Dynamo Academy defender Sebastien Ibeagha (Fort Bend Hightower, Duke University) is on the 24-player roster finalized by U.S. U-20 men’s national team head coach Thomas Rongen for an upcoming training camp in Sunrise, Fla., from Dec. 12-19, U.S. Soccer announced today. The camp will include two friendlies against Canada on Dec. 16 and Dec. 18.
Ibeagha made his U-20 national team debut last month in the Torneo de las Americas in Kennesaw, Ga., playing 90 minutes in ties against Colombia and Mexico. He recently completed his freshman season as a starter at Duke and has been a star for the Dynamo Academy since 2008. Ibeagha captained the Dynamo on their 2009 European trip and was an all-Central Conference selection in leading Houston to the USSF Development Academy playoffs in 2009-10.
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The U-20 roster for this camp features a combination of nine players who will be making their first appearance in a U-20 camp and relative veterans of the program. That contrast can be seen in the pair of goalkeepers, Zac MacMath and Kevin Piedrahita. MacMath just finished his junior season at Maryland and is nominated for Best Young Male Athlete of the Year, while Piedrahita of Colombia’s America de Cali will be in his first U.S. camp.
In all, the roster features 11 college players and professional players who ply their trade in eight different countries. There are three representatives of Major League Soccer, including D.C. United's Conor Shanosky and a pair of Philadelphia Union players in Jack McInerney and Amobi Okugo.
Okugo will anchor the group of midfielders along with Dillon Powers as both players also played key roles during the 2009 cycle. They will be joined by collegians Steven Evans (Portland) and Kelyn Rowe (UCLA) and professionals Joshua Gatt (SC Rheindorf), Joseph Gyau (Hoffenheim) and Alex Molano (Dinamo Zagreb). Rowe was a stand out on the Crossfire Premier team that advanced to the championship game in the past two Development Academy Finals Weeks and is one of eight former Academy players heading to Sunrise.
Soony Saad is coming off of an impressive freshman season at Michigan, having led the Wolverines to their first Final Four. He will be one of two college players among the group of forwards along with Louisville's Dylan Mares. Fellow forward Conor Doyle, who is continuing a whirlwind year that has taken him from the Dallas Texans to Derby County in England, will also participate in his first camp under Rongen.
U.S. U-20 MNT Roster By Position:
GOALKEEPERS (2): Zac MacMath (Maryland; St. Petersburg, Fla.), Kevin Piedrahita (América de Cali; Queens, N.Y.)
DEFENDERS (8): Gale Agbossoumonde (G.D. Estoril Praia; Syracuse, N.Y.), Greg Garza (G.D. Estoril Praia; Grapevine, Texas),
Sebastien
Ibeagha (Duke; Missouri City, Texas), Perry Kitchen (Akron;
Indianapolis, Ind.), Eric Schoenle (West Virginia; Yardley, Pa.),
Ben
Sweat (South Florida; Palm Harbor, Fla.), Zarek Valentin (Akron;
Lancaster, Pa.), Korey Veeder (Unattached; St. Petersburg, Fla.)
MIDFIELDERS (8):
Steven Evans (Portland; Troutdale, Ore.), Joshua Gatt (SC Rheindorf
Altach; Plymouth, Mich.), Joe Gyau (TSG 1899 Hoffenheim; Silver Spring,
Md.), Alex Molano (NK Dinamo Zagreb; Grapevine, Texas), Amobi Okugo
(Philadelphia Union; Sacramento, Calif.), Dillon Powers (Notre Dame;
Plano, Texas), Kelyn Rowe (UCLA; Newport Beach, Calif.), Conor Shanosky
(D.C. United; Sterling, Va.)
FORWARDS (6): Conor Doyle
(Derby County FC; McKinney, Texas), Dylan Mares (Louisville;
Zionsville, Ind.), Jack McInerney (Philadelphia Union; Alpharetta,
Ga.), Adrian Ruelas (Celtic F.C.; Fontana, Calif.), Soony Saad
(Michigan; Dearborn, Mich.), Omar Salgado (Unattached; El Paso, Texas)
