Victor Mansaray joins latest United States U20 team

Most of the time youth national team invitational tournaments are easy to overlook. They’re merely a way to evaluate talent, rather than about wins and losses. While this Four Nations Tournament will have that focus, having two players with senior United States National Team experience (Gideon Zelalem and Cameron Carter-Vickers) as well as the USMNT coach’s son, will give this roster a bit more notice.

Seattle Sounders’ youngest Homegrown Player, Victor Mansaray, is again in the U20 picture. Mansaray, 19, just completed time with S2 where he scored five goals in 17 starts with two subs. In August, Mansaray was voted as the top player under 20 in the USL. His only first team experience in 2016 was in the friendly against West Ham when he played 28 minutes.

Mansaray is one of four callups on MLS rosters (Hugo Arellano, Tommy Redding, Danny Acosta). The roster features seven teens playing professionally in the U.S. Only three are in college, one is still in high school. Five play in England, three ply their trade in Germany, with two in Mexico and one playing in Spain.

This is a 2017 U20 World Cup prep tournament with Germany and England already qualifying. From February 17 to March 5 the USA will attempt to join them at the tournament in South Korea. The other opponent at the Four Nations Tournament is the Netherlands.

2016 U-20 MNT Four Nations Tournament Roster by Position:
GOALKEEPERS (2): Jonathan Klinsmann (University of California; Newport Beach, Calif.), Justin Vom Steeg (Fortuna Dusseldorf; Santa Barbara, Calif.)

DEFENDERS (8): Hugo Arellano (LA Galaxy; Norwalk, Calif.), Marcello Borges (Michigan; Kearny, N.J.), Cameron Carter-Vickers (Tottenham Hotspur; Westcliff-on-Sea, England), Marlon Fossey (Fulham; Surbiton, England), Tommy Redding (Orlando City SC; Oviedo, Fla.), Miles Robinson (Syracuse; Arlington, Mass.), Toni Suddoth (VfB Stuttgart), Auston Trusty (Bethlehem Steel FC; Media, Pa.)

MIDFIELDERS (7): Danny Acosta (Real Salt Lake; Salt Lake City, Utah), Luca De La Torre (Fulham; San Diego, Calif.), Derrick Jones (Bethlehem Steel FC), Brooks Lennon (Liverpool., Paradise Valley, Ariz.), Weston McKinnie (Shalke 04; Little Elm, Texas), Jonathan Suarez (Queretaro; Orange County, Calif.), Gedion Zelalem (Arsenal; Bethesda, Md.)

FORWARDS (5): Jeremy Ebobisse (Charleston Battery; Bethesda, Md.), Victor Mansaray (Seattle Sounders FC; Des Moines, Wash.), Emmanuel Sabbi (UD Las Palmas; Libertyville, Ill.), Sebastian Saucedo (Veracruz; Park City, Utah), Isaiah Young (PDA; Berlin, N.J.)