One week after signing a Homegrown contract with Sporting Kansas City, defender Jaylin Lindsey has been selected to the United States U-17 Men’s National Team roster for the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup in India.
U.S. U-17 head coach John Hackworth named his 21-player roster on Thursday for a tournament that will run from Oct. 6-28 in India. The team will depart Sunday for training in Dubai, with all players joining camp in Bradenton, Florida prior to arrival in India.
Lindsey and the U.S. U-17s were drawn into Group A with Colombia, Ghana and India. The side begins group stage action against India on Oct. 6 (9:30 a.m. CT), followed by matches against Ghana on Oct. 9 (6:30 a.m. CT) and Colombia on Oct. 12 (9:30 a.m. ET). The first two matches will be played at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi, while the final group game will be played at Dr. DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai. Each of the Americans’ group stage games will air live on FS2 and UNIVERSO.
A total of 24 countries participate in the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup, with the top two teams from each of the six groups, as well as the four best third-place teams, advancing to the Round of 16 from Oct. 16-18. The championship and third-place matches take place Saturday, Oct. 28, at the 66,600-capacity Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan Stadium in Kolkata.
Lindsey has played more than 25 matches for the U.S. U-17s dating back to late 2015. He was named to the 2017 CONCACAF U-17 Championship Best XI in May after helping the U.S. to a second-place finish, starting five matches along the backline and tallying one assist.
Since July, Lindsey has joined the U.S. U-17s for three training camps as well as the International Youth Tournament of Vaclav Jezek in Czech Republic last month, where he played three games and helped the Americans take third place.
Lindsey has been a youth international since 2013, when he joined the U.S. U-14s for the first of five training camps with the team. He was selected to the U.S. U-15s for the first time in December 2014 and solidified his presence on the squad with three additional inclusions the following year, helping the team win the Tournament delle Nazioni in Italy. In late 2015, Lindsey competed in his first U.S. U-17 camp as a 15-year-old, making three appearances at the Nike International Friendlies in Florida.
A product of the Sporting KCAcademy, Lindsey became the third-youngest signing in club history last Thursday when he inked a Homegrown deal. Upon joining the Sporting KC roster on Jan. 1, 2018, he will become the club’s sixth Homegrown Player.
Born and raised in Charlotte, North Carolina, Lindsey joined the Sporting KC Academy in January 2015. He has made more than 30 combined appearances for the U-16s and U-18s, most recently competing for both teams at the 2016-17 U.S. Soccer Development Academy Playoffs this summer.
After impressing throughout his first full Academy season with Sporting KC, Lindsey signed an Academy contract with Sporting KC’s USL affiliate Swope Park Rangers on May 6, 2016. A day later, he became the first American player born in 2000 or later to appear in a professional match. Lindsey would feature once more for the Rangers before joining the U.S. U-17 Residency Program in August 2016.
U.S. 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup Roster by Position
GOALKEEPERS (3): Alex Budnik (Sockers FC; Arlington Heights, Ill.), Carlos Joaquim Dos Santos (S.L. Benfica; Philadelphia, Penn.), Justin Garces (Atlanta United FC; Miami, Fla.)
DEFENDERS (6): Sergiño Dest (Ajax; Almere-stad, Netherlands), Christopher Gloster (New York Red Bulls; Montclair, N.J.), Jaylin Lindsey (Sporting Kansas City; Charlotte, N.C.), James Sands (New York City FC; Rye, N.Y.), Tyler Shaver (New York City FC; Greenwich, Conn.), Akil Watts (Portland Timbers, Fort Wayne, Ind.)
MIDFIELDERS (6): George Acosta (North Carolina FC; Hollywood, Fla.), Taylor Booth (Real Salt Lake; Eden, Utah), Christopher Durkin (D.C. United; Glen Allen, Va.), Blaine Ferri (Solar Soccer Club; Southlake, Texas), Chris Goslin (Atlanta United FC; Locust Grove, Ga.), Indiana Vassilev (Unattached; Savannah, Ga.)
FORWARDS (6): Ayo Akinola (Toronto FC; Brampton Ont.), Andrew Carleton (Atlanta United FC; Powder Springs, Ga.), Jacobo Reyes (C.F. Monterrey; Houston, Texas), Bryan Reynolds (FC Dallas; Little Elm, Texas), Joshua Sargent (St. Louis Scott Gallagher Missouri; O'Fallon, Mo.), Tim Weah (Paris Saint-Germain F.C., Rosedale, N.Y.)
