[nas] Fwd: Rongen Names U20 Roster

> RONGEN NAMES 20-MAN ROSTER FOR 2003 FIFA WORLD
> CHAMPIONSHIP IN UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
> Eight MLS Players and Two European Based Players Included on Roster;
> U.S. Opens Tournament Against Paraguay on Nov. 29 in Abu Dhabi
> 
> CHICAGO (Nov. 13, 2003) -- United States Under-20 Men's National Team 
> head coach Thomas Rongen named his 20-player roster that will represent 
> the U.S. at the 2003 FIFA World Youth Championship in the United Arab 
> Emirates from Nov. 27-Dec. 19. Of the players selected, 15 were part of 
> the squad that took second in Charleston, S.C., in November of last year 
> to qualify for the USA's fourth consecutive World Youth Championship.
> 
> The team will travel to UAE on Saturday, Nov. 22 and conduct a week of 
> training before the tournament, which will include a friendly against 
> Panama on Tuesday, Nov. 25 in Abu Dhabi. The U.S. was drawn into Group F 
> and will play all three of its games at Al-Nahyan Stadium in Abu Dhabi. 
> The Under-20s will open the tournament on Nov. 29 against Paraguay, 
> before meeting Germany on Dec. 2, and finishing group play against South 
> Korea on Dec. 5. Every U.S. match at the World Youth Championship can be 
> followed live via ussoccer.com's MatchTracker, presented by Philips 
> Electronics. All three U.S. games will also be televised in the U.S. on 
> Galavision (see schedule below).
> 
> "All of these players have worked hard to convince me and the rest of 
> the coaching staff that they are ready to compete at the World 
> Championship," Rongen said. "We've been preparing for two years now and 
> I believe this team is ready for the challenge they will be faced with 
> in UAE. We have a mix of college and professional players that can 
> hopefully lead us out of our group and towards our ultimate goal of 
> getting to the final."
> 
> Rongen selected a squad with a large amount of professional experience, 
> as eight players are currently playing in Major League Soccer and two 
> players playing professionally in Europe. Additionally, exactly half the 
> squad will bring world championship experience as ten players on the 
> team participated with the U.S. in the 2001 FIFA Under-17 World 
> Championship in Trinidad and Tobago.
> 
> Leading the team is D.C. United midfielder Bobby Convey, who topped the 
> U.S. Men's National Team this year with 15 appearances and snagged his 
> first goal of his career with a dramatic game-winning strike against 
> Costa Rica in the Third Place match of the CONCACAF Gold Cup. Convey, 
> who has played with the U-20s since 2000, already has experience in the 
> FIFA World Youth Championship as he played in the tournament two years 
> ago in Argentina.
> 
> A pair of MetroStars, forward Mike Magee and defender Ricardo Clark, 
> just completed their rookie MLS campaigns with impressive performances. 
> Clark played in 28 of 32 games during the regular season to lead the 
> MetroStars in minutes played, while also scoring three goals and 
> notching one assist. Magee played in 29 games and finished tied for 
> second in scoring with seven goals and two assists for 16 points. Both 
> players have been instrumental to the Under-20 squad the past two years 
> as Clark leads the team with 42 appearances and Magee leads the team 
> with 18 goals, while also registering three assists for a team-high 41 
> points.
> 
> Dallas Burn forward Ed Johnson is also expected to play a major role for 
> the U.S. in the United Arab Emirates. Over the past two years, Johnson 
> leads the team in international goals with eight in 16 starts. Johnson 
> will not only bring a knack for finding the back of the net, but also a 
> stack of experience as the forward participated in the 2001 Under-17 
> World Championship.
> 
> The other MLS professionals include Justin Mapp (Chicago Fire), Arturo 
> Alvarez (San Jose Earthquakes), Jordan Stone (Dallas Burn) and Santino 
> Quaranta (D.C. United). 
> 
> Two other players are currently getting experience playing overseas in 
> Europe as midfielder David Johnson and defender Zak Whitbread are young 
> professionals with Willem II (Holland) and Liverpool (England) 
> respectively. Both Johnson and Whitbread were part of the U-20 MNT 
> roster for the L'Alcudia International Tournament in Spain this past 
> August. Johnson led the team with two goals to help the U.S. secure 
> third place in the tournament.
