Category: USYNT

U.S. U-17 goalkeeper Diego Kochen trains with Barcelona first team

The shot-stopper reached the milestone just two months after turning 17

Diego Kochen’s impressive rise at Barcelona is showing no sign of slowing down.

The U.S. U-17 star trained with the Liga club’s senior team for the first time this week, another milestone for one of American soccer’s best goalkeeping prospects.

Kochen, who only turned 17 in March, joined Barcelona in 2019 and has been steadily climbing the ranks in the club’s La Masia academy. He currently plays for Barcelona’s Juvenil B team, part of the U-19 setup.

The goalkeeper has occasionally trained with reserve team Barcelona B before this week’s milestone, which he acknowledged with an understated post on Instagram that simply said: “Grateful for this experience.”

Video from the training session would later emerge showing Kochen beginning a passing move that concluded with Robert Lewandowski putting the ball in the back of the net.

The goalkeeper is one of two 17-year-old Americans in Barcelona’s youth ranks, with his fellow U.S. U-17 international Adrian Gill featuring as a midfielder in La Masia.

Kochen was nominated for the 2022 U.S. Soccer Young Male Player of the Year, having played in five of the U.S. U-17 side’s eight games on the year.

Despite representing the U.S. at the youth international level, the Miami-born goalkeeper is still eligible for Venezuela through his father and Peru through his mother.

Media in Peru also took notice of Kochen’s first-team training session, with Líbero saying the teenager “rubbed shoulders with Lewandowski!”

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U.S. U-20 coach Varas proud as Frankfurt holds Aaronson out of World Cup

Varas said Frankfurt decided the 19-year-old was too important to be released

U.S. U-20 head coach Mikey Varas said he was disappointed but also proud of Paxten Aaronson after Eintracht Frankfurt refused to release the attacker for the U-20 World Cup.

Aaronson has become a key bench option for Frankfurt after joining in January, having appeared in four straight Bundesliga matches.

The 19-year-old’s development has seen his club side deem him too valuable to release for the U-20 World Cup, which does not take place within the FIFA calendar and therefore doesn’t require teams to let players go.

Aaronson was one of several players held back by their clubs, including Chicago fire midfielder Brian Gutiérrez and goalkeeper Chris Brady, as well as LA Galaxy defender Jalen Neal.

Losing Aaronson, the top scorer and player of the tournament in last summer’s CONCACAF U-20 Championship, is a major blow for the U.S. but Varas opted to look at the positives after the ex-Philadelphia Union player was omitted from his 21-man roster.

“In terms of Frankfurt, we had ongoing discussions not just with Frankfurt, but with every club across MLS and internationally,” Varas said on a conference call. “We tried to find the best solutions to cooperate. Unfortunately for us and for Paxten, it wasn’t able to be but at the same time, we’re really proud that Paxten has become such an important part of Frankfurt’s team that they don’t feel that they can release him.”

Even though Varas is clearly aiming to go as far as possible in the World Cup, he emphasized that as a youth national team head coach, player development had to be his top priority.

“We’re disappointed that some players weren’t released but at the same time, our number one priority here is individual player development,” Varas said. “So we’re also proud of the fact that these players have become so important during the cycle that they’re no longer viewed as releasable for this type of tournament.”

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USMNT U-20 World Cup roster: Aaronson out, Paredes in for U.S.

Several clubs prevented players from joining the roster, but Mikey Varas still has a strong team

Head coach Mikey Varas has named a 21-player roster that will represent the United States at the Under-20 World Cup, which kicks off later this month in Argentina.

The squad has been weakened after several clubs blocked their players from competing in the tournament, which does not fall on the FIFA calendar and therefore does not require teams to let their players go.

But Varas has still been able to name a strong roster, with other clubs allowing some key players to represent the U.S. at the tournament.

In a major blow, Eintracht Frankfurt did not release Paxten Aaronson, the top scorer and player of the tournament in last summer’s CONCACAF U-20 Championship.

Chicago Fire head coach Ezra Hendrickson said last week the club wouldn’t release midfielder Brian Gutiérrez and goalkeeper Chris Brady — which remained true even after Hendrickson was sacked this week.

The LA Galaxy have also prevented defender Jalen Neal from joining the squad, with the 19-year-old becoming a starter this season.

Interestingly, Croatian club Hajduk Split said last week it wouldn’t be releasing midfielder Rokas Pukštas, but the 18-year-old is on the roster.

Kevin Paredes, who has become a regular with Wolfsburg this season, was also on the squad in a boost for the U.S., as was Atlanta United’s rising left back Caleb Wiley.

