ATL UTD 2 today announced two players were named to their respective nation’s 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup squads as Guillermo Benitez will represent Panama while Welsy Decas will represent Honduras. The tournament will take place in Poland from May 23-June 15.
Benitez and Decas left to join their teams after Saturday night’s match against Nashville SC.
Benitez and Panama will begin group play in Group E against Mali May 25. They will then face France May 28 and Saudi Arabia May 31. BenÃtez, 20, made five starts for Panama’s U-20 squad in the 2018 Concacaf Championship where they qualified for the 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup. He made his debut for Panama’s Senior National Team in a start against the United States in a friendly Jan. 27, 2019. Benitez has made eight appearances and four starts with ATL UTD 2 this season.
In Group C, Decas and Honduras face New Zealand May 24, Uruguay May 27 and Norway May 30. Decas, 19, captained Honduras’ U-20 team during the 2018 Concacaf U-20 Championship where they qualified for the 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup. Decas also represented the U-20’s as a 17-year-old in the 2017 Concacaf U-20 Championship. Later that year, he played in the 2017 FIFA U-20 World Cup and started all three group stage matches for Honduras. Decas has appeared in six matches, making five starts in his first season with ATL UTD 2.
ATL UTD 2 continues its season Sunday, May 12 when it travels to face Bethlehem Steel FC at Talen Energy Stadium in Chester, Pennsylvania at 6:00 p.m. EST (ESPN+).
