Five FC Dallas players picked for 2009 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Egypt

by PegNews wire

Jamie Walzel

FRISCO — U.S. Under-20 Men’s National Team head coach Thomas Rongen has named FC Dallas players Brek Shea, Peri Marosevic, Anthony Wallace, Josh Lambo, and Kyle Davies to the 21-player roster that will represent the United States at the 2009 FIFA U-20 World Cup from Sept. 24 to Oct. 16 in Egypt. The Dallas players will depart following the Sept. 12 road game versus the LA Galaxy to join the team in Larnaca, Cyprus and play a final tune-up against Australia before traveling to Suez, Egypt, on Sept. 21.

The United States will open against Germany on Sept. 26 before facing Cameroon on Sept. 29 and rounding out group play against Korea Republic on Oct. 2. All three matches will be played at the new Mubarak Stadium in Suez. The first U.S. game will be shown live on ESPN Classic, ESPN360.com and Galavision at 8:55 a.m. The remaining two group games for Rongen’s team will be shown live on ESPN2 at 11:45 a.m. For a complete television schedule (subject to change), click here.

In addition to the five players from FC Dallas, two other players on the roster will represent Major League Soccer, including Houston Dynamo’s Danny Cruz and Chivas USA’s Jorge Flores.

Goalkeeper Brian Perk has been the team’s top-choice ‘keeper since the start of the two-year cycle while FIFA U-17 World Cup veteran Joshua Lambo and Central Florida’s Sean Johnson likely will serve as more than capable back ups.

The defense, lead by team captain Kyle Davies and fellow Dallas teammate Anthony Wallace, will be joined by Gale Agbossoumonde, Aaron Maund, and Sheanon Williams. This group, which posted four shutouts during the CONCACAF U-20 Championship in March, will be bolstered by Wake Forest’s Ike Opara.

Dallas forwards Peri Marosevic and Brek Shea joined by the University of Denver’s Sam Garza and Jacksonville University’s Tony Taylor will all be key members of the U.S. attack.

The United States will be competing in its seventh consecutive FIFA U-20 World Cup, previously known as the FIFA World Youth Championship, and its 12th overall. The team qualified for the 2009 FIFA U-20 World Cup by posting a 2-1-2 record at the 2009 CONCACAF U-20 Championship, collecting four straight shutouts before losing to Costa Rica in the final. Costa Rica, Honduras and Trinidad and Tobago will all join the United States to represent the region in Egypt.

Source: FC Dallas