CHICAGO (March 14, 2025) – The U.S. Under-20 Men’s National Team will face Mexico on March 22 and Japan on March 24 during a training camp in L’Albir, Spain from March 17-25.
Players born on or after Jan. 1, 2005 are age-eligible for this fall’s FIFA U-20 World Cup, set for Sept. 27-Oct. 19 in Chile. Head coach Marko Mitrović called up 11 players born in 2005, nine born in 2006 and two born in 2007- Real Salt Lake forward Zavier Gozo and LA Galaxy forward Ruben Ramos Jr.
Ten Major League Soccer clubs are represented on the roster, led by two players from Atlanta United FC. Eleven players are based abroad in England (four players), Germany (three), Portugal and Spain (two each).
U.S. UNDER-20 MEN’S NATIONAL TEAM – MARCH TRAINING CAMP ROSTER
Goalkeepers (2): Julian Eyestone (Brentford/ENG; Dallas, Texas), Diego Kochen (FC Barcelona/ESP; Miramar, Fla.)
Defenders (8): Matai Akinmboni (Bournemouth/ENG; Upper Marlboro, Md.), Noahkai Banks (Augsburg/GER; Dietmannsried, Germany), Noah Cobb (Atlanta United FC; Chattanooga, Tenn.), Aiden Harangi (Eintracht Frankfurt/GER; Reston, Va.), Ethan Kohler (Werder Bremen/GER; Campbell, Calif.), Nolan Norris (FC Dallas; Fort Worth, Texas), Francis Westfield (Philadelphia Union; Philadelphia, Pa.), Joshua Wynder (Benfica/POR; Louisville, Ky.)
Midfielders (6): Matthew Corcoran (Nashville SC; Dallas, Texas), Benjamin Cremaschi (Inter Miami CF; Key Biscayne, Fla.), Taha Habroune (Columbus Crew; Columbus, Ohio), Brooklyn Raines (Houston Dynamo FC; Chicago, Ill.), Pedro Soma (FC Barcelona/ESP; Coconut Creek, Fla.), Niko Tsakiris (San Jose Earthquakes; Saratoga, Calif.)
Forwards (6): Luke Brennan (Atlanta United FC; Atlanta, Ga.), Keyrol Figueroa (Liverpool/ENG; Warrington, England), Kristian Fletcher (Nottingham Forest/ENG; Bowie, Md.), Zavier Gozo (Real Salt Lake; Eagle Mountain, Utah), Ruben Ramos Jr. (Los Angeles Galaxy; La Puente, Calif.), Marcos Zambrano (Vitoria Guimaraes/POR; Gladwyne, Pa.)
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP EXPERIENCE
A number of players already have represented the United States on some of the game’s biggest stages. Cremaschi was the youngest player on the U.S. squad at last summer’s Olympic Men’s Soccer Tournament. He appeared in two matches as the USA advanced from the group stage for just the second time since the current format was introduced in 1960.
Midfielder Niko Tsakiris and defender Joshua Wynder played for the U.S. at the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Argentina. The duo helped the USA reach the quarterfinals before falling to eventual champion Uruguay, becoming the only nation to make the final eight at the last four tournaments.
Six players represented the U.S. at the 2023 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Indonesia, leading the U.S. to the knockout stage before a narrow defeat to eventual champion Germany: Noahkai Banks, Matthew Corcoran, Keyrol Figueroa, Taha Habroune, Aiden Harangi and Pedro Soma.
COACHING STAFF CONTINUITY
Head coach Marko Mitrović has assembled a talented coaching staff for the 2024-25 FIFA U-20 World Cup cycle. He will be assisted by Tacoma Defiance assistant coach Michael Morris, University of Michigan associate head coach Sean Hughes and Nashville SC Academy Goalkeeper Director Jason Batty as goalkeeper coach.
The group came together in full for the team’s November training camp, returned for the January camp and will continue to lead the U-20 MNT in the run-up to and during this fall’s U-20 World Cup.
Morris has been with the Seattle Sounders organization since 2009, primarily working in the club’s academy and serving as a head coach with the U-17 and U-19 squads. After eight years at Marquette, Hughes recently wrapped up his first season with Michigan, helping the Wolverines return to the NCAA tournament for the first time in five years. A former New Zealand international, Batty was the goalkeeper coach for the All Blacks at the 2020 Olympics and has worked in the Nashville SC academy since 2020.
ADDITIONAL NOTES
- Defender Noahkai Banks made his Bundesliga debut for Augsburg on Jan. 12 and has now made seven appearances on the season for the club.
- After missing most of the 2024 season due to injury, midfielder Matthew Corcoran joined Major League Soccer’s Nashville SC this winter and started both of the club’s first two games.
- Midfielder Benjamin Cremsachi appeared in all seven of Inter Miami CF’s games to start the season in MLS and the Concacaf Champions Cup, starting both legs of the club’s 4-0 aggregate Round of 16victory against Cavalier FC.
- Forward Kristian Fletcher has scored in three of the last four games for Nottingham Forest U-21 in Premier League 2 action.
- Defender Francis Westfield has started all three games for the Philadelphia Union to start the MLS campaign, adding an assist in Philly’s opening weekend win against Orlando City.
- After five training camps in 2024 for the 2005 age group, this is the second of 2025. Three players have appeared in all seven camps: Taha Habroune, Ethan Kohler and Nolan Norris.
- Seven of the 11 players based abroad developed at U.S. professional clubs. Six came up in Major League Soccer set-ups- Matai Akinmboni (D.C. United), Julian Eyestone (FC Dallas), Keyrol Figueroa (FC Dallas), Kristian Fletcher (D.C. United), Ethan Kohler (San Jose Earthquakes) and Marcos Zambrano (Philadelphia Union). Kohler also spent time with Oakland Roots SC and Joshua Wynder played for Louisville City FC in the USL Championship.
- Born in 2007, Zavier Gozo and Ruben Ramos Jr. Are also age-eligible for the 2027 FIFA U-20 World Cup.
- The players hail from 12 different states, led by three each from California, Florida and Texas.
