http://www.ussoccer.com/articles/viewArticle.jsp_5341188.html Camp Feb 19-24. All college guys, 4 from the Pan Am Games team. To compete in a four team tournament including the New Orleans Shell Shockers and Honduran youth team Victoria. Any thoughts? Amick, Stuart D 5-9 155 04/24/89 West Lafayette, Ind. UMass Balchan, Richard M 6-0 165 01/18/89 Carmel, Ind. Indiana Brettschneider, Blake F 6-0 170 04/11/89 Lilburn, Ga. South Carolina Brown, Cameron F 5-9 145 03/20/89 Garland, Texas North Carolina Cabas, Steven F 6-1 175 08/02/89 Miami, Fla. Florida International Chin, Shawn M 5-8 145 05/11/89 Miami, Fla. Boston College Cruz, Daniel M 5-8 145 05/11/90 Glendale, Ariz. UNLV Eckhardt, Greg D 6-0 175 01/07/89 Orange Park, Fla. Clemson Gavin, Blair M 6-0 160 01/08/89 Franklin, Tenn. Akron Gross, Warren GK 6-3 210 07/01/89 Greenfield Center, N.Y. Penn State Guerrero, Austin GK 5-11 175 03/24/89 Chula Vista, Calif. Portland Kelly, Daniel F 6-0 175 03/29/89 Hendersonville, Tenn. Indiana Lara, Wilfrido M 5-9 145 02/13/89 Chicago, Ill. DePaul Marosevic, Peri F 5-9 160 05/05/89 Rockford, Ill. Michigan Mittoo, Andre D 6-1 185 02/17/89 Pembroke Pines, Fla. South Florida Okafor, John M 6-1 180 08/25/89 Verona, N.J. Brown Opara, Ike D 6-2 170 02/21/89 Durham, N.C. Wake Forest Shupp, James D 5-11 185 03/08/89 Downingtown, Pa. Virginia Tech Stephens, Michael M 5-9 150 04/03/89 Naperville, Ill. UCLA Taylor, Chris D 6-1 160 05/12/89 Edmond, Okla. Tulsa Thomas, Ryan F 5-9 155 03/20/89 Claremont, Calif. Stanford Thompson, Spencer M 6-1 160 01/05/89 Shelbytown, Mich. Michigan State Weideman, Andrew F 5-11 160 08/22/89 San Ramon, Calif. California
Thanks for posting this, Testudo. Here are the college bios for all these guys. A lot of them have pretty modest college stats, which you can find by clicking around the site of each player's respective school, so Rongen must be going on reccomendations of coaches or something he saw in them in another forum. Regardless, nice to see he's casting a wide net and nice to see Ike Opara, who was the best defender at the Final Four, get called in. I'll be curious to see how many of these guys from this camp stick once the pros and the incoming freshmen are factored in. Amick, Stuart D 5-9 155 04/24/89 West Lafayette, Ind. UMass http://umassathletics.cstv.com/sports/m-soccer/mtt/amick_stuart00.html Balchan, Richard M 6-0 165 01/18/89 Carmel, Ind. Indiana http://iuhoosiers.cstv.com/sports/m-soccer/mtt/balchan_rich00.html Brettschneider, Blake F 6-0 170 04/11/89 Lilburn, Ga. South Carolina http://gamecocksonline.cstv.com/sports/m-soccer/mtt/brettschneider_blake00.html Brown, Cameron F 5-9 145 03/20/89 Garland, Texas North Carolina http://tarheelblue.cstv.com/sports/m-soccer/mtt/brown_cameron00.html Cabas, Steven F 6-1 175 08/02/89 Miami, Fla. Florida International http://www.fiusports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=11700&ATCLID=1149694 Chin, Shawn M 5-8 145 05/11/89 Miami, Fla. Boston College http://bceagles.cstv.com/sports/m-soccer/mtt/chin_shawn00.html Cruz, Daniel M 5-8 145 05/11/90 Glendale, Ariz. UNLV http://unlvrebels.cstv.com/sports/m-soccer/mtt/cruz_daniel00.html Eckhardt, Greg D 6-0 175 01/07/89 Orange Park, Fla. Clemson http://clemsontigers.cstv.com/sports/m-soccer/mtt/eckhardt_greg00.html Gavin, Blair M 6-0 160 01/08/89 Franklin, Tenn. Akron http://www.gozips.com/ViewArticle.d...4&DB_OEM_ID=10800&ATCLID=941602&Q_SEASON=2007 Gross, Warren GK 6-3 210 07/01/89 Greenfield Center, N.Y. Penn State http://gopsusports.cstv.com/sports/m-soccer/mtt/gross_warren01.html Guerrero, Austin GK 5-11 175 03/24/89 Chula Vista, Calif. Portland http://www.portlandpilots.com/sports/msoccer/rosters/displayPlayer.asp?PLAYER_ID=1082 Kelly, Daniel F 6-0 175 03/29/89 Hendersonville, Tenn. Indiana http://iuhoosiers.cstv.com/sports/m-soccer/mtt/kelly_daniel00.html Lara, Wilfrido M 5-9 145 02/13/89 Chicago, Ill. DePaul https://admin.xosn.