Under-17 Men’s National Team to play two Development Academy teams in September

The U.S. Under-17 men’s national team will convene in early September for matches against two teams representing the U.S. Soccer Development Academy.

The U-17 MNT will travel to play St. Louis Scott Gallagher Missouri, whose U-16 side was the 2011-12 Development Academy runner-up, at 7 p.m. CT on Sept. 8 at Dennis P. Long Stadium’s recently upgraded main field at Soccer Park in Fenton, Mo.

St. Louis Scott Gallagher, also known as SLSG, is part of the soccer community of the Greater St. Louis Metropolitan Area with youth teams from ages 7-18. Club alumni include current professional players Tim Ream (Bolton Wanderers), Brad Davis (Houston Dynamo), Will Bruin (Houston), Matt Pickens (Colorado Rapids) and Jack Jewsbury (Portland Timbers).

Two days later, the U.S. heads to Columbus, Ohio, for a match against the Columbus Crew Soccer Academy on Sept. 10 at 6 p.m. CT at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium on the campus of Ohio State University.

Associated with the Major League Soccer club, the Crew Soccer Academy comprises the third level on the team’s development pyramid, below the first team and the reserves. Since 2008, the Crew Soccer Academy has sent three players up to the first team as homegrown signings. Matt Lampson, Ben Speas and Aaron Horton all signed with the first team after playing with the academy team.

Later in the month of September, the U.S. will travel to Spain from Sept. 29-Oct. 6 to face Azerbaijan, Georgia and the United Arab Emirates in the 2012 AGS Cup.