U.S. Soccer: U-20s convene in Chula Vista, Calif.

The U.S. under-20 national team is conducting a 15-day training camp at the ARCO Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, Calif. Head coach Wolfgang Suhnholz has called in 19 players for the camp, which is scheduled to include three games, in preparation for the 2001 World Youth Championship qualifying tournament to be held in Trinidad & Tobago from March 18-22. So far the under-20s have posted a 4-3-2 record in 2001, including a pair of wins against Mexico in Guadalajara. Kyle Martino (University of Virginia) scored the only goal of the game in a 1-0 win against Mexico on Jan. 30, and two days later Seth Trembly (Colorado Rapids) scored in injury-time to beat the Mexicans, 2-1. All 17 players that traveled to Mexico earlier this year return for this camp, and will be joined by defender Alex Yi (UCLA) and goalkeeper Doug Warren (Clemson). The U.S. will play CSEPEL Auto Trader FC, a local Hungarian club team, on Feb. 17, and again on Feb. 23. The under-20s topped the Hungarian club team 4-1 last year. The U.S. will then play the University of San Francisco on Feb. 25, before the players depart from camp on Feb. 28. The team will reconvene on March 7 in Florida to begin their final camp before traveling to Trinidad for Group B qualifying. The U.S. opens the qualifying tournament against Guatemala on March 18, then faces Costa Rica on March 20 and Trinidad & Tobago on March 22. The top two teams from the group will advance to the 2001 World Youth Championship June 17-July 8 in Argentina. Four high-profile players who are eligible for inclusion on Suhnholz’s squad, but will not be in this camp because of club commitments are DaMarcus Beasley (Chicago Fire) and Bobby Convey (D.C. United), as well as Conor Casey (Bortussia Dortmund) and Landon Donovan (Bayer Leverkusen). U.S. U-20 roster for Chula Vista camp: Goalkeepers: D.J. Countess (UCLA), Curtis Spiteri (Portland), Doug Warren (Clemson Defenders: Nelson Akwari (UCLA), Jose Burciaga (Kansas City Wizards), Ricky Lewis (Clemson), Oguchi Onyewu (Clemson), Seth Trembly (Colorado Rapids), Alexander Yi (UCLA). Midfielders: Kenny Arena (Virginia), Kyle Beckerman (Miami Fusion), Brian Carroll (Wake Forest), Kenny Cutler (Clemson), Kyle Martino (Virginia), Phillip Salyer (Maryland). Forwards: Devin Barclay (Tampa Bay Mutiny), Edson Buddle (Columbus Crew), Alecko Eskandarian (Virginia), Kelly Gray (Portland).