CARSON, Calif. (Wednesday, November 2, 2011) – LA Galaxy Academy midfielder Jose Villarreal was one of 31 players named to the U.S. Under-23 National Team roster by head coach Caleb Porter for an upcoming training camp in Germany. Villarreal, who is in his first season in the Galaxy Academy, will be part of a camp that will be held from Nov. 7-16 at the Sportschule Wedau, a German sporting school where the players will train and stay. The 18-year-old midfielder is one of several players on the roster who are age-eligible for the U.S. Under-20 National Team.
A native of Inglewood, Calif., Villarreal plays in midfield for the Galaxy Academy U-18’s in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy. The only current Academy player named in the group, Villarreal has appeared in and started three games this season with the U-18’s, scoring once and adding three assists as his team has compiled a perfect 5-0-0 on the season.
Last season, Villarreal helped Pateadores win the U-18 Development Academy Final, scoring a team-high 20 goals in 31 games, including twice in the Final as they beat FC Dallas 2-1. Shortly after that game, he was included on the U.S. Under-18 National Team roster for the Milk Cup in Northern Ireland. The South Bay Force-product played in all three games that the U.S. played in that tournament, starting twice and registering one assist.
In addition to this camp, Caleb Porter and the U.S. plan to have additional domestic camps early next year as the Under-23 Men prepare for 2012 Olympic qualifying, which begins in March.
U.S. UNDER-23 ROSTER BY POSITION - Detailed Roster
GOALKEEPERS (4): David Bingham (San Jose Earthquakes; Pleasanton, Calif.), Cody Cropper (Ipswich Town; Athens, Ga.), Sean Johnson (Chicago Fire, Lilburn, Ga.), Jon Kempin (Sporting KC; Leawood, Kan.)
DEFENDERS (9): Gale Agbossoumonde (Eintracht Frankfurt; Syracuse, N.Y.), Anthony Brooks (Hertha Berlin; Berlin, Germany), Sean Cunningham (Molde; Troy, Mich.), Royal-Dominique Fennell (Stuttgarter Kickers; Göppingen, Germany), Greg Garza (Out of Contract; Grapevine, Texas), Perry Kitchen (D.C. United; Indianapolis, Ind.), Will Packwood (Birmingham City; Concord, Mass.), Zarek Valentin (Chivas USA; Lancaster, Pa.), Ethan White (D.C. United; Kensington, Md.)
MIDFIELDERS (9): Joe Corona (Club Tijuana; Chula Vista, Calif.), Mixx Diskerud (Stabæk; Oslo, Norway), Dilly Duka (Columbus Crew; Montville, N.J.), Jared Jeffrey (Mainz; Richardson, Texas), Sebastian Lletget (West Ham United; San Francisco, Calif.), Tyrone McCargo (Nürnberg; Nürnberg, Germany), Charles Renken (Hoffenheim; Edwardsville, Ill.), Caleb Stanko (Freiburg: Holly, Mich.), Jose Villarreal (LA Galaxy Academy; Inglewood, Calif.)
FORWARDS (9): Terrence Boyd (Hertha Berlin; Berlin, Germany), Conor Doyle (Derby County; McKinney, Texas), Josh Gatt (Molde; Plymouth, Mich.), Joe Gyau (Hoffenheim; Silver Springs, Md.), Jerome Kiesewetter (Hertha Berlin; Berlin, Germany), Omar Salgado (Vancouver Whitecaps; El Paso, Texas), Tony Taylor (Atlético Clube de Portugal; Jacksonville, Fla.), Bobby Wood (1860 Munich; Irvine, Calif.), Andrew Wooten (Kaiserslautern; Worms, Germany)
