CHICAGO — U.S. Under-20 Men’s National Team head coach Tab Ramos named Portland Timbers forward Jeremy Ebobisse to the 24 player roster for an 11-day training camp as the U.S. team enters its final stage of preparation for mid-February’s 2017 CONCACAF U-20 Championship, which will send four teams to the 2017 FIFA U-20 Men’s World Cup in South Korea this May.
“Our objective for this camp is to continue our preparation for the U-20 World Cup qualifiers,” Ramos said. “After having a fitness camp followed by a camp with a combination of fitness and local games, now we are looking to get into game rhythm and select the final roster.”
Portland selected Ebobisse with the No. 4 overall pick in the first round, the team’s highest draft pick since taking midfielder Darlington Nagbe with the second overall pick in the 2011 MLS SuperDraft. Ebobisse, 19, played two seasons with Duke University (2014-2015) before signing a contract with MLS in 2016. In two years at Duke University (2014-15), Ebobisse tallied nine goals and seven assists in 38 games played (30 starts). Following two seasons with Duke, Ebobisse joined the Charleston Battery on loan in 2016, scoring against FC Montreal in his first start with the team on Sept. 7. Internationally, the Bethesda, Md., native has represented the U.S. U-20 Men’s National Team, scoring nine goals in eight appearances in 2016. Additionally, Ebobisse was named to the U.S. U-20 Men’s squad that competed at the 2016 Dallas Cup. At the club level, Ebobisse played for the Bethesda-Olney SC Academy, leading all USSDA players with 38 goals in 24 games in 2014.
The training camp will be held from Jan. 31-Feb. 10 in Orlando, Fla. Upon the conclusion of camp, Ramos will name the final roster of 20 players who will travel to San Jose, Costa Rica for the 2017 CONCACAF U-20 Championship. That final roster will be selected from the entire U-20 player pool. The World Cup qualifying tournament is scheduled to run from Feb. 17-March 5, with the team’s first game taking place Feb. 18 at 4 p.m. EST against Panama.
This will be the U-20 Men’s National Team’s second camp of 2017 and first international match since December, when the U.S. traveled to face Costa Rica twice at the Tico’s national training center.
The birth years for players in this camp range from 1997 to 1999. The age cut-off for this U-20 player pool is players born on or after Jan. 1, 1997.
Roster by position:
GOALKEEPERS (3): Jonathan Klinsmann (University of California; Newport Beach, Calif.), JT Marcinkowski (Georgetown; Alamo, Calif.), Brady Scott (De Anza Force; Petaluma, Calif.)
DEFENDERS (7): Hugo Arellano (LA Galaxy; Norwalk, Calif.), Justen Glad (Real Salt Lake; Tucson, Ariz.), Aaron Herrera (New Mexico; Casa Grande, Ariz.), John Nelson (Internationals SC; Medina, Ohio), Erik Palmer-Brown (Sporting Kansas City; Lee's Summit, Mo.), Tommy Redding (Orlando City SC; Oviedo, Fla.), Auston Trusty (Philadelphia Union; Media, Pa.)
MIDFIELDERS (8): Danny Acosta (Real Salt Lake; Salt Lake City, Utah), Tyler Adams (New York Red Bulls; Wappingers Falls, N.Y), Coy Craft (FC Dallas; Frisco, Texas), Jonathan Gonzalez (CF Monterrey; Santa Rosa, Calif.), Jeremiah Gutjahr (Indiana University; Bloomington, Ind.), Sebastian Saucedo (Real Salt Lake; Park City, Utah), Jonathan Suarez (Queretaro F.C.; Orange County, Calif.), Eryk Williamson (Maryland; Alexandria, Va.)
FORWARDS (6):Jeremy Ebobisse (Portland Timbers; Bethesda, Md.), Brooks Lennon (Liverpool F.C.; Paradise Valley, Ariz.), Jonathan Lewis (New York City FC; Plantation, Fla.), Victor Mansaray (Seattle Sounders FC; Des Moines, Wash.), Emmanuel Sabbi (UD Las Palmas; Libertyville, Ill.), Brandon Vazquez (Atlanta United FC; Chula Vista, Calif
