Marcelo Palomino named to 20-Player U-16 BNT roster for Val-de-Marne Tournament in France
Houston Dynamo Academy U-16 midfielder Marcelo Palomino was named by U.S. U-16 Boys’ National Team head coach Shaun Tsakiris to the 20-player roster that will participate in the Val-de-Marne Tournament which begins on Oct. 23 in France.
The U.S. begins the tournament on Oct. 25 vs. England. The Americans face Russia on Oct. 27 and wrap up the tournament two days later with a matchup against the host nation.
“We’ve seen a huge step forward in his development, we are really excited about that and about this opportunity to play a high level of football,” Dynamo Academy director James Clarkson said. “He’s always wanted to be a professional and he’s really dialed in to get there and this is the next step – along with the work he puts in during his residency.”
Palomino was also called into a U.S. U-16 training camp in September and has spent a portion of the year in residency with the U.S. U-17s Boys National Team in Bradenton, Florida, as they prepare for the FIFA U-17 World Cup in 2017.
Palomino joined the Dynamo Academy U-16s for the Generation Adidas Cup Central Regional earlier this month from U.S. U-17 residency. The attacking midfielder scored a goal in the final game of the first stage, a 4-1 victory over the Chicago Fire.
“To see the change in him in his development has been really impressive,” Clarkson said. “From the tactical side – he really sees the game. It’s not just about him, he really embraces the team aspect. Part of that comes from playing with older players and he’s always played up for us, it has truly impacted his development.”
The attacking midfielder has been in national team camps since he was 14 years old. As a 13-year-old the standout made an appearance with the Dynamo Academy U-18s.
