U.S. under-17 national team head coach John Hackworth welcomed eight new players for the ninth year of U.S. Soccer’s full-time residency program at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla. The semester kicked off at the beginning of January, but a few players were on trial, giving Hackworth and his staff time to evaluate which players would be invited into the program full-time.

The 40 players in the program will be vying for a spot on the U.S. roster for the 2007 CONCACAF Under-17 Qualifying Tournament April 21-29 against Canada, Costa Rica, Trinidad & Tobago and host Jamaica The U.S. is the only country that has qualified for all 11 previous FIFA U-17 World Cups. The 2007 FIFA U-17 World Cup will take place in South Korea from Aug. 18-Sept. 9.

Some of the new players were brought because they have a chance of helping the USA in qualifying. Others were brought in as long-term prospects.

The eight new residents include 13-year-old phenom Charles Renken, a native of Zambia, and Gale Agbossoumonde and Alex Nimo, who both spent part of their childhoods in refugee camps in West Africa and came to the USA with the assistance of Catholic Charities. They join other African immigrants such as MLS draft pick Abdus Ibrahim (Ethiopia) and Israel Sesay (Sierra Leone) who are expected to make the U-17 roster.

GALE AGBOSSOUMONDE (Syracuse Blitz, N.Y.). Born in Togo and raised in a refugee camp in Benin with his family. Moved to the United States almost seven years ago. Like his brother, Mawuena, joined the varsity team at Syracuse prep power CBA as an eighth-grader. Mawuena, a junior, and Gale, a freshman, led CBA to the semifinals of the 2006 New York Class A high school championships. Gale’s high school coach, former indoor pro goalie Joe Papaleo, says he is a child in a college body.

EDER ARREOLA (FC Barcelona, Calif.). The 5-foot-6 midfielder/forward was invited to join the residency program after playing with the U-17 ’91s at the Nike Friendlies and Disney’s Soccer Showcase in December. FC Barcelona teammate Jesus Gonzalez also got a look with the U-17s. Arreola, only 15, was reportedly pursued last fall by Mexican club Chivas Guadalajara.

BRICE CARR (FC Milwaukee). All-Milwaukee area prep pick last fall as a junior at Marquette High School. The versatile Carr played at center back with Region II all-stars.

CHRIS CUMMINGS (Real So Cal, Calif.). Played on Real So Cal (formerly So Cal United) team that won the 2006 USYS U-15 national championship. The scrappy midfielder also starred for Crespi, a Southern California prep power, where he was a junior.

CHRIS KLUTE. (Dallas Texans). Product of the Dallas Texans youth program, which also has Greg Garza and star Jared Jeffrey in the residency program, Klute, a 6-foot-1 defender, was a junior at Grand Prairie High School.

ALEX NIMO (FC Portland, Ore.). Born in Liberia, Nimo moved with his family to a refugee camp in Ghana, where he spent most of the first nine years of his life. Nimo and his family were granted asylum as political refugees and moved to Oregon, where he was discovered by the late Clive Charles and placed in FC Portland. The senior from Benson High School is considered one of the best players to ever come out of Oregon. Nimo received his U.S. citizenship in November 2006.

CHARLES RENKEN (Scott Gallagher, Mo.). Considered the second coming of Freddy Adu, but Hackworth is taking it easy with the Zambian-born Renken, who won’t be considered for the 2007 U-17 World Cup. Renken only turned 13 in December, but he has attracted the interest of such clubs as AC Milan and Bayern Munich. Renken was adopted by Seth and Pam Renken in 2003 and moved to Southern Illinois with older brother Peter. Their other brother, Richard, had already been adopted by the Renkens.

BILLY SCHULER (Match Fit Academy, N.J.). The 5-foot-11 forward scored 22 goals last fall as a junior for Peddie School. Three other Match Fit players were with the U-17s for the Nike Friendlies in December.