Countries participating: Chile, Denmark, Mexico, Northern Ireland, Turkey, USA Saturday, July 21 Denmark v. USA Monday, July 23 USA v. Turkey Full schedule http://www.nimilkcup.org/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&layout=item&id=91&Itemid=161 U-20 MNT Coach Tab Ramos Previews Northern Ireland Milk Cup http://www.ussoccer.com/media-library/Audios/podcasts/YNT/2012/120710-TabRamos-Podcast.aspx
By any means, a top US U-20 team this cycle includes the following players Cropper, Brooks, Packwood, Cunningham Ocegueda, Gil, Kiesewetter, Salgado, Pelosi, Bijev. I'll also include Zimmerman from the NCAA ranks since I believe he is rated highly even if injured now. If the team were to make the U-20 WC, it remains possible Henley and Hurzeler would consider. That being said, the Milk Cup falls at an awful time for professionals. I doubt any of the players above go. Cropper may but he is on an extended trial with Southampton My guess is that you'll see a few Euros who have zero chance with the first team (like Caleb Stanko), maybe some young Mexican-based guys (Rodriguez and Guido), and a few MLS guys who don't play. Then it'll be mostly NCAA guys rounding the team out.
The important thing right now for Ramos is to build a team of players who he knows will be there for qualifying. It's easy to bring in the star players later between qualifying and the World Cup. I rate Brooks highly but he's pointless right now at this stage. Hertha never release players if they don't have to and since they didn't release him for qualifying last cycle, it's even more doubful for this cycle.
http://www.ussoccer.com/News/U-20-M...yer-Roster-for-Northern-Ireland-Milk-Cup.aspx Roster by Position: GOALKEEPERS (2): Cody Cropper (Unattached; Athens, Ga.), Kendall McIntosh (Santa Clara; Santa Clara, Calif.) DEFENDERS (6): AJ Cochran (Wisconsin; St. Louis, Mo.), Holden Fender (Concorde Fire; Marietta, Ga.), Eric Miller (Creighton; Woodbury, Minn.), Juan Pablo Ocegueda (UANL Tigres; Riverside, Calif.), Boyd Okwuonu (North Carolina; Edmund, Okla.), Walker Zimmerman (Furman; Lawrenceville, Ga.) MIDFIELDERS (6): Benji Joya (Santos Laguna; San Jose, Calif.), Mikey Lopez (North Carolina; Mission, Texas), Collin Martin (D.C. United Academy; Chevy Chase, Md.), Daniel Metzger (Maryland; Staten Island, N.Y.), Dillon Serna (Colorado Rapids Academy; Brighton, Colo.), Wil Trapp (Akron; Gahanna, Ohio) FORWARDS (4): Daniel Cuevas (Santos Laguna; Sacramento, Calif.), Alfred Koroma (Solar Chelsea SC; Southlake, Texas), Victor Pineda (Chicago Fire; Bolingbrook, Ill.), Mario Rodriguez (1. FC Kaiserslautern; North Hollywood, Calif.) Weak team? Not full strength surely.
I've been off the boards for a few months, did I miss something on Mario or is that new? (or just typical US stuff where he is training and they think it is more)
I think he was on the U.S. U-17 team. I don't know much about him either. Holden Fender, Kendall McIntosh, Mario Rodriguez and Dillon Serna are new to the U-20 team. Serna was with the U-18s for the tournament in Lisbon I think.
The only members that will be on the U20 WC team from this roster IMO (assuming we make it, which is obviously dangerous) are Cropper, Ocegueda, Okwuonu, Pineda, , Benji Joya, Ocegueda, and maybe Koroma
Damn thats a good squad for a lot of other players not being able to make it.. These u20s are loaded! Super Mario latching onto Kaiserslautern.. Nice
Rodriguez was with the Galaxy U18s in the DA playoffs. Here's hoping that a couple of guys on this roster step forward and start to make a name for themselves.
That does seem like news about Rodriguez. Here's an article from the German club's site that seems to indicate that he's moving to Europe. http://www.fck.de/de/aktuell/news/details/article/9439-trainingsauftakt-bei-der-u17-und-der-u19.html I thought Rodriguez looked like a pretty good U17 prospect. Held the ball well, had some finishing instincts, and solid technique. He played like a guy who knew he was a year or so ahead of many of his opponents physically, so it'll be interesting to see how he matures and how his game adjusts as he plays against people he can't dominate. I liked him.