U.S. Under-20 Women’s National Team gears up for Women’s World Cup with extended training camp

The U.S. Under-20 Women’s National Team will come together for an extended training camp from July 15-30 in Bradenton, Fla. U.S. head coach Steve Swanson will bring 24 players to the two-week event as he continues to evaluate his player pool to eventually choose a 21-player FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup roster.

All of the players called up have seen action with the U-20s in training camps and games this year and defender Caprice Dydasco and forwards Makenzy Doniak and Kelly Cobb return from injuries in search of a World Cup roster spots.

The U.S. U-20s have a 13-1-1 record in 2012 while scoring 58 goals and allowing just eight. Forward Lindsey Horan leads the team in scoring with 12 goals while Chioma Ubogagu has nine and Katie Stengel has seven.

This will be the final event for the U-20s before the team leaves for the 2012 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup to be held in Japan from Aug. 19-Sept. 8.

The U.S. plays its first two Group D matches at the Hiroshima Big Arch Stadium in Hiroshima, opening its tournament on Aug. 20 against Ghana (4 p.m. local/3 a.m. ET) before facing China PR on Aug. 23 (7 p.m. local/6 a.m. ET). The USA will finish group play on Aug. 27 against Germany in what will be an extremely rare meeting during group play between former Under-20 world champions. The clash between the women’s soccer powers, which have both won this tournament twice, takes place at Miyagi Stadium in the town of Rifu near Sendai at 4 p.m. local/3 a.m. ET.

U.S. U-20 WNT Roster by Position:

GOALKEEPERS (3): Bryane Heaberlin (North Carolina; St. Petersburg, Fla.), Jami Kranich (Villanova; Hamden, Conn.), Abby Smith (Dallas Texans; Dallas, Texas)
DEFENDERS (7): Stephanie Amack (Mustang Blast; Pleasanton, Calif.), Olivia Brannon (Virginia; Troy, Mich.), Crystal Dunn (North Carolina; Rockville Centre, N.Y.), Caprice Dydasco (UCLA; Honolulu, Hawaii), Kassey Kallman (Florida State; Woodbury, Minn.), Mollie Pathman (Duke; Durham, N.C.), Cari Roccaro (Albertson Fury; East Islip, N.Y.)
MIDFIELDERS (7): Morgan Brian (Virginia; St. Simons Island, Ga.), Vanessa DiBernardo (Illinois; Naperville, Ill.), Julie Johnston (Santa Clara; Mesa, Ariz.), Sarah Killion (UCLA; Fort Wayne, Ind.), Mandy Laddish (Notre Dame; Lee’s Summit, Mo.), Ashley Meier (Cleveland Whitecaps; Strongsville, Ohio), Samantha Mewis (UCLA; Hanson, Mass.)
FORWARDS (7): Kelly Cobb (Duke; Chugiak, Alaska), Makenzy Doniak (Slammers FC; Chino Hills, Calif.), Maya Hayes (Penn State; West Orange, N.J.), Lindsey Horan (Colorado Rush; Golden, Colo.), Kealia Ohai (North Carolina; Draper, Utah), Katie Stengel (Wake Forest; Melbourne, Fla.), Chioma Ubogagu (Stanford; Coppell, Texas)