Sporting Kansas City Academy defender Ian James and goalkeeper Jack Kortkamp have each been into the U.S. Under-17 Men’s Youth National Team training camp in West Palm Beach, Fla. which will run from Nov. 10-16.
Head coach Gonzalo Segares called up 24 players for the camp as preparations continue for next February’s Concacaf U-17 Qualifiers, which will send eight teams to the 2025 FIFA U-17 World Cup. The U.S. is seeking a record 19th U-17 World Cup berth and will face the U.S. Virgin Islands, St. Kitts and Nevis and Cuba at the qualifying tournament, set for Feb. 7-16 in Alajuela, Costa Rica.
Players born on or after Jan. 1, 2008 are age-eligible for next year’s Concacaf U-17 Qualifiers. Segares selected 22 players born in 2008 and two born in 2009- forward Mathis Albert and midfielder Cavan Sullivan.
The roster features players from 13 Major League Soccer clubs, led by three from the Philadelphia Union and Real Salt Lake. Two players each come from the LA Galaxy and Sporting Kansas City
U.S. U-17 MYNT ROSTER – NOVEMBER TRAINING CAMP
GOALKEEPERS (3): Jack Kortkamp (Sporting Kansas; Olathe, Kan.), William Mackay (Real Salt Lake; Highland, Utah), Owen Pratt (LA Galaxy; San Clemente, Calif.)
DEFENDERS (8): Keehan Barret-Underwood (Liverpool/ENG; Widnes, England), Christopher Cupps (Chicago Fire FC; Chicago, Ill.), Jordan Griffin (Philadelphia Union; West Chester, Pa.), Pedro Guimaraes (Orange County SC; Aliso Viejo, Calif.), Ian James (Sporting Kansas City; St. Paul, Minn.), Enrique Martinez (LA Galaxy; Compton, CA), Victor Vandenbroucke (Gent/BEL; Woodland Hills, Calif.), Gio Villa (Real Salt Lake; Chicago, Ill.)
MIDFIELDERS (6): Maximo Carrizo (New York City FC; Greenwich, Conn.), Luca Moisa (Real Salt Lake; Las Vegas, Nev.), Cooper Sanchez (Atlanta United FC; Holly Springs, Ga.), Cristiano Santos Oliveira (New England Revolution; Somerville, Mass.), Cavan Sullivan (Philadelphia Union; Philadelphia, Pa.), Jude Terry (Los Angeles FC; San Diego, Calif.)
FORWARDS (7): Chase Adams (Columbus Crew; Naperville, Ill.), Mathis Albert (Borussia Dortmund/GER; El Segundo, Calif.), Chance Cowell (San Jose Earthquakes; Ceres, Calif.), Lionel Gitau (Houston Dynamo FC; Houston, Texas), Julian Hall (New York Red Bulls; New York, N.Y.), Jamir Johnson (Philadelphia Union; Huntsville, Ala.), Austyn Jones (PSV Eindhoven/NED; Houten, Netherlands)
James and Kortkamp play with Sporting Kansas City's U-18s after earning consistent minutes with Sporting Kansas City II in the 2024 MLS NEXT Pro season. The duo has risen through Sporting KC's ranks together since joining the Academy in 2021, competing at prestigious MLS NEXT events including GA Cup, MLS NEXT Fest, MLS NEXT Flex and the MLS NEXT Cup Playoffs.
James, a 16-year-old defender, captained the U-15s for most of the 2022-23 MLS NEXT season and played a sizeable role in the U-17s' success in the 2023-24 MLS NEXT campaign. Last year, he anchored a backline that earned a spot in both the GA Cup and MLS NEXT Cup quarterfinals.
The towering defender started five of 10 appearances for SKC II in 2024, playing 469 minutes in his first season as a pro. He made his professional debut on March 17, helping SKC II take all three points on the road at Houston Dynamo 2 as a second-half substitute.
Kortkamp, a 16-year-old goalkeeper who will participate in his ninth USYNT camp, made his first appearance with the national team at Compass Minerals National Performance Center in Kansas City, Kansas, in October 2022 where he has trained with the Sporting Kansas City first team on several occasions. His most recent time with the USYNT came back in September when he appeared in two matches at the Vaclav Jezek Tournament in Mikulov, Czech Republic.
The shot-stopper has since represented club and country as one of the most talented American goalkeepers in his age group. In 2024 he earned minutes with the eldest SKC Academy group age group in the USPL where he helped win back-to-back regular season titles in the fall and spring. He made his pro debut on June 12 and made seven saves on the road at Real Monarchs. He would go on to notch three starts in net keeping one clean sheet and making 14 saves.
Fans can keep track of James and Kortkamp's progress in the pro player pathway by following @SKCAcademy on X or visiting SportingKCAcademy.com.
