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Orange County’s Cervantes Gets U.S. U-17 Call-Up

By USLChampionship.com Staff, 08/28/19, 5:04PM EDT

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Among 14 players currently active in Championship, League One named in squad for Netherlands


Orange County SC's Aaron Cervantes has posted a 1.27 goals-against average and three shutouts in 11 appearances for the club this season. | Photo courtesy Liza Rosales / Orange County SC

CHICAGO – Orange County SC goalkeeper Aaron Cervantes was among 14 players currently active in the USL Championship and League One named to the United States U-17 National Team’s final training camp before the 2019 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Brazil on Wednesday, with the 23-player squad selected by Head Coach Raphael Wicky set to head to the Netherlands next week for three exhibition contests.

The United States U-17s will play against Mexico (Sept. 5, 12:30 p.m. ET), the Netherlands (Sept. 7, 9 a.m. ET) and Denmark (Sept. 9, 12:30 p.m.) at the Sportpark Marsdijk in Assen.

Cervantes, who signed professionally with OCSC at the age of 15 prior to the start of the 2018 Championship season, has made 11 appearances this season for Orange County, posting a 1.27 goals-against average and three shutouts. He has made three appearances for the U.S. U-17s in this cycle and joins the Chicago Fire’s Damian Las and Leicester City’s Chituru Odunze in the squad’s goalkeeping contingent.

Also named in the squad is North Carolina FC’s Adam Armour, as are a trio of players that have represented the LA Galaxy II this season, with defenders Kobe Hernandez and Mauricio Cuevas and midfielder Adam Saldana named in the side. The defensive contingent also includes George Bello (ATL UTD 2), Sebastian Anderson (Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC) and Nicolas Carrera (North Texas SC).

USL League One leader North Texas SC is also represented by forward Ricardo Pepi, who took his tally of goals this season to nine on Tuesday night in NTSC’s victory against South Georgia Tormenta FC. He is joined in the attacking group by Tacoma Defiance’s Alfonso Ocampo-Chavez, who has notched two goals and one assist in 11 appearances this season, the Swope Park Rangers’ Gianluca Busio and Loudoun United FC’s Griffin Yow, who scored the first goal in Loudoun’s history in March and has struck three times in 10 appearances for the side in its inaugural season in the Championship.

Reno 1868 FC midfielder Gilbert Fuentes, who has notched two assists in eight appearances this year on loan from the San Jose Earthquakes, is part of the midfield group, where he is joined by Tacoma Defiance’s Ethan Dobbelaere and Loudoun United FC’s Bryang Kayo. 

U.S. U-17 MNT ROSTER BY POSITION (CLUB; HOMETOWN; CAPS/GOALS)

GOALKEEPERS (3): Aaron Cervantes (Orange County Soccer Club; Chino Hills, Calif.; 3/0), Damian Las (Unattached; Norridge, Ill.; 18/0), Chituru Odunze (Leicester City/ENG; London, England; 6/0)

DEFENDERS (8): Sebastian Anderson (Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC; Highlands Ranch, Colo.; 0/0), Adam Armour (North Carolina FC; Cary, N.C.; 16/0), George Bello (ATL UTD 2; Douglasville, Ga.; 6/1), Nicolas Carrera (North Texas SC; Frisco, Texas; 0/0), Mauricio Cuevas (LA Galaxy II; Los Angeles, Calif.; 5/0), Tayvon Gray (New York City FC; Bronx, N.Y.; 15/0), Kobe Hernandez (LA Galaxy II; Los Angeles, Calif.; 20/2), Jonathan Tomkinson (Norwich City/ENG; Plano, Texas; 0/0)

MIDFIELDERS (5): Maximilian Dietz (Freiburg/GER; Frankfurt, Germany; 0/0), Ethan Dobbelaere (Tacoma Defiance; Seattle, Wash.; 0/0), Gilbert Fuentes (Reno 1868 FC; Tracy, Calif.; 19/0), Bryang Kayo (Loudoun United FC; Poolesville, Md.; 5/1), Adam Saldana (LA Galaxy II; Panorama City, Calif.; 23/2)

FORWARDS (7): Gianluca Busio (Swope Park Rangers; Greensboro, N.C.; 13/7), Andres Jasson (New York City FC; Greenwich, Conn.; 8/0), Noah Jones (RB Leipzig/GER; Berlin, Germany; 0/0), Alfonso Ocampo-Chavez (Tacoma Defiance; Kent, Wash.; 21/9), Ricardo Pepi (North Texas SC; McKinney, Texas; 12/4), Gio Reyna (Borussia Dortmund/GER; Bedford, N.Y.; 14/7), Griffin Yow (Loudoun United FC; Clifton, Va.; 12/7) 

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