> 
> Rounding out the rest of the nine spots on the U.S. roster is a 
> collection of the top college players in the nation. Both U.S. 
> goalkeepers, Steve Cronin (Santa Clara) and Ford Williams (UNC), have 
> helped their schools push into the top ten rankings at some point this 
> season. Cronin has been stellar between the pipes for the Broncos, 
> recording eight shutouts and allowing just 10 goals in 17 starts. Over 
> the past two years, Cronin has been the clear No. 1 'keeper for the 
> U-20s as he has started in 34 of the teams' 55 games, collecting a 
> 14-9-11 record.
> 
> The U.S. defense will be solidified by college standouts Chad Marshall 
> (Stanford), Ryan Cochrane (Santa Clara), and Craig Jared Klass 
> (University of Washington). All five defenders have been integral cogs 
> in the U.S. Under-20 squad over the past two years as each player is 
> near the top on the team in appearances and starts. The trio, along with 
> defenders Drew Moor (Indiana) and Jordan Harvey (UCLA), has helped the 
> U.S. secure 22 shutouts and post a 28-12-15 record over the past two 
> years, outscoring their opponents almost two to one (94 goals for, 50 
> goals against).
> 
> Two Big Ten standouts, forward Knox Cameron (Michigan) and midfielder 
> Ned Grabavoy (Indiana), are coming off stellar college seasons as both 
> were leading their respective teams in both goals and assists at the end 
> of the regular season. Both players have been major contributors on the 
> field for the Under-20s over the past two years, as Grabavoy leads the 
> team with seven assists and Cameron is second with six assists to go 
> along with his seven goals.
> 
> Forward Clint Dempsey will also be looking to contribute in UAE. The 
> Furman University standout has recorded 15 goals and 18 assists in three 
> years of college, but has yet to notch a point in just eight 
> international matches with the Under-20 MNT.
> 
> The U.S. qualified for UAE '03 by taking second place in Group B of the 
> CONCACAF Under-20 final qualifying tournament in Charleston, S.C., in 
> November 2002. The U.S. opened the qualifying tournament in Charleston 
> with a 2-0 win against Haiti, and then secured its ticket to their 
> fourth straight World Youth Championship with a 1-0 victory over El 
> Salvador. The U.S. rested five players for their final match against 
> Canada and fell 3-2, allowing Canada to finish as the group winners.
> 
> The 24-team field at the FIFA World Youth Championship will be divided 
> into six groups of four, with the top two teams in each group and the 
> four best teams among those ranked third at the end of the first round 
> qualifying for the Round of 16. All of the matches during the tournament 
> will be played in Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Dubai and Al-Ain.
> 
> At the most recent World Youth Championship in Argentina '01, the U.S. 
> team advanced out of their group, but eventually fell 2-0 to a tough 
> Egypt side in the Round of 16. The U.S. managed to finish second in 
> Group C play with four points, despite falling to China 1-0 in its 
> opening match of the tournament. Led by DaMarcus Beasley, who notched 
> two goals, the U.S. beat Chile 4-1 in their next match, while Kenny 
> Arena provided the team's lone goal in its 1-1 tie with Ukraine in its 
> final match of group play. The five goals in the final two games pushed 
> the U.S. into the next round as it finished tied for second place with 
> China with four points, moving on with a superior goal differential.
> 
> Fans and media can follow the team's journey through the World 
> Championship by clicking on FIFA World Youth Championship at the 
> competitions page of ussoccer.com.
>  
> U.S. Under-20 Men's National Team
> FIFA Youth World Championship Schedule
> 
> Date                    Opponent                   Venue             
> Kickoff                                        Television (Galavison)
> November 29      Paraguay                    Abu Dhabi      5:45 p.m. 
> local / 8:45 a.m. ET       8:30 a.m. ET (live), PT (delayed)
> December 2        Germany                     Abu Dhabi      5:45 p.m. 
> local / 8:45 a.m. ET       8:30 a.m. ET (live), PT (delayed)
> December 5        South Korea               Abu Dhabi      8:30 p.m. 
