Union’s Pfeffer Named to Men’s Under 20 National team

Report From PhiladelphiaUnion.com

Philadelphia Union announced today that midfielder Zach Pfeffer has been included in the 21-player squad selected by Under-20 Men’s National Team head coach Tab Ramos for the 35^th edition of the Dallas Cup, which takes place April 13-20 in Dallas, Texas.

Pfeffer, the first-ever Homegrown Player to sign with Philadelphia Union, previously spent time training with the U-20 squad in Verona, Italy in November 2013 and again inLakewood Ranch, Fla., this past January. Additionally, former Philadelphia Union Academy goalkeeper Zach Steffen was also named to the roster.

The U.S. is in Bracket C of the Gordon Jago Super Group along with U-19 sides from Eintracht Frankfurt of Germany, River Plate of Argentina and UNAL Tigres of Mexico.

Making its fifth all-time appearance at the competition and first since 2010, the U-20 MNT’s first match of the tournament will be the marquee game of the opening day of the tournament. Following a pair of Super Group matches and the Welcome World Opening Ceremonies, the U.S. will play River Plate at 6:30 p.m. CT in the Cotton Bowl on April 13. The U.S. then plays its second match less than 24 hours later against Eintracht Frankfurt on the campus of Richland College at 4 p.m. CT.

The U.S. concludes Bracket C play against UNAL Tigres on April 16. The location and time of the match will be determined by results in the first two rounds across Super Group Brackets A, B and C with the purpose being to hold the two most potentially dramatic games of bracket play in the Cotton Bowl.

The roster relies heavily on players who have previously been involved in the U.S. Youth National Team program or received a call-up to the current edition of the U.S. U-20 MNT. Nineteen players, including Pfeffer, either took part in the team’s foreign training camp in Verona, Italy last November or its domestic training camp held in Lakewood Ranch, Fla., this past January.

The next event for the U.S. U-20 MNT after the Dallas Cup will be a domestic training camp held at North Carolina State University in May.

Roster by Position:

GOALKEEPERS (2): Santiago Castano (NewYork Red Bulls; Union City, N.J.), Zack Steffen (Maryland; Downington, Pa.)

DEFENDERS (9): Jordan Allen (Real Salt Lake; Rochester, N.Y.), Michael Amick (UCLA; Sunnyvale, Calif.), Sullaiman Dainkeh (Maryland; Reston, Va.), Trevor Haberkorn (Furman; Roanoke, Texas), Matthew Miazga (New York Red Bulls; Clifton, N.J.), Shaquell Moore (Unattached; Powder Springs, Ga.), Erik Palmer-Brown (Sporting KC; Lee’s Summit, Mo.), John Requejo Jr (Real So Cal; Carpinteria, Calif.), Jesus Vazquez (UANL Tigres; San Luis Obispo, Calif.)

MIDFIELDERS (5): Kellyn Acosta (FC Dallas; Plano, Texas), Marco Delgado (Chivas USA; Glendora, Calif.), Luis Felipe (Cruzeiro; Ouro Branco, Brazil), Romain Gall (FC Lorient; Herndon, Va.), Lynden Gooch (Sunderland; Santa Cruz, Calif.)

FORWARDS (6): Paul Arriola (Club Tijuana; Chula Vista, Calif.), Benji Lopez (Real Salt Lake; San Diego, Calif.), Amando Moreno (Club Tijuana; Morganville, N.J.), Zach Pfeffer (Philadelphia Union; Dresher, Pa.), Rubio Rubin (Unattached; Beaverton, Ore.), Ben Spencer (Indy Eleven; Albuquerque, N.M.)