The much-anticipated debut of the U.S. Pro 40 Select team will occur April 23, when the squad of Project-40 players meets the El Paso Patriots in El Paso’s Socorro Stadium. The Pro 40 Select team will then meet the Albuquerque Geckos on April 25. Project-40 is a joint venture between MLS and U.S. Soccer aimed at providing young American players with training and competition at the level needed to enhance the USA’s international success. Project-40 players train with their MLS club during the week before embarking on an extended “A-League” period, during which the team will play either two A-League games or one A-League game and a scrimmage against a local MLS team.18-20 players will be called in for each A-League game, with consideration given to the geographic nature of the trip and the wishes of a player’s MLS coach. With the U.S. Pro 40 Select team often playing twice in three days, and sometimes with just 14-15 players available, the squad will also have at its disposal several young MLS players on a game-by-game basis. “The key focus for the players will be how these A-League games can make a difference in the player elevating their game to earn a spot on the 20-man MLS roster,” said U.S. Pro 40 Select coach Tim Hankinson, who is also the MLS Director of Player Development. “The players will need to learn to embrace these matches to help in their development as a player. It will be an endless challenge each week with our rotation of players.” Hankinson believes that the A-League schedule will give the U.S. Pro 40 players the chance to play with more freedom than they usually have when training or playing with their MLS clubs. “This team will get some results,” he said. “But it will not be through a defensive style of soccer. While many of our players may not be able to take risks with their MLS team, we will encourage them to take risks on the offensive end. We’re going to try and win over the opposing fans with attractive soccer.” Opposing fans will greet the Pro 40 Select team at every game, as the team is the only team in the A-League to play its entire regular-season schedule on the road — playing 26 A-League teams once and New Orleans twice for a 28-game schedule. “The team will have to learn the consistency of playing all of their games on the road,” said Hankinson. “We can’t go through 28 games playing as the visitor. We must learn to play with a style like we are the home team.”