In preparation for February's CONCACAF U-17 championship in Jamaica, the United States squad will play two games against the Caribbean nation's youth squad in Montego Bay.
Wilmer Cabrera's team, in Jamaica on an seven-day training trip, has games scheduled for Jan. 27 and Jan. 30.
The group of 20 teenagers — which includes 19 members of the Residency Program in Bradenton, Fla., as well as FC Köln's Matt Dunn, who has been training with the U-17 side — made the trip, including Jordan Allen, Zach Carroll, Christian Duarte and Jack McBean, who joined for winter semester.
Center backs Andrew Souders and Mobi Fehr lead the back line while Dunn, Esteban Rodriguez and Tarik Salkicic will figure prominently in the midfield. Mario Rodriguez, one of the American's most impressive performers during the Nike International Friendlies, will look to provide the goal-scoring punch.
[inline_node:322870]The US return home on Feb. 3 and will spend a week preparing for the CONCACAF Championship before heading back to Jamaica on Feb. 10.
They'll play Cuba on the 14th and Panama two days later. The top two teams advance into the quarterfinals, with the winner of those four matches advancing to the 2011 U-17 World Cup in Mexico.
US U-17 MNT roster by position
GOALKEEPERS (2): Kendall McIntosh (Mustang Academy; Santa Rosa, Calif.), Fernando Pina (Houston Dynamo Academy; Houston)
DEFENDERS (6): Kellyn Acosta (FC Dallas Juniors; Plano, Texas), Joe Amon (South Carolina United FC; Summerville, S.C.), Zach Carroll (Vardar; Grand Blanc, Mich.), Mobi Fehr (Tokyo Verdy 1969; Tokyo), Nathan Smith (Cal Odyssey; Clovis, Calif.), Andrew Souders (Crew Soccer Academy; Amherst, Ohio)
MIDFIELDERS (7): Jordan Allen (Empire United; Rochester, N.Y.), Christian Duarte (Texans SC Houston; League City, Texas), Matt Dunn (FC Köln; Dallas), Alejandro Guido (Aztecs Premier; Chula Vista, Calif.), Marc Pelosi (De Anza Force; Sunnyvale, Calif.), Esteban Rodriguez (Cosmos Academy West; Palmdale, Calif.), Tarik Salkicic (Strictly Soccer; Pinellas Park, Fla.)
FORWARDS (5): Paul Arriola (Arsenal FC; Chula Vista, Calif.), Alfred Koroma (Solar Chelsea FC; Arlington, Texas), Jack McBean (Los Angeles Galaxy Academy; Newport Beach, Calif.), Andrew Oliver (Westside United; Indianapolis), Mario Rodriguez (Central Aztecs; North Hollywood, Calif.)
Noah Davis covers the United States national team for MLSsoccer.com. Follow him on Twitter at @noahedavis.
