U.S. Soccer U-17 MNT Advance to World Cup
Atlanta United Academy’s Zyen Jones celebrates after scoring the lone goal for the U.S. U-17s in a 1-0 win vs. El Salvador.
The U.S. Soccer U-17 National Team which includes Zyen Jones from the Atlanta United Academy as well as Andrew Carleton and Chris Goslin, Homegrown players for Atlanta United’s first team, have qualified for the U-17 FIFA World Cup and will head to India from October 6th- 27th. All three Atlanta United players played big roles in their World Cup qualifying campaign in Panama City, as Andrew Carleton scored twice and assisted on two others, meanwhile Zyen Jones notched two of his own and Chris Goslin was a key cog in the midfield for the U-17s.
Academy players Kendall Edwards (Jamaica), Blake White (Jamaica), and Alex Bahr (Honduras) also competed for their respective nations in U-17 World Cup qualifying but failed to advance out of the CONCACAF region.
Atlanta United Academy U16s & U18s: Southeast Division Champions
The Atlanta United Academy U18s and U16s wrapped up the U.S. Soccer Development Academy regular season play with a pair of home matches at the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Training Ground this weekend against North Carolina clubs Capital Area RailHawks and North Carolina Fusion.
The Atlanta United U18s clinched the Southeast Division title and finished the regular season with the #1 overall ranking as they prepare for the U.S. Soccer Development Academy playoffs in Westfield, Indiana from June 20th to 26th.
The U18s defeated the Capital Area RailHawks, 3-1, and North Carolina Fusion, 8-0, to finish with a record of 23-2-5 and 74 points total. Patrick Okonkwo leads the U18s with 26 goals, including four against North Carolina Fusion this past Sunday. Okonkwo is followed by Michael Ille (12), Machop Chol (11), and Lagos Kunga (10) on the scoring leaderboard for Atlanta United.
The U16s dropped their first match of the weekend vs. Capital Area Railhawks, but still clinched the Southeast Division title and the #3 overall ranking by defeating North Carolina Fusion 5-0 on Sunday. The Atlanta United U16s finished the regular season with a record of 19-4-7 and 64 points total. James Brighton leads the team with 19 goals, and is trailed by Saul Tinoco (9), and Jackson Conway (8). The U16s will begin their preparation for the U.S. Soccer Development Academy playoffs in Westfield, Indiana.
The Atlanta United U14s and U13s finish up regular season this weekend with away games vs. Georgia United on Saturday and home games vs. Triangle FC on Sunday. The U14s will participate in the USSDA Summer Showcase, also held in Westfield, Ind., from June 20-23.
Lagos Kunga named to U.S. U-20 World Cup Roster
Atlanta United Academy forward Lagos Kunga has made the 21-player U.S. Under-20 Men’s National Team roster selected by head coach Tab Ramos that will compete at the 2017 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Korea Republic, which runs from May 20-June 11.
“Lagos has shown how hard work and perseverance can pay off and this is a tremendous opportunity for him to showcase his abilities,” Atlanta United Academy Director Tony Annan said. “We couldn’t be more proud to have someone like Lagos represent our club and our academy on the international stage. We look forward to watching him and wish the group best of luck in Korea.”
