Eighteen top prospects representing USA at CONCACAF Boys’ U-15 Championship

CHICAGO – U.S. Under-15 Men’s Youth National Team head coach Tom Heinemann has selected the 18-player roster that will represent the USA at the 2023 Concacaf Boys’ Under-15 Championship, set for Aug. 6-13 in the Dominican Republic.

It’s the first time that the biennial tournament has been held since 2019 after the 2021 competition was canceled due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. This year marks the fourth edition and the USA’s third participation, following a runner-up finish in 2017 and a semifinal appearance in 2019.

The U.S. was drawn into League A, Group B and kicks off the tournament against guest nation Qatar on Sunday, Aug. 6 at 8 p.m. ET, faces Cuba on Monday, Aug. 7 at 6 p.m. ET and finishes the group stage against Haiti on Tuesday, Aug. 8 at 8 p.m. ET. Tournament matches will be streamed on Concacaf platforms.

2023 CONCACAF BOYS’ U-15 CHAMPIONSHIP ROSTER BY POSITION (CLUB)

GOALKEEPERS (2): William Mackay (Real Salt Lake), Owen Pratt (LA Galaxy)

DEFENDERS (6): Miguel Alvardo (Colorado Rapids), Sebasthian Chavez (New York City FC), Pedro Guimares (LAFC), Ramiz Hamouda (Sporting Kansas City), Adrian Sanders (LAFC), Juan Villa (Real Salt Lake)

MIDFIELDERS (5): Peter Doran (Philadelphia Union), Luca Moisa (Real Salt Lake), Cavan Sullivan (Philadelphia Union), Jude Terry (LAFC), Isaac Tortola (Columbus Crew)

FORWARDS (5): Chase Adams (Columbus Crew), Julian Hall (New York Red Bulls), Jamir Johnson (Philadelphia Union), Omar Marquez (Real Salt Lake), Tanner Rosborough (New York Red Bulls)

Players born on or after Jan. 1, 2008 are age-eligible for the 2023 Concacaf Boys’ U-15 Championship. Heinemann selected 17 players born in 2008 and one born in 2009- Philadelphia Union midfielder Cavan Sullivan.

The roster features players from nineMajor League Soccer clubs, led by four players from Real Salta Lake, three from the Philadelphia Union and LAFC plus two each from the Columbus Crew and New York Red Bulls.

Two players have been called up to all five U-15 training camps that have been held since the cycle kicked off in October 2022: Sullivan and LAFC midfielder Jude Terry. Sullivan is the younger brother of U-20 MYNT forward Quinn Sullivan, who represented the U.S. at the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup earlier this summer.

Eight players made their international debuts during the U-15s’ April training camp in Spain, facing off against England, the host nation and Japan: defenders Miguel Alvarado, Sebasthian Chavez, Ramiz Hamouda and Juan Villa, midfielders Sullivan and Terry plus forwards Jamir Johnson and Omar Marquez.

The tournament represents players’ introduction to continental competition and a number of future senior USMNT players have featured at the U-15 Championship. 2022 FIFA World Cup veterans Gio Reyna and Joe Scally helped lead the USA to a second-place finish at the 2017 edition alongside defender George Bello and midfielder Gianluca Busio.

Goalkeeper Gaga Slonina backstopped the USA at the 2019 tournament, playing with 2023 U-20 World Cup teammate Rokas Pukstas. The U.S. fell to guest nation and eventual champion Portugal in the semifinals.

The 2023 Concacaf Boys’ U-15 Championship features 41 teams (39 nations from Concacaf and two guest nations: Saudi Arabia and Qatar) divided into three leagues based on the Concacaf Men’s U-17 Ranking. As one of the 14 highest-ranked teams, the USA will compete in League A alongside the two guest nations and was drawn into Group B alongside Haiti, Cuba and Qatar. League B features the next 16 ranked teams and League C includes the nine remaining teams.

In League A, the top two teams in each group advance to the quarterfinals. Should the U.S. advance, it would face a team from Group C.

LEAGUE A

LEAGUE B

LEAGUE C

Leagues A and C will be contested across three venues in the Dominican Republic, while League B will be played at two stadiums in Willemstad, Curaçao. The Dominican Republic has become a familiar venue for the U.S. Youth National Teams as the last four Concacaf Women’s Under-20 and Under-17 Championships have been held in the Caribbean nation (CWU20 in 2020, 2022 and 2023 plus CWU17 in 2022).