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The U.S. men's national team U-20 squad will play the first of two friendly matches across the pond on Friday when they line up against the Tottenham Hotspur U-21 team in London. Billed as a warm-up match for the main event on Sunday -- an international friendly against the England U-20s -- the match against the Spurs youngsters will kick off at 7:00 a.m. Eastern time, 4:00 a.m. Pacific.
Head coach Tab Ramos is using the one-week training camp, the first of the year for the U-20s, as a way to get some of the European-based players a chance to play together. Lynden Gooch of Sunderland and Emerson Hyndman of Fulham are just two of the nine players on the roster that call European clubs their own.
Among the players representing MLS is dynamic San Jose Earthquakes forward Tommy Thompson. The 19 year old was an instrumental part of the squad that qualified for the 2015 FIFA U-20 World Cup that will be contested in New Zealand later this spring. Thompson, who signed a homegrown player contract with San Jose just over a year ago, started every game for Ramos in last year's CONCACAF qualifying tournament in Jamaica. Four other MLS players were invited to this week's training camp in England.
Prior to traveling to New Zealand in late May to begin group play in the World Cup, the U-20s will assemble for a pair of friendlies in April in the Austrian city of Linz. Ramos is still evaluating which players will make his final roster, and those games will provide the last tune-up ahead of the big tournament.
Friday's match against Tottenham's youth team is not expected to be available on TV or online. The two sides will face off at the Tottenham Hotspur Training Centre in London and video highlights of the match will be available at USSoccer.com later in the day.
U.S. Men's National Team U-20 roster
GOALKEEPERS: Jeff Caldwell (Virginia; Todd, N.C.), Thomas Olsen (University of San Diego; Las Vegas, Nev.)
DEFENDERS: Cameron Carter-Vickers (Tottenham Hotspur; Westcliff on Sea, England), Conor Donovan (Orlando City SC; Fuquay-Varina, N.C.), Shaquell Moore (Unattached; Powder Springs, Ga.), Erik Palmer-Brown (Sporting Kansas City; Lee's Summit, Mo.), Desevio Payne (Groningen; Greenwood, S.C.), John Requejo (Club Tijuana; Carpinteria, Calif.).
MIDFIELDERS: Russell Canouse (TSG 1899 Hoffenheim; Lancaster, Pa.), Marco Delgado (Toronto FC; Glendora, Calif.), Lynden Gooch (Sunderland; Santa Cruz, Calif.), Emerson Hyndman (Fulham; Dallas, Texas), Ethan Sonis (SC Freiburg; Coral Springs, Fla.), Joel Sonora (Boca Juniors; Buenos Aires, Argentina).
FORWARDS: Paul Arriola (Club Tijuana; Chula Vista, Calif.), Bradford Jamieson IV (LA Galaxy; Los Angeles, Calif.), Andrija Novakovich (Reading; Muskego, Wis.), Maki Tall (Red Star; Washington, D.C.), Tommy Thompson (San Jose Earthquakes; Loomis, Calif.), Dembakwi Yomba (Atlético Madrid; Lithonia, Ga.).