Calif.), Russell Canouse (TSG Hoffenheim; Lancaster, Pa.), Marco Delgado (Chivas USA; Glendora, Calif.), Romain Gall (Lorient; Herndon, Va.), Lynden Gooch (Sunderland; Santa Cruz, Calif.), Jacori Hayes (Wake Forest; Bowie, Md.) FORWARDS: Paul Arriola (Club Tijuana; Chula Vista, Calif.), Bradford Jamieson (LA Galaxy II; Los Angeles, Calif.), Benji Lopez (Arizona United SC; San Diego, Calif.), Andrija Novakovich (Reading; Muskego, Wis.), Zach Pfeffer (Philadelphia Union; Dresher, Pa.) Continuing the march toward under-20 World Cup qualifying, which begins in December, Ramos has returned 10 players from the impressive Dallas Cup run, including defenders Michael Amick and Jesus Vasquez, who join roster regulars Shaquell Moore and John Requejo Jr. (Requejo is the newest American Xolo, and one of three Tijuana players selected to the team). European-based midfielders Lynden Gooch and Romain Gall also return to the fold, along with the attacking combination of Arriola, Lopez, and Pfeffer, who combined for three goals and two assists in Dallas.
WHAT TO EXPECT
Ramos will likely mix and match the lineup throughout the week. He’s still in the early phase of putting together his qualifying roster and, like in Dallas, will relish the opportunity to tinker with player combinations. Novakovich will probably see time in the target forward role that Indy Eleven striker Ben Spencer played for Ramos earlier this year. The six-foot-two Novakovich, powerful as he is technical, certainly fits the bill. If he can help disrupt the opposition backline, the U.S. has proved deadly in numbers and will look to Pfeffer, Arriola, and Lopez to provide the finishing, as the team is without the goal-scoring touch of FC Utrecht’s Rubio Rubin.