> local / 11:30 a.m. ET     1:30 p.m. ET & PT (delayed)
> December 8,9     Round of 16*             TBD               TBD        
>                                       TBD
> December 12      Quarterfinals*             TBD               TBD        
>                                       TBD
> December 15      Semifinals*                 TBD               TBD    
>                                           TBD
> December 19      Third Place Match*    TBD               TBD            
>                                   TBD
> December 19      Final*                         TBD               TBD    
>                                           TBD
> 
> * If necessary
> 
> U.S. Under-20 MNT Roster -- FIFA World Youth Championship
> No.    Name                     Pos.    Ht.      Wt.    Birthdate     
> Hometown                   Club/College   
> 12    Alvarez, Arturo         M       5'9"    145    06/28/85    
> Houston, Texas             San Jose Earthquakes (MLS)
> 17    Cameron, Knox        F        6'3"    205    09/17/83     Bronx, 
> N.Y.                 University of Michigan
> 11    Clark, Ricardo          M       5'10"  140    05/21/83    
> Jonesboro, Ga.             MetroStars (MLS)
>   5    Cochrane, Ryan        D       6'0"     155    08/08/83    
> Portland, Ore.               Santa Clara University
> 10    Convey, Bobby        M       5'8"     150    05/27/83    
> Philadelphia, Penn.        D.C. United (MLS)
>   1    Cronin, Steve           GK     6'2"     190    05/28/83    Fair 
> Oaks, Calif.           Santa Clara University
> 14    Dempsey, Clint         M/F   6'1"     170    03/09/83    
> Nacogdoches, Texas     Furman University
> 19    Grabavoy, Ned         M/F  5'6"      145    07/01/83    New Lenox, 
> Ill.             Indiana University
> 20    Harvey, Jordan         D       5'10"   160    01/28/84    Mission 
> Viejo, Calif.      UCLA
> 15    Johnson, David         M      5'11"   160    01/16/84     Venice, 
> Calif.                Willem II (Holland)
>   7    Johnson, Ed              F       6'0"     170    03/31/84     
> Palm Coast, Fla.           Dallas Burn (MLS)
>   8    Klaas, Craig Jared    D      5'7"      165    08/23/83     Cherry 
> Valley, Ill.         University of Washington
> 13    Magee, Mike            F      5'9"      150    09/02/84     Long 
> Grove, Ill.            MetroStars (MLS)
>   3    Mapp, Justin            M      5'11"    160    10/18/84     
> Brandon, Miss.            Chicago Fire (MLS)
>   4    Marshall, Chad        D      6'2"       165    08/22/84     
> Riverside, Calif.            Stanford University   
> 16    Moor, Drew            D       6'0"      170    01/15/84     
> Dallas, Texas                Indiana University
>   9    Quaranta, Santino    F       6'1"       185    10/14/84    
> Baltimore, Md.              D.C. United (MLS)   
>   6    Stone, Jordan          D       5'9"       145    03/16/84    
> Allen, Texas                  Dallas Burn (MLS)
>   2    Whitbread, Zak       D       6'3"       180    01/10/84    
> Liverpool, England        Liverpool (England)
> 18    Williams, Ford        GK     6'3"       190    02/20/84    
> Raleigh, N.C.               University of North Carolina
>                
> Goalkeepers (2): Steve Cronin, Ford Williams; Defenders (7): Ryan 
> Cochrane, Jordan Harvey, Craig Jared Klaas, Chad Marshall, Drew Moor, 
> Jordan Stone, Zak Whitbread; Midfielders (7): Arturo Alvarez, Ricardo 
> Clark, Bobby Convey, Clint Dempsey, Ned Grabavoy, David Johnson, Justin 
> Mapp; Forwards (4): Knox Cameron, Ed Johnson, Mike Magee, Santino
> Quaranta.
> 
> U.S. Under-20 MNT Staff
> Head Coach:                 Thomas Rongen
> Assistant Coach:            Cle Kooiman
> Goalkeeper Coach:        Dave Dir
> Team Coordinator:         Erik Carlson
> Doctors:                        Dwite Dahms, Mel Hayashi
> Trainers:                        Steven Jurch, Sheldon Lo
> Scout:                           Roberto Lopez
> Equipment Manager:     Bryan Rosenbaum
> Press Officer:                Neil Buethe
> 
> --ussoccer.com--

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