Varas said on a conference call that Paredes and Pukštas would be joining the team after the group stage, should the U.S. advance.

The U.S. kicks off Group B play on May 20 against Ecuador then faces Fiji on May 23 and Slovakia on May 26 to close out the group.

The top two finishers from each of the six groups, as well as the four best third-place teams will advance to the round of 16.

USMNT U-20 World Cup roster (caps/goals)

GOALKEEPERS: Alexander Borto (Fulham/ENG; South Plainfield, N.J.; 2/0), Antonio Carrera (FC Dallas; Frisco, Texas; 4/0), Gaga Slonina (Chelsea/ENG; Addison, Ill.; 5/0)

DEFENDERS (7): Justin Che (Hoffenheim/GER; Dallas, Texas; 6/0), Brandan Craig (Philadelphia Union; Philadelphia, Pa.; 10/1), Mauricio Cuevas (LA Galaxy; Los Angeles, Calif.; 13/1), Marcus Ferkranus (LA Galaxy; Santa Clarita, Calif.; 11/0), Jonathan Gomez (Real Sociedad/ESP; Keller, Texas; 6/0), Caleb Wiley (Atlanta United FC; Atlanta, Ga.; 5/0), Joshua Wynder (Louisville City FC; Louisville, Ky.; 2/0)

MIDFIELDERS (7): Daniel Edelman (New York Red Bulls; Warren, N.J.; 10/0), Diego Luna (Real Salt Lake; Sunnyvale, Calif.; 16/4), Jack McGlynn (Philadelphia Union; Middle Village, N.Y.; 16/2), Rokas Pukstas (Hajduk Split/CRO; Stillwater, Okla.; 12/1), Niko Tsakiris (San Jose Earthquakes; Saratoga, Calif.; 5/3), Obed Vargas (Seattle Sounders FC; Anchorage, Alaska; 4/0), Owen Wolff (Austin FC; Austin, Texas; 3/1)

FORWARDS (4): Cade Cowell (San Jose Earthquakes; Ceres, Calif.; 7/2), Kevin Paredes (Wolfsburg/GER; South Riding, Va.; 6/2), Quinn Sullivan (Philadelphia Union; Philadelphia, Pa.; 15/7), Darren Yapi (Colorado Rapids; Denver, Colo.; 3/0)

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Curtin disagrees with clubs blocking players from U-20 World Cup

“We’re not Spain, we’re not Germany, we’re not Argentina. We haven’t won a World Cup ever”

Philadelphia Union head coach Jim Curtin has said he doesn’t agree with clubs preventing their players from going to the U-20 World Cup, which starts later this month.

Clubs across the world are facing tough decisions as the tournament draws near. The U-20 World Cup does not fall within a FIFA window, meaning clubs would potentially be losing players for multiple games should they allow them to play in the tournament.

Already, some potentially key American players have been ruled out by their clubs.

On Wednesday, Chicago Fire head coach Ezra Hendrickson said the club wouldn’t release midfielder Brian Gutiérrez and goalkeeper Chris Brady. The next day, Croatian club Hajduk Split said it wouldn’t be releasing midfielder Rokas Pukštas.

There was some good news too for the U.S. U-20s, as Atlanta United left back Caleb Wiley said he was cleared to play by his team.

Curtin delivered even more good news on Thursday, saying he would release any of his players who are called. That means the Union will likely be without Brandan Craig, Quinn Sullivan and Jack McGlynn for an extended period.

While confirming his players would be available, the Union head coach said he disagreed with clubs who aren’t allowing players to go to the World Cup.

“Sometimes we get in our own way and act like we’re Europe or South America,” Curtin told reporters.

“We’re not there yet. We’re not Spain, we’re not Germany, we’re not Argentina. We haven’t won a World Cup ever. Let’s try to win every competition at the youth level and show we have great players because we do.”

“Think about the kids too,” he continued. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that they may never get back again. To prevent them from playing in a U-20 World Cup? I’m sorry, I don’t agree with it.

“Maybe I’m in the minority there, but that’s what I believe in and that’s what our club believes in. Any of the guys that [U-20 head coach] Mikey Varas calls in, we will excitedly release them.”

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USMNT U-20s draw Ecuador, Fiji and Slovakia at World Cup

The U.S. will face Ecuador for a third straight tournament

The U.S. has been drawn with Ecuador, Fiji and Slovakia in Group B of the 2023 Under-20 World Cup.

The draw for the event was held on Friday, almost a month after it was originally scheduled, due to FIFA stripping Indonesia of its hosting rights and awarding the tournament to Argentina earlier this week.

Despite the last-minute change of host, the tournament will still be held between May 20 and June 11.