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=15600&ATCLID=1292086 Marosevic, Peri F 5-9 160 05/05/89 Rockford, Ill. Michigan http://mgoblue.com/soccer-m/playerbio.aspx?id=69352 Mittoo, Andre D 6-1 185 02/17/89 Pembroke Pines, Fla. South Florida https://admin.xosn.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=7700&ATCLID=1152138 Okafor, John M 6-1 180 08/25/89 Verona, N.J. Brown http://brownbears.cstv.com/sports/m-soccer/mtt/okafor_jon00.html Opara, Ike D 6-2 170 02/21/89 Durham, N.C. Wake Forest http://wakeforestsports.cstv.com/sports/m-soccer/mtt/opara_ike00.html Shupp, James D 5-11 185 03/08/89 Downingtown, Pa. Virginia Tech http://www.hokiesports.com/msoccer/players/2007/shupp.html Stephens, Michael M 5-9 150 04/03/89 Naperville, Ill. UCLA http://uclabruins.cstv.com/sports/m-soccer/mtt/stephens_michael00.html Taylor, Chris D 6-1 160 05/12/89 Edmond, Okla. Tulsa http://tulsahurricane.cstv.com/sports/m-soccer/mtt/taylor_chris00.html Thomas, Ryan F 5-9 155 03/20/89 Claremont, Calif. Stanford http://gostanford.cstv.com/sports/m-soccer/mtt/thomas_ryan00.html Thompson, Spencer M 6-1 160 01/05/89 Shelbytown, Mich. Michigan State http://msuspartans.cstv.com/sports/m-soccer/mtt/thompson_spencer00.html Weideman, Andrew F 5-11 160 08/22/89 San Ramon, Calif. California http://calbears.cstv.com/sports/m-soccer/mtt/wiedeman_andrew00.html
With the exception of Danny Cruz, who is a '90, everyone is an '89. There are some players here who have not been previously called in to either U18 or U20 camps, and there are others who have appeared in multiple camps. Since we're still early in the '09 cycle, Rongen is identifying those who he believes can at least brought back for future camps. The earlier camp was mostly '90s & '91s. I expect that by the fall he'll have narrowed the pool to about 25-30 players, including those who play in MLS & in Europe.
Curious: Most of the players: 1. Didn't make regional ODP or inter-regional teams. 2. Residential program 3. Most of the notes about HS. HS soccer is average in USA. 4. Some of the clubs are average club and teams. 5. High performance as Premier team such as winning Disney, Dallas, or Jefferson, state cup etc. How do coaches select these players? Thanks for the information.
Marosevic was part of the U-17 B squad I shot playing a scrimmage against Wake Forest in March 2005: http://www.ibiblio.org/footy/2005a/0320_usa_wfu_ajm.php 12 or 13 players had already been picked for the 2005 Finland U-17 WC squad and stayed down in Florida while the remainder of the 40 or so residency players went on tour. A very young Josmer Altidore came on as a late sub in that game...
I'm assuming Rongen saw them play college ball and they did pretty well. Also, there are some familiar names on the list.
Rongen is just casting a wider net. This is a good thing. If 5-6 guys stick for future camps, that is a good thing.
Most kids from September to December 1989 are not in college yet as most states they would still be high school seniors. Makes it hard for them to compare with guys in college so this wouldn't be the right camp for them.
On Sat., Feb. 23, U.S. tied Honduras 0-0 in regulation, and won in PKs, 4-2, to advance to Sun., Feb. 24 final against Honduran club Victoria. http://www.ussoccer.com/articles/viewArticle.jsp_5406729.html
U.S. beats CD Victoria, 3-2 on Feb. 24. http://www.ussoccer.com/articles/viewArticle.jsp_5406730.html We'll have a slightly better idea of this cycle's pool when we see how many of this group are brought in to the next camp (assuming that camp will be primarily collegians).
Cabas might be an interesting one. Looks like he had a pretty good freshman year at FIU. Second on the team in scoring (5 g, 3a) and played in/started every match, albeit for a losing team. He's a 6' 1" striker who apparently has been in some U-15 pools. College bio: http://www.fiusports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=49052&SPID=4758&DB_OEM_ID=11700&ATCLID=1149694