38 USL Championship Players Called Up to Represent National Teams
Soccer in America is international by definition and the fact that Sixteen countries called up players in the USL Championship league underlines this fact.
The internationa profile of the USL contiues to expand as soccer grows in America. In fact, an impressive 38 players from 20 Championship clubs have been called-up to represent their countries on the international stage.
30 Players from 20 Clubs get Called Up
Of those 38, numerous Championship players are set to feature in the final games of the 2018-19 Concacaf Nations League qualifiers where a berth in the 2019 Concacaf Gold Cup, and a place in the top flight of the 2019 Concacaf Nations League, is on the line.
Among the over 25 players to compete in these qualifiers are San Antonio FC’s Billy Forbes (Turks & Caicos), El Paso Locomotive’s Mechack Jerome (Haiti), and back-to-back USL Cup champions Devon “Speedy” Williams and Shaun Francis (Jamaica) out of Louisville.
Elsewhere across the international slate are four players from Championship sides who will try and aide in their countries’ qualification for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations this summer, including Louisville City FC’s Sunny Jane (Lesotho) and the Charlotte Independence duo of Joel Johnson (Liberia) and Cabwey Kivutuka (Congo).
United States U-20 National Team Head Coach Tab Ramos will also welcome numerous Championship standouts to the team’s training camp in Spain. Among those selected are Tacoma Defiance ‘keeper Trey Muse, defenders Jaylin Lindsey and Matthew Real of Swope Park Rangers and Bethlehem Steel FC, respectively, as well as midfielder Andrew Carleton of ATL UTD 2.
Lindsey, is an excellent example of the power of the USL pathway. A product of the Sporting KC Academy, Lindsey became one of the club’s youngest signings when he became a Homegrown Player at age 17.
All four are set to travel with the youth side for high-profile exhibitions against France and Japan.
Finally, five additional players representing Championship clubs have also been called into the newly-led United States U-23 National Team, who announced Jason Kreis as its new boss on Tuesday.
See below for a full list of USL Championship representatives across the international landscape in March:
- Afghanistan – Adam Najem (MEM)
- Belize – Michael Salazar (RGV)
- Bermuda – Zeiko Lewis (CHS)
- Congo – Cabwey Kivutuka (CLT)
- El Salvador – Joaquin Rivas (STL)
- Grenada – AJ Paterson (CHS)
- Haiti – Mechack Jerome (ELP), Zach Herivaux (BHM)
- Guatemala – Allen Yanes (NY)
- Jamaica – Jason Johnson (PHX), Junior Flemmings (PHX), Kevon Lambert (PHX),Speedy Williams (LOU), Shaun Francis (LOU), Maalique Foster (RGV), Jamoi Topey (BST), Brian Brown (RNO)
- Lesotho – Sunny Jane (LOU)
- Liberia – Joel Johnson (CLT)
- Malawi – Yamikani Chester (NC)
- Puerto Rico – Shawn Barry (TBR), Cody Laurendi (OKC)
- Trinidad & Tobago – Leston Paul (MEM), Duane Muckette (MEM), Triston Hodge (MEM), Cordell Cato (OKC), Kevan George (CLT), Neveal Hackshaw (IND), Mekeil Williams (OKC)
- Turks & Caicos – Billy Forbes (SA)
- United States U-20 National Team – Trey Muse (TAC), Jaylin Lindsey (SPR), Matthew
- Real (BST), Andrew Carleton (ATL)
- United States U-23 National Team – JT Marcinkowski (RNO), Marco Farfan (POR), Donovan Pines (LDN), Eryk Williamson (POR), Josh Perez (PHX)
Source: USL Press Release