For the U.S., it will be the third straight U-20 World Cup they’ve faced Ecuador. The South American side knocked them out at the quarterfinal stage of the 2019 U-20 World Cup.

This will be the first time the U.S. has faced Fiji and Slovakia at the U-20 World Cup.

The top two finishers from each of the six groups, as well as the four best third-place teams will advance to the round of 16.

Per U.S. Soccer, all three of the USA’s games will be in San Juan. The dates for the matches are as follows:

Saturday, May 20: vs Ecuador

Tuesday, May 23: vs Fiji

Friday, May 26: vs Slovakia

Full U-20 World Cup draw

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Source: Louisville City defender Josh Wynder set for Benfica transfer

The 17-year-old has become one of the best prospects in the American pipeline

Louisville City defender Josh Wynder is closing in on a move to Portuguese giant Benfica, a source tells Pro Soccer Wire.

The fee for the 17-year-old is expected to be somewhere between $1.3 million and $1.5 million, which would be a USL record.

The move could be completed as soon as this weekend, with Wynder able to move to Europe when he turns 18 on May 2.

Wynder started 21 games for Louisville City in the USL Championship last year, while also making five appearances for the United States U-19s. The center back’s exploits in 2022 earned him a nomination for U.S. Soccer Young Male Player of the Year.

There was plenty of interest across Europe for the 6-foot-3 defender, considered one of the best American prospects at any position. Benfica has beaten out Monaco and Red Bull Salzburg, among other European clubs.

The move sees yet another American sign with a top European club, but this one is unique in that Wynder is coming not from MLS but the second division. It is another seminal moment for the USL as they continue to forge a developmental pyramid independent of the top domestic league in the United States, offering young players another way to not just earn professional minutes but eventually make a high-profile move overseas.

Last summer, Kobi Henry broke the USL transfer record when he joined Ligue 1 side Reims from Orange County SC for a reported $700,000.

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U.S. U-17 star Keyrol Figueroa explains why he picked the United States

His father is an all-time Honduras great, but the teenager has opted for the U.S.

Keyrol Figueroa has spoken out about his decision to represent the United States amid a standout CONCACAF U-17 Championship performance.

Figueroa is the co-leading scorer at the tournament with six goals, scoring a brace earlier this week as the U.S. defeated Guatemala 5-3 to clinch a spot at the U-17 World Cup later this year.

There has been plenty of attention of late around Figueroa, who is the son of former Honduras great Maynor Figueroa.

Keyrol Figueroa was born in Honduras but moved to England at a young age when his father transferred to Wigan — then in the Premier League. Keyrol would eventually return to England when he signed with Liverpool, where he currently plays for the club’s U-18 side.

Though his father has the most caps in Honduras history with 181 and he’s also eligible to represent England, Keyrol has opted to represent the United States at international level.

In a video posted on U.S. Soccer’s Twitter, he explained that having family all across the United States influenced his decision.

“I was questioning which team I was going to represent,” he said. “But what made me pick the U.S. is the fact that all my family are spread across the U.S. I think every little person represents me. So I thought the U.S. was a perfect choice. I want to represent them and make them proud. I want to make everyone close to me proud because I think it’s not just my dream, it grew into everybody’s dream.”

Maynor Figueroa only recently retired after he played in MLS from 2015 to 2021 with Colorado, FC Dallas and Houston. He also played for Honduras in the most recent World Cup qualifying cycle, starting both games against the USMNT.

Keyrol Figueroa said that his father has taught him plenty about being a striker, despite spending his career as a defender.

“He was a defender, and he knew what he hated about strikers that he played against,” the 16-year-old said. “So he’d always teach me. He taught me how to beat players one-v-one, or even where to put [the ball] in the back of the net. Because sometimes when I was younger, I used to love to kick the ball hard, but he actually taught me how to compose myself and slow myself down and where to put it.”

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U.S. Under-17s reach World Cup with wild win at Guatemala

Keyrol Figueroa scored a pair to take the lead for most goals at the CONCACAF U-17 Championship

The United States has reached the U-17 World Cup after a wild 5-3 win against a Guatemala side boosted by a vociferous home crowd.

Tuesday night’s CONCACAF U-17 Championship quarterfinal was for a berth at the U-17 World Cup, and both teams were up for the game in front of 11,275 fans at Estadio Nacional Doroteo Guamuch Flores.

The USYNT took an early 2-0 lead before Guatemala pulled a goal back just before the half. The game really kicked into overdrive, though, at the beginning of the second half as three goals were scored in a span of three minutes.

