CHARLESTON, S.C. (Jan. 11, 2010) – The roster of 18 players for US Club Soccer’s id2 National Selection International Tour has been finalized in advance of the Feb. 5-14, 2010, journey to the Netherlands and Germany.
A total of 11 states are represented on the 18-player roster, which is comprised of a team of the best male players born in 1996 and 1997 from the fall 2009 id2 Regional Training Camps. The squad will play three games while overseas in addition to conducting daily training sessions and experiencing the day-to-day culture of some of the world’s most well-known professional clubs.
Consistent with US Club Soccer’s philosophy that identification and development should be free to players, the organization will be funding the trip in conjunction with the strong support of Nike; there will be no cost to players.
“We are delighted with the group of players that we were able to select,” said Gerry McKeown, US Club Soccer’s id2 Boys’ Program Director. “There is great representation from the states that are traditionally strong, as well as a few players from areas that may not be at the national forefront. Our only regret is that we couldn’t bring additional teams as there are a lot of gifted players that did not make the roster.”
Additional information about the id2 National Selection International Tour, including a game schedule and details about how to follow the team while abroad, will soon be available.
2010 id2 National Selection International Tour Roster:
| M |
Corey Baird |
Escondido, Calif. (San Diego Surf) |
| M |
Anthony Calvo |
Ceres, Calif. (Turlock FC) |
| D |
Chet Castellaw |
Hidden Hills, Calif. (Real So Cal) |
| M |
Walker Dawkins |
Royal Palm Beach, Fla. (West Pines Utd.) |
| D |
Collin Fernandez |
Downers Grove, Ill. (Chicago Fire Jrs.) |
| M |
Justin Fiddes |
San Diego, Calif. (San Diego Surf) |
| M |
Declan McCabe |
Weston, Mass. (MPS) |
| D |
David Mejia |
Weston, Fla. (Weston FC) |
| M |
Robbie Mertz |
Pittsburgh, Pa. (Century United) |
| D |
Dolu Oyewole |
Waldorf, Md. (Freestate SA) |
| G |
Carter Richardson |
Dublin, Ohio (Team Ohio) |
| F |
Mark Segbers |
St. Louis, Mo. (St. Louis Scott Gallagher) |
| M |
Benny Swanson |
Grove City, Ohio (Team Ohio) |
| F |
Ade Taiwo |
Raleigh, N.C. (Triangle FC) |
| F |
Shota Takada |
Honolulu, Hawaii (Honolulu Bulls) |
| M |
Brandon Tetro |
Freehold, N.J. (PDA) |
| D |
Logan Ventura |
Pittstown, N.J. (PDA) |
| D |
Wesley Wade |
South Orange, N.J. (NJ Rangers) |
STAFF:
Head Coach: Gerry McKeown (Summit, N.J.)
Assistant Coach: Daniel Allen (Charleston, S.C.)
Assistant Coach: Benjamin Ziemer (Sebastopol, Calif.)
Trip Manager/Media Relations: Greg Hutton (Charleston, S.C.)
Athletic Trainer: Chris Young (Atlanta, Ga.)
About id2: [id2 Fact Sheet]
Established in 2004, US Club Soccer’s id2 national identification and development program provides an opportunity for the country’s top youth talent to be identified and developed for possible inclusion in U.S. Soccer’s National Team programs.
id2 Training Camps are invitation-only events that bring together the nation’s top male and female youth players for four days of competition, evaluation and fun. Players are invited to participate as a result of an extensive scouting and recommendation program in which players throughout the country are identified in their own familiar training and game environment as they compete with their club teams. Affiliated and unaffiliated players are able to be recommended.
U.S. Soccer National Team staff as well as other elite coaches and players attend id2 Training Camps. In addition to the on-field sessions, id2 Training Camps feature guest speakers, lectures/classroom sessions and other offerings, which make for a complete experience.
Aided by their time at US Club Soccer’s id2 Training Camps, numerous attendees of past camps have advanced into U.S. Soccer’s National Team programs.
There is no cost to be included in the id2 program. In addition, the only cost to players selected for an id2 Training Camp is travel to and from the venue. Lodging, meals and training gear are provided by US Club Soccer and Nike.
Those interested are able to visit the id2 Web page for more information on the organization’s national identification and development program.
About US Club Soccer:
US Club Soccer is a non-profit organization whose mission is to develop competitive club soccer in the United States. A member of the United States Soccer Federation since July 2001, US Club Soccer has grown to include member clubs and leagues in all 50 states. In addition to sanctioning and administering tournaments, leagues and other competitions as well as offering a range of programs for its members, US Club Soccer annually conducts the National Cup and the National Collegiate Showcase. US Club Soccer also directs its own player identification and development program – id2.
