US Soccer has announced the 20-player roster that will take part in the U.S. Under-21 Men’s National Team training camp from Nov. 10-18 in Europe, and Nolan Norris has been named to the roster.
During the camp, the U21 MNT will play away matches against Denmark on Nov. 14 and at Serbia on Nov. 18. Michael Morris, who served as an assistant coach for the U20 MNT last cycle, will lead the U21s for the camp.
If, like me, you were curious about this new U21 team, they will train and play matches through summer 2026 in an effort to make up national team programming that players in this age group missed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The Under-21 age group is common across the international game, and this programming allows us to continue building a foundation for all of our National Team programs,” US Soccer Sporting Director Matt Crocker said. “We have players in this group who have already been with the senior national team, and more who are maybe just a small step away from establishing themselves at that level. We continue our work to connect the senior team with our youth teams, and holding Under-21 camps helps us provide them with high-level international opportunities to further their development.”
Set to train in Vejle, Denmark, from Nov. 10-13, the USA will face the Denmark U21 side on Nov. 14 at Vejle Stadium. The USA will then face Serbia U21 on Nov. 18 at TSC Arena in Bačka Topola, Serbia. Both matches will kick off at 6 p.m. local time (noon ET).
US UNDER-21 MEN’S NATIONAL TEAM ROSTER
GOALKEEPERS (2): Diego Kochen (FC Barcelona/ESP Miramar, Fla.), Gaga Slonina (Chelsea/ENG; Addison, Ill.)
DEFENDERS (6): Reed Baker-Whiting (Seattle Sounders; Seattle, Wash.), Noah Cobb (Colorado Rapids; Chattanooga, Tenn.), Brandan Craig (CF Montreal/CAN; Philadelphia, Pa.), Ethan Kohler (SC Verl/GER; Campbell, Calif.), Nolan Norris (FC Dallas; Fort Worth, Texas), Thomas Williams (Orlando City; Titusville, Fla.)
MIDFIELDERS (6): Santiago Castañeda (Paderborn/GER; Tampa, Fla.), Jackson Hopkins (D.C. United; Fredericksburg, Va.), Rokas Pukstas (Hajduk Split/CRO; Stillwater, Okla.), Brooklyn Raines (Houston Dynamo; Chicago, Ill.), Niko Tsakiris (San Jose Earthquakes; Saratoga, Calif.), Gerardo Valenzuela (FC Cincinnati; Boca Raton, Fla.)
FORWARDS (6): Cole Campbell (Borussia Dortmund/GER; Peachtree City, Ga.), Damion Downs (Southampton/ENG; Werneck, Germany), Zavier Gozo (Real Salt Lake; Eagle Mountain, Utah), Mykhi Joyner (St. Louis City; Bloomington, IL), Peyton Miller (New England Revolution; Unionville, Conn.), Darren Yapi (Colorado Rapids; Denver, Colo.)