This week, from November 4th to the 10th, the Under-17 United States Women’s National Team is holding a domestic camp at the National Training Center in Carson, California. Tracey Kevins has called-in 32 players, including 4 players who are attending their first USA youth camp, and 3 other players who are in their first U-17 camp. (U.S. Soccer)
The camp, which is being held concurrently with a U-20 USWNT camp, is the fifth U-17 camp of this year and only the second domestic gathering of the year. No friendlies against international opponents or local club teams have been announced, so it is probable that the U-17 and U-20 WNTs will scrimmage against each other, most likely in split-squad sessions.
Update: Not mentioned in the press releases for these camps are two scrimmages scheduled for Saturday, November 9th.
1:30 PM: U-17 USWNT vs. Beach FC 04/05 Boys
4:00 PM: U-17 USWNT vs. U-20 USWNT
Given the same-day scheduling, the U-17 USWNT will almost certainly be using a split-squad for these matches. Both matches will be open to the public. (thanks to a U-17 parent for this tip)
Recent U-17 USWNT Coverage:
- The 2020 U-17 USWNT Cycle: A First In-Depth Look (September 2019)
- The 2020 U-17 USWNT Cycle: Notes On Individual Players
Of the 32 players, 28, including the 4 first-timers, were born in 2003, which is the cut-off year for the 2020 U-17 Women’s World Cup. The remaining 4 players are 2004’ers and include three players from the 2018 U-14 USGNT which won last year’s CONCACAF U-15 Girls’ Championship. The fourth 2004-born player is the exceptional Allyson Sentnor who has been a regular call-up under Tracey Kevins during this U-17 cycle and the previous U-15 cycle.
The four first-timers are Allyson “Ally” Brown (Sockers FC), Kolo Suliafu (So Cal Blues SC), plus Drew Coomans and 2021 Duke University verbal commit Kelly Wilson (both Beach FC).
Three players with previous USA youth camp call-ups are attending their first U-17 USWNT camp: Forward/midfielder Jaedyn Shaw and defender Alyssa Thompson, who are both 2004-born players, and 2003 forward Kayla Colbert.
Prior to this camp, Colbert had attended over a dozen USA youth camps, dating back to the 2016 U-14 cycle, but none since September 2018. Her camp call-ups were also unusual, as during the 2017-2018 cycle, she only attended two camps for her specific age cohort, U-15, while attending five U-16 camps. She also was the youngest player who attended a special Attackers and Goalkeepers youth camp back in December 2016. All the other players called in were born in the years from 2000 to 2002.
In a previous article, I identified a shortlist of players who seemed to be the preferred first-choice options under Kevins. Four of those players are not attending this camp: defender Baleigh Bruster, midfielder Emma Egizii, forward Arianna Manrique, and defender Andrea Kitahata. All four of these players were on the originally published roster for the Sweden camp. However, Kitahata was a late scratch from that roster for an unspecified reason.
Note: As a general rule, I do not read too much into a player’s absence from a single youth camp, as there could be a number of valid non-performance reasons for their absence: Injuries (which are rarely publicly discussed at the youth level), excused absences (whether planned or unplanned), call-up ‘agreements’ between the youth WNT coach and a player’s coach (especially at the NCAA level, when in season), and so on.
Bruster played in the first match in Sweden, but did not feature in the following two matches, so it is possible that she picked up a significant injury during that camp.
Egizii is an interesting absence, as she been a consistent call-up under Kevins but has had the lowest minutes played of the core midfielders.
Manrique is perhaps the least surprising, as she appears to be the least-preferred of the core forwards, so the possibility of another striker such as Karlie Lema, who scored 5 goals in 3 matches this year in a preparatory UEFA tournament, overtaking her in the depth chart is now slightly more probable.
Kitahata’s replacement, Macy Blackburn, returns for her second-straight U-17 camp, and her third of this year.
Both goalkeepers from the quasi-“B”-Team roster for the May 2019 UEFA developmental tournament in the Czech Republic, Haley Craig and Jordyn Gunnarson, are attending this camp for their second U-17 call-up of this cycle. Four other players from that tournament are back for a second call-up this year: Forwards Simisola Awujo, defender Madeline Mooney, and midfielders Riley Gleason and Bella Sember.
Gleason was a late addition to Kevins 2018 U-15 cycle, earning four straight call-ups from March to August 2018, including for the Weifang tournament.
U-17 USWNT NOVEMBER 2019 CAMP ROSTER (NTC)
Bolded* players are first-time call-ups.
Italicized^ players have been previously called into at least one U-17 camp this year, but are not (yet) considered a first-choice selection.
Indigo Blue players were born in 2004. All other players were born in 2003.
GOALKEEPERS (4):
- Nadia Cooper (Challenge SC; Katy, Texas)
- Haley Craig (Michigan Jaguars; Dexter, Mich.)^
- Jordyn Gunnarson (FC Dallas; McKinney, Texas)^
- Neeku Purcell (Reign Academy; Seattle, Wash.)
DEFENDERS (11):
- Macy Blackburn (Solar SC; Fort Worth, Texas)
- Courtney Boone (Legends FC; West Covina, Calif.)
- Allyson Brown (Sockers FC; Wheaton, Ill.)*
- Elise Evans (San Jose Earthquakes; Redwood City, Calif.)^ – 2004
- Aidan McConnell (Michigan Hawks; Dexter, Mich.)
- Madeline Mooney (Reign Academy; Seattle, Wash.)^
- Ayooluwa Oke (Tophat; Atlanta, Ga.)
- Shea O’Malley (NC Courage; Cary, N.C.)
- Lilly Reale (South Shore Select; Hingham, Mass.)
- Kolo Suliafu (So Cal Blues SC; Victorville, Calif.)*
- Kelly Wilson (Beach FC; Manhattan Beach, Calif.)*
MIDFIELDERS (8):
- Tatiana Fung (Legends FC; Fullerton, Calif.)
- Riley Gleason (So Cal Blues SC; Mission Viejo, Calif.)^
- Annie Karich (Beach FC; Surfside, Calif.)
- Devin Lynch (Sockers FC; Naperville, Ill.)
- Alexis Missimo (Solar SC; Southlake, Texas)
- Bella Sember (Metropolitan Oval; Centerport N.Y.)^
- Jaedyn Shaw (Solar SC; Frisco, Texas)^ – 2004
- Jillian Shimkin (Sky Blue-NYSC; Rockville Centre, N.Y.)
FORWARDS (9):
- Simisola Awujo (Tophat; Atlanta, Ga.)^
- Trinity Byars (Solar SC; Richardson, TX)
- Kayla Colbert (Legends FC; Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.)^
- Drew Coomans (Beach FC; Long Beach, Calif.)
- Simone Jackson (Beach FC; Redondo Beach, Calif.)
- Karlie Lema (MVLA; Morgan Hill, Calif.)^
- Allyson Sentnor (South Shore Select; Hanson, Mass.) – 2004
- Alyssa Thompson (Real So Cal; Studio City, Calif.)^ – 2004
- Amelia White (Fort Wayne United FC; Fort Wayne, Ind.)
NOTABLES:
- Jaedyn Shaw is listed as a midfielder. At the U-14 level last year and for this year’s U-16 trip to the Netherlands, she had been listed exclusively as a forward.
- Beach FC’s U-17 Team has four players in this camp: First-timers Drew Coomans and Kelly Wilson, plus regulars Simone Jackson and Annie Karich. A third regular call-up from that squad, Emma Egizii, is not attending this camp.
Women's Soccer Express 