7 MLS players called up to US U-17 roster for 4 Nations Tournament

With the 2019 U-17 World Cup fast approaching, US U-17 national team head coach Raphael Wicky has called up 23 players for the 4 Nations Tournament, a tune-up competition taking place in Assen, Netherlands on Sept. 5-9.

Among the players called up are seven who are current pros on MLS first teams: Sebastian Anderson (Colorado Rapids), George Bello (Atlanta United), Gilbert Fuentes (San Jose Earthquakes), Gianluca Busio (Sporting Kansas City), Alfonso Ocampo-Chavez (Seattle Sounders), Ricardo Pepi (FC Dallas) and Griffin Yow (D.C. United). An additional eight players are currently playing in MLS academies, and several of the rest have experience at MLS academies.

At the 4 Nations Tournament, the USMNT will kick proceedings off with a match against border rival Mexico on Sept. 5, followed by a match against tournament hosts the Netherlands two days later, and wrap up match play against Denmark on Sept. 9.

This will be the final tune-up matches ahead of the 2019 U-17 World Cup, which will take place in Brazil. Drawn into Group D, Wicky's team will play Senegal on Oct. 27, Japan on Oct. 30 and the Netherlands on Nov. 2. The USMNT will attempt to top their best-ever showing in the tournament, a fourth-place finish in 1999. In the last edition, in 2017, they reached the quarterfinal round.

US U-17 roster for 4 Nations Tournament