Sporting Kansas City midfielder Mikey Lopez was named to the United States Under-20 Men’s National Team roster for the 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup from June 21 to July 13 in Turkey, U.S. Soccer announced on Friday.
Lopez is one of five midfielders on the 21-player roster selected by head coach Tab Ramos and one of nine MLS players on the squad.
"It's a great honor and opportunity to represent your country on a world stage like this," Lopez said. "I'm very excited to be a part of the U-20 World Cup."
Lopez , 20, has made 25 appearances for the U.S. Under-20 Men’s National Team and was a key member of the U.S. team that finished runners-up at the 2013 CONCACAF U-20 Championship earlier this year. Most recently, Lopez appeared in each of the U-20’s final two games at the Toulon Tournament in France.
The U-20 MNT opens Group A play at the 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup against Spain on Friday, June 21, at Ali Sami Yen Arena in Istanbul. The match will be broadcast at 12:45 p.m. CT, live on ESPN2 and WatchESPN. That is followed by a June 24 game against France in Istanbul, live on ESPN2 and WatchESPN at 9:45 a.m. CT. The U.S. closes out group play with a June 27 match against Ghana at Kadir Has Stadium in Kayseri, Turkey, at 11:45 a.m. CT, live on ESPNU and WatchESPN.
Sporting Kansas City selected Lopez in the first round of the 2013 MLS SuperDraft as a Generation adidas signing out of the University of North Carolina. He was recognized as the ACC Freshman of the Year in 2011 after helping the Tar Heels secure their second-ever NCAA National Championship and was voted third team NSCAA All-American as a sophomore before leaving college early to begin his professional career.
Lopez becomes the second player in Sporting KC’s team history to represent the United States at a FIFA U-20 World Cup while playing for the club. Francisco Gomez started three games for the U.S. at the 1999 FIFA World Youth Championship in Nigeria during his rookie season.
Lopez made his competitive debut for Sporting KC on May 28, starting in a 2-0 win over the Des Moines Menace in the third round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.
