The schedule for the upcoming NTC U-20 tournament at the National Training Center in Carson, CA is now set. Joining hosts USA will be Mexico, Brazil and Japan. Each team will play each other once, in three sets of double-headers; the winner will be determined by total points, with overall goal difference as the first tiebreaker, and then total goals scored.
| Date | Kickoff (PT) | Teams |
|---|---|---|
| Tues., June 2 | 3 p.m. | Mexico vs. Brazil |
| 6 p.m. | USA vs. Japan | |
| Thurs., June 4 | 3 p.m. | Brazil vs. Japan |
| 6 p.m. | USA vs. Mexico | |
| Sat., June 6 | 12 p.m. | Japan vs. Mexico |
| 3 p.m. | USA vs. Brazil |
All matches will at the U.S. Soccer NTC at StubHub Center, on Glenn “Mooch” Myernick Field #1. Admission to the matches is free to the public. All tournament matches will also be streamed live on ussoccer.com.
DEFENDERS (6): Alana Cook (Match Fit FC; Far Hills, N.J.), Maddie Elliston (Penn State; Omaha, Neb.), Sabrina Flores (Notre Dame; Livingston, N.J.), Natalie Jacobs (Slammers FC; Coto de Caza, Calif.), Courtney Petersen (Michigan Hawks; Canton, Mich.), Kaleigh Riehl (Penn State; Fairfax Station, Va.)
MIDFIELDERS (8): Megan Buckingham (UNC; Novi, Mich.), Marley Canales (San Diego Surf; San Diego, Calif.), Savannah DeMelo (Beach FC; Bellflower, Calif.), Jordan Harr (Dallas Sting; Sachse, Texas), Mikaela Harvey (Texas A&M; Liberty Hill, Texas), Kelcie Hedge (Washington; Post Falls, Idaho), Emily Ogle (Penn State; Strongsville, Ohio), Parker Roberts (KC Metro Dynamos; Leawood, Ks.)
FORWARDS (4): Hana Kerner (Match Fit FC; Upper Saddle River, N.J.), Mallory Pugh (Real Colorado; Highlands Ranch, Colo.), Taylor Racioppi (PDA; Ocean Township, N.J.), Ashley Sanchez (SoCal Blues; Monrovia, Calif.)
Of the 20 players on the roster, 18 were in the U-20 camp earlier this month. The two “new” players are Hana Kerner and Parker Roberts; both have been with the U20s in this cycle, Kerner last seen last October, but with the U-19s since then; Roberts in April. (Both were in an U-19 camp earlier this month.)
Also included in the tournament roster, interestingly – and surprisingly – is Ashley Sanchez. The last U-20 camp in early May was her first call-up to the team; she has been a key player in the U-17 team currently training for next year’s U-17 Women’s World Cup. Could US Soccer be thinking of placing her with the U-20s now, at the expense of the U-17s? Or do they view this as a training experience for Sanchez? Where will that leave whichever team she ends up not playing with? (In this tournament, they list just four forwards, one of whom is Sanchez; Kerner has been with this U-20 squad just once before, more than 6 months ago.)
Or could Sanchez play in both World Cups? The U-17 WWC, to be held in Jordan, will run September 30th to October 21st, while the U-20 WWC in Papua New Guinea will run October 28th through November 16th. That’s just one week’s rest, and the U-20s will likely travel to Papua New Guinea before the U-17 tournament final is even played. She will also still be in high school, of course. The U.S. has never taken a player to both youth Women’s World Cup in the same year, although several players have gone to the U-20 Women’s World Cup when their U-17 team failed to qualify for their own WWC – Mallory Pugh and Taylor Racioppi among them, just last year.