Sporting Kansas City Academy defender Luca Antongirolami and midfielder Finn Dean have been called into the US Youth National Team's second National Identification Camp of 2024 as part of the Under-14 Talent ID program. Eighty players, 20 each from U.S. Soccer’s four scouting regions- East, Central, South and West- will gather from May 25-30 at the Chula Vista Elite Athlete Training Center in Chula Vista, Calif.
U.S. Soccer Talent ID Director - MYNT Garrett Biller will oversee the event alongside U.S. Soccer’s Talent ID Managers- Rob Irvine (East), Arturo Alvarez (Central), Chris Kranjc (South) and Roberto Gimenez (West). The TID Managers will coach each of the four regional teams, while U-15 Men’s Youth National Team head coach Tom Heinemann will also be on hand. Seventy-eight of the 80 players were born in 2010, with two born in 2011.
BOYS’ U-14 NATIONAL IDENTIFICATION CAMP ROSTERS (CLUB)
CENTRAL
GOALKEEPERS (2): Zach Crider (FC Cincinnati), Jason Nemo (Chicago Fire FC)
DEFENDERS (6): Luca Antongirolami (Sporting Kansas City), Alexander Hernandez Bautista (Colorado Rapids), Owen Jorgensen (St. Louis Scott Gallagher), Richmond Luong (Cuyahoga Valley Soccer Academy), Finn McCraney (Chicago Fire FC), Christopher Morales (Chicago Fire FC)
MIDFIELDERS (6): Finn Dean (Sporting Kansas City), Gerardo Gonzalez (Chicago FC United), Gael Huguet (FC Cincinnati), Caetano Sende (Pride SC), Nathan Tchoumba (Colorado Rapids), Robert Turdean (Chicago Fire FC)
FORWARDS (6): JD Adigun (Michigan Wolves), Chato Cerda (Bavarian United SC), Jamil Danjaji (Columbus Crew), Jayden Gandu (Sporting Columbus), Michael Gomez (Chicago Fire FC), Nolan Nguyen (Colorado Rapids)
The U-14 TID Program is designed to discover and introduce a larger base of top talents at the U-14 age group into the scouting funnel of the older U-15 to U-20 MYNTs. The mini-camp format helps to evaluate and inspire high-potential players while accelerating their development in an engaging and challenging environment.
In addition to expanding the YNT player pool at its early stages, this scouting and identification structure allows top players at the U-14 age level time to absorb core principles of the YNT philosophy and accelerate their development.
The program also offers the opportunity to bolster U.S. Soccer’s national network of scouts. U.S. Soccer scouts serve as assistant coaches for the regional teams, furthering their education and development while also building the Federation’s connection with clubs across the country.
Antongirolami and Dean were integral parts of Sporting KC's 2024 Easter International Cup run, resulting in the U-14s lifting the trophy earlier this Spring. The duo then attended the first U-14 TID Program in Atlanta in March and played significant minutes for Sporting KC's U-15s at MLS NEXT Flex in Boyds, Maryland from May 10-14.
The two U-14s will return to Kansas City in time for the 2024 Patterson Cup at Swope Soccer Village beginning Wednesday, June 4 and concluding Sunday, June 9. Fans can keep up with the Sporting KC U-14 and U-13 results at the prestigious youth soccer event by following @SKCAcademy on X and Instagram.
