RSL ACADEMY MEMEBERS DAVID OCHOA, TAYLOR BOOTH CALLED INTO
U.S. U-18 NATIONAL TEAM CAMP
HERRIMAN, Utah (Friday, February 2, 2018) – Real Salt Lake Academy players Taylor Booth and David Ochoa have been called into the U.S. U-18 National Team camp by head coach Omid Namazi. An eight-day camp running from Feb. 4-12 in Orlando, Fla, the camp will consist if 24 players and feature two matches against the U-18 Men’s National Team of Costa Rica.
“These guys are in top form and this call-up is a recognition of the consistency they’ve been showing this season,” RSL Academy Technical Director Martín Vasquez said. “They’re both leaders in our group and they deserve this call-up. It shows that we’re pushing our group and the boys are taking their opportunities.”
Ochoa, 17, has started 13 total matches in goal for both the RSL U-17 and U-19 sides, registering 7.5 shutouts this season. This is the second national team call-up in three-month for the Oxnard, California native after he was called into the first ever U.S. Soccer Youth National Team Summit Camp last month.
Booth, 17, has spent the majority of the season on international duty with the U.S., competing in the 2017 U-17 World Cup in India last summer as well as multiple national team camps throughout the year. Booth has started and featured in two matches for the RSL Academy this season, scoring on one occasion.
The U-18 age group, consisting of players born on or after Jan. 1, 2001, is taking part in its third National Team of the 2018-2019 cycle, after the player pool got an early start to the two-year slate of programming in November, followed by its inclusion in the first ever Men’s Youth National Team Summit at the beginning of the year. As Namazi continues to evaluate and expand the U-18 player pool, the 2018-2019 cycle serves as a major preparation step for the 2001s, who begin to seek a qualification spot in the 2021 FIFA U-20 World Cup.
The full list of players called into the February camp is as follows by position:
GOALKEEPERS (3):David Ochoa (Real Salt Lake; Oxnard, Calif.), Jacob Schick (Chargers Soccer Club; Palm Harbor, Fla.), Kris Shakes (Philadelphia Union; Austin, Texas)
DEFENDERS (6): Julian Araujo (Barca Academy; Lompoc, Calif.), Nico Benalcazar (New York City FC; Wilton, Conn.), Ian Hoffmann (Karlsuher SC; Karlsruher, Germany), Nelson Martinez (D.C. United; Woodbrigde, Va.), David Mendoza (Chicago Fire; Gage Park, Ill.), Leonardo Sepulveda (LA Galaxy; Corona, Calif.)
MIDFIELDERS (9):Taylor Booth (Real Salt Lake; Eden, Utah), Cameron Duke (Sporting KC; Overland Park, Kan.) Roberto Hategan (Sacramento Republic F.C.; Chicago, Ill.), Aidan Morris (Crew SC Academy; Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.), Owen Otasowie (Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.; New York, N.Y.), Marcelo Palomino (Houston Dynamo; Houston, Texas), Stuart Ritchie (FC Groningen; Pleaston, Calif.) Thomas Roberts (FC Dallas; Little Rock, Ark.), Indiana Vassilev (Aston Villa F.C.; Savannah, Ga.)
FORWARDS (6): Konrad De La Fuente (FC Barcelona; Barcelona, Spain), Jalen Hawkins (FC Bayern Munich; Regensburg, Germany), Ulysses Llanez (LA Galaxy; Lynwood, Calif.), Bryan Reynolds (FC Dallas; Frisco, Texas), Jose Rivas (Crew SC Academy; Weston, Fla.), Stefan Stojanovic (Shockers FC; Chicago, Ill.)
