Virginia Beach City FC Academy Product, Samuel Jones, to represent US U-17s to kick off 2020-21 cycle
CHICAGO (Feb. 13, 2020) — A former Virginia Beach City FC Academy player will represent the U.S. Under-17 Men’s National Team at its first training camp of the 2020-21 cycle. Samuel Jones was selected as part of the team that will play at a UEFA Development Tournament at St. George’s Park in Burton upon Trent, England. The USA will play Spain (Feb. 19), England (Feb. 21) and Denmark (Feb. 24).
A total of 20 players, all born in 2004, will represent the U.S. at the tournament. Players born on or after Jan. 1, 2004 are age-eligible for the 2021 FIFA U-17 World Cup. The team will be coached by Larry Sunderland, Director of Player Development at FC Cincinnati.
Jones started with VB City FC from our inaugural season (2016) to 2018 where he then joined the Philadelphia Union Academy. Since that time, Jones has made 18 appearances for the U15 Union team last season and has made 8 appearances for the U17s in the Development Academy this season.
U-17 USMNT ROSTER BY POSITION (CLUB; HOMETOWN)
GOALKEEPERS (2): Jeffrey Dewsnup (Real Salt Lake; Herriman, Utah), Gabriel Slonina (Chicago Fire; Addison, Ill.)
DEFENDERS (8): Logan Batiste (Inter Miami CF; Greenacres, Fla.), Kobi Henry (Inter Miami CF; Miami, Fla.), Samuel Jones (Philadelphia Union; Portsmouth, Va.), Antonio Leone (LAFC; Long Beach, Calif.), Efrain Morales (Atlanta United FC; Atlanta, Ga.), Devan Tanton (UE Cornella/ESP; Barcelona, Spain), Caleb Wiley (Atlanta United FC; Atlanta, Ga.), Thomas Williams (Orlando City SC; Titusville, Fla.)
MIDFIELDERS (5): Juan Alvarez (Seattle Sounders FC; Tukwila, Wash.), Eric Ayala (Tijuana/MEX; San Diego, Calif.), Zach Booth (Real Salt Lake; Eden, Utah), Victor Valdez (LA Galaxy; Santa Ana, Calif.), Aethan Yohannes (AZ Alkmaar/NED; Springfield, Va.)
FORWARDS (5): Kaile Auvray (Lille/FRA; Kansas City, Kan.), Federico Oliva (Atletico Madrid/ESP; Madrid, Spain), Evan Rotundo (San Diego Surf; La Mesa, Calif.), Dantouma Toure (New York Red Bulls; Trenton, N.J.), Darren Yapi (Colorado Rapids; Denver, Colo.)