The first was the pick of the night as defender Aiden Harangi struck it pure from 25 yards out, going low into the far corner to give the U.S. a 3-1 lead.

Two minutes later, Guatemala pulled one back to make it 3-2, before the U.S. would hit back a minute after that. Keyrol Figueroa scored his second of the night, as the Liverpool striker became the co-leading scorer at the tournament with his sixth goal.

The U.S. wouldn’t be able to coast from there, however, as Guatemala made it 4-3 in the 74th minute to spark a huge response from a home crowd looking to lift their side to an equalizer. Those fans were quieted in the 83rd minute, though, when Taha Habroune scored to make it 5-3 and finally put the game away.

With the win, the U.S. advanced to the semifinals on Friday, where it will take on the winner of Thursday’s Canada-Puerto Rico match.

The win also saw the U.S. qualify for the U-17 World Cup for the 18th time, the most of any country. Peru will host the event, which will take place in November and December of this year.

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USMNT U-20 attacker Caden Clark set for another loan after RB Leipzig return

The U.S. Under-20 attacker will return to RB Leipzig, but likely won’t be staying long

Caden Clark’s loan spell with the New York Red Bulls has ended, but it doesn’t appear that he’ll be staying at parent club RB Leipzig when he returns to Germany.

Clark was originally acquired by Leipzig last June, then loaned back to the Red Bulls for the remainder of the 2021 MLS season. Ahead of the 2022 campaign the teenager was sent on another loan to Leipzig’s sister club in MLS, this time for the entirety of the season.

But Clark played just 475 minutes for the Red Bulls in 2022, tallying one goal and two assists spread across 16 appearances (three starts).

A league source tells Pro Soccer Wire that Clark will be returning to RB Leipzig in January, but he is set to head on another loan. Teams in Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands are eying a January move for the 19-year-old attacker.

Following the Red Bulls’ ho-hum loss at home in the playoffs last Saturday to FC Cincinnati, Clark posted a video to social media indicating he was leaving MLS again.

“It’s been a pleasure, thank you NY! Onto the next,” Clark said on Instagram.

Clark emerged as one of the top young talents in MLS after making his debut in 2020, earning a senior USMNT call-up last December.

In 47 league appearances (23 starts), Clark has seven goals and seven assists. But setbacks — including having his appendix removed last summer — have seemed to set Clark’s development back a bit.

Clark played a major role for the U.S. U-20 side this summer as it won the CONCACAF U-20 Championship, qualifying for the 2023 U-20 World Cup and the 2024 Olympics in the process.

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U.S. falls 3-1 to Japan, crashes out of U-20 Women’s World Cup

The U.S. U-20s couldn’t solve an organized Japan

Just like that, the Under-20 World Cup is already over for the USYNT.

Facing a must-win final game in Group D, the U.S. U-20s fell 3-1 to Japan, consigning a talent-laden squad to an early exit from a tournament they felt they could win. Japan and the Netherlands, who stunned the USYNT 3-0 on Sunday, are through to the quarterfinals instead.

It’s the second straight group stage elimination for the U.S. U-20 team, after a 2018 squad loaded with players who currently start in NWSL finished behind the eventual champions Japan and a very strong Spain side.

The U.S. entered the match knowing that only a victory would do, with advancement only possible via a multi-goal win over Japan, or a win combined with the Dutch failing to beat Ghan.

While playing through a scoreless, and often cagey, first half, the pressure on the USYNT increased: the Dutch took a 1-0 lead over Ghana over in San Jose.

Meanwhile, the U.S. struggled to break down Japan, who were well-organized throughout. Only Ally Sentnor’s 7th minute shot, via heavy deflection, worried Shu Ohba, but the goalkeeper—who plays collegiately in the NCAA at East Tennessee State—recovered to tip the ball away in the nick of time.

Just as news came in that the Dutch had gone up 2-0, disaster struck. A U.S. turnover from Lilly Reale sparked a break for Japan, and Manaka Matsukubo managed to sneak a shot past Mia Justus just before retreating defenders could get a block in.

Things went from bad to worse in the 67th minute, as a short corner routine undid the USYNT defense. Unmarked at the back post, Shinomi Koyama set herself before blazing a shot into the upper corner from an angle to give the tournament’s defending champions a two-goal lead.

Staring elimination in the face, the U.S. had a reaction. Simone Jackson, just minutes after entering as a sub, reacted sharply to steer Alyssa Thompson’s cross from the right past Ohba.

Tracey Kevins’ side threw everything forward in search of a miracle, but Japan put the result to bed on the counter, with Haruna Tabata’s header being confirmed after a nearly four-minute VAR check in the final moments.

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