Raphael Wicky, has cast his lot for the 2019 Concacaf U-17 Championship to be contested at IMG in Fl May 1-16 and it is a team not without a local flavor to it. Looking to break a tie with Brazil of all nations by qualifying for a record 17 World Cup should they meet with their typical success, they may get a bit of an assist as this year 20 teams are in the championship as a quartet will move on from out region. As it stands now the US has taken the Concacaf title 3 times, 1983,1992 and most recently 2011. Such success goes to show that it may not be what are typically considered the "developmental years" where the US falls short but the final few as in other nations their U -17's are oft times full time pros, ours are not able to play High School & Academy, or they are prepping for a short college season. The early games in group F will be May 2 with Canada at 6 p.m. ET, Barbados May 4 @ 4 p.m. ET then Guatemala May 6 @ 6 p.m. ET. These games are to be shown on Univisiion Deportes and the Concacaf Go app. Coach had this to say, " I'm very excitied about the team we've put together for this World Cup qualifying tournament. There's a lot of very good quality in this group . We brought together a strong roster for the mini-camp earlier this month, and now we've added a few more pieces with a lot of good characteristics. The players have brought a great mentality and we're excitied and ready for a number of interesting games ahead." 2017 saw the US drop the final to Mexico in pk's as the game came to a 1-1 draw, they then went on a great run in that World Cup losing to title taker England in the quaters, Josh Sargent and others were the standouts to come from that Cup. The noteable and local players named to this years roster include, 17 with pro teams. Tayvon Gray of the Bronx now of NYCFC, Joseph Scally of Long Island's Lake Grove also with NYCFC, John Tolkin of NYRB from NJ, & Giovani Reyna of Bedford NY.
Kwik Kixx:
-Players Years: 16 are 2002's with 4 being from 2003.
-14 clubs are repesented here with 1 being from Canada.
-Each player made at least one camp in the run up to the tourney.
-Def. Akehadre, GK Kas & Mid Saldana have been in each of the dozen camps in advance of the championship.
-Ocampo-Chavez leads in goals for team with 5.
-Saldana leads all with caps as he has missed just a trio of the games this cycle.
-8 of the players were with the team at the U-15's as they were runners up in the Concacaf championship in 2017.
-10 of this team have pro minutes in 2019, half a dozen are under MLS Homegrown Contracts.
-Busio is on fire as he has goals in 3 straight for his Sporting KC, making him the youngest to score in 3 straight MLS regular season games.
-Pepi out of McKinney TX hit for a hat trick with a pk for N. Texas SC in injury time with Forward Madison a week ago.
-Griffin Yow got his first minutes this weekend v NYCFC for his DC United as they dropped the game 2-0.
-Bryang Kayo also made his pro debut of late as his Loudon United matched up with Ottawa.
-Seattle Sounders U-17's won the GA Cup, a high level tourney in Frisco TX as Leyva secured the MVP while Ocampo-Chavez surprise, took the Golden Boot with 6 goals in as many games.
-The entire team has at least one season in the USSDA.
-18 have time with a USSDA side this year.
-7 were selected as Academy Best XI following the 2017-'18 season.
-Reyna keeping up with his previous generation, was the U-16/17 East Conference Player of the Year in 2017-'18.
-4 took Academy National TItles including with NYCFC, Scally & Reyna.