U.S. U-18 Men’s National Team head coach Javier Perez calls 24 players for training camp in Florida

CHICAGO – U.S. Under-18 Men’s National Team head coach Javier Perez called 24 players for a week-long training camp in Lakewood Ranch, Fla., to prepare for the upcoming Copa del Atlantico in the Canary Islands.

The training camp runs from Jan. 4-11 and precedes the tournament in Spain, which is scheduled to be played Feb. 4-7.

Twenty-one of the 24 players currently play for U.S. Soccer Development Academy teams while the remaining three also play for domestic-based clubs. Nine MLS Academies are represented, with Real Salt Lake AZ leading the way with three players receiving call-ups.

Five players – Mukwelle Akale, JT Marcinkowski, Erik Palmer-Brown, Tommy Redding and Ben Swanson – saw playing time for the U.S. U-18 MNT that took second place at the Limoges Tournament in France in October. Palmer-Brown started all three matches at the tournament and scored the lone goal in a 1-0 U.S. win over the Czech Republic, while Akale and Marcinkowski earned starts in two games.

Roster by Position:

GOALKEEPERS (3): Christian Herrera (Real Salt Lake AZ; Las Cruces, N.M.), JT Marcinkowski (San Jose Earthquakes; Alamo, Calif.), Justin Vom Steeg (Real So Cal; Santa Barbara, Calif.)
DEFENDERS (8): David Chavez (De Anza Force; Redwood City, Calif.), Justen Glad (Real Salt Lake AZ; Tucson, Ariz.), Malcolm Jones (LA Galaxy; Chino Hills, Calif.), Erik Palmer-Brown (Sporting Kansas City; Lee’s Summit, Mo.), Quentin Pearson (Colorado Rapids; Longmont, Colo.), Pablo Pelaez (San Diego Surf; San Diego, Calif.), Tommy Redding (Chicago Magic PSG; Oviedo, Fla.), Peter Schropp (Omaha FC; Omaha, Neb.)
MIDFIELDERS (7): Mukwelle Akale (Minnesota Thunder; Minneapolis, Minn.), Collin Fernandez (Chicago Fire; Downers Grove, Ill.), Cameron Lindley (Indiana Fire; Carmel, Ind.), Maduabuchi Obinwa (Chicago Magic PSG; Orlando, Fla.), Sebastian Saucedo (Real Salt Lake AZ; Casa Grande, Ariz.), Ben Swanson (Crew Soccer Academy; Grove City, Ohio), Jackson Yueill (Minnesota Thunder; Bloomington, Minn.)
FORWARDS (6): Coy Craft (FC Dallas; Frisco, Texas), Sebastian Elney (Boca United; Boca Raton, Fla.), Gerves Fagan (Sereno SC; Peoria, Ariz.), Christian Lucatero (Houston Dynamo; Pasadena, Texas), Jorge Ruiz (LA Galaxy; Mission Hills, Calif.), Kendall Stork (Chicago Magic PSG; Barrington, Ill.)