HERRIMAN, UT (Monday, March 11, 2024) - U.S. Soccer announced today that 16-year-old Homegrown Real Salt Lake FW Zavier Gozo has secured a spot on the U-17 Men’s Youth National Team for a training camp in West Palm Beach, Fla. to be held through March 15. Gozo joins 23 other American youngsters representing 15 clubs, 12 in Major League Soccer, at the camp led by former U-16 USMYNT Head Coach and current LA Galaxy U-17 Head Coach Shaun Tsakiri.
Gozo, a native of Eagle Mountain, Utah, made his RSL debut at 16 years, 206 days last Fall, on October 14, 2023 at LA Galaxy - the third-youngest debutant in RSL’s 19-year history. The selection marks Gozo’s first spell with the U-17 USMYNT, however, Gozo has represented the Stars-and-Stripes several times in recent years with both the U-16 and U-15 US Youth National Teams at multiple camps and international competitions. His recent national team participation is highlighted by a late 2022 spell with the U-16 squad in Spain that saw Gozo score twice for the Red, White and Blue, getting on the scoresheet against Wales and later netting a game-winner against England in the tournament’s final match.
Gozo joined the Real Salt Lake organization as a member of the Academy in the fall of 2021. In his first season with the RSL Academy, Gozo established himself as a prolific goalscorer, leading the team with 16 goals in the regular season, while scoring multiple goals at both the Generation Adidas Cup and MLS NEXT Cup tournaments, winning the latter’s Golden Boot award. In his second season in the RSL Academy, Gozo was elevated to the U-17 squad, once again leading the way, netting 10 goals in 10 games while also contributing one assist.
Real Salt Lake (1-2-1, 4 pts., 8th West) is off this week, next taking the field on Saturday, March 23 at 5:30 p.m. MT in Vancouver, Canada, against the Whitecaps.
