United States Men's National Under-17 Soccer Team - History

History

Beginning with the 1999 team, the majority of the U-17 national team is complemented by the players from the IMG Soccer Academy in Bradenton, Florida. Started in 1999, the U.S. Soccer Under-17 Residency Program has become a symbol of U.S. Soccer’s dedication to increasing the development opportunities for players and the success of the Youth National Teams.

With the recent successes of the U.S. Under-17 Men’s National Team, the full-time Residency Program has doubled in the number of players from 20 to 40, adding 10 additional players in both the fall semester of 2002 and 2003. U.S. Soccer has been able to increase the number of players enrolled in the program to provide greater opportunities for young players and increase its investment in player development.

With 40 players in Residency, the U.S. now has two teams competing under the U.S. Under-17 Men’s National Team moniker: the U-17 ’94s and the U-17 ’95s, representing the birth year of a majority of the players from the senior and junior class in the residency program. With 40 players in Residency, the program is able to field two full teams that train together during the week, and get the chance to compete against club, college and international teams on the weekends. There will, obviously, be times in which players cross over from the two sides, but the teams will be designated as one or the other in most competitions.

Wilmer Cabrera was appointed as head coach of the U.S. Under-17 Men’s National Team on Oct. 25, 2007, joining the team from BW Gottschee in New York. He also served as the spokesperson for MLS Futbolito and Verano MLS, two programs aimed at grassroots development of soccer in the United States. The two-time FIFA World Cup veteran has been charged with preparing his players for the 2009 FIFA Under-17 World Cup.

The U.S. players live on campus at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., and train in the morning under the guidance of Cabrera and assistant coaches Paul Caffrey, Gerson Echeverry, Paul Grafer and Eric Imler. In the afternoon, the players attend classes at St. Stephens Episcopal School. While in the full-time residency program, the U.S. not only trains daily under Cabrera, but also has access to the IMG Academy’s spacious facilities. The team regularly uses IMG’s state-of-the-art strength-training facilities, as well as some of the nation’s best sports psychologists that work at the Academy. The IMG Academy includes top-of-the-line soccer equipment, three Bermuda grass fields, two swimming pools, newly renovated student housing and dining facilities.

Beginning in 1999, the Residency Program has given players an opportunity to grow and move up the ladder in the world of soccer and become professionals in Major League Soccer, some of the biggest clubs in Europe and even make an impact on the full U.S. Men's National Team. The program in Bradenton provides players with an environment where they can prosper as individual players and come together as a team ahead of regional and world competition.

Since its inception, more than 300 players have been through the full-time Residency Program, and more than 100 of those players have moved on to Major League Soccer, or the professional leagues in Europe. Nineteen players have also registered at least one cap with the full MNT: Freddy Adu, Jozy Altidore, DaMarcus Beasley, Kyle Beckerman, Michael Bradley, Bobby Convey, Landon Donovan, Eddie Gaven, Omar Gonzalez, Eddie Johnson, Justin Mapp, Chad Marshall, Dax McCarty, Oguchi Onyewu, Heath Pearce, Santino Quaranta, Robbie Rogers, Jonathan Spector and Danny Szetela.

The first full-time U.S. Soccer Residency Program began on January 17, 1999, when U.S. Soccer collected the top 20 of the country’s elite youth players to train year-round at IMG Academy. In its first year of existence, the U.S. Soccer Residency Program produced instant success as the Under-17s qualified for the FIFA Under-17 World Championship in New Zealand in November 1999. On the world stage, the American teenagers rose to the occasion, winning their group and advancing to the semifinals before being ousted in a penalty shootout. The fourth-place finish tied for the best showing by a U.S. Youth National Team in a major international competition. Also, U.S. stars Donovan and Beasley were awarded the Gold and Silver Balls, respectively, as the top two players in the entire tournament.

After struggling in the “Group of Death” two years later, the U.S. bounced back with back-to-back fifth place finishes in the following two FIFA U-17 World Championships in 2003 and 2005. In 2005 FIFA U-17 World Championship the U.S. went undefeated in group play to win their group for just the third time in 11 appearances, and the first time since 1999. At the 2007 edition of the tournament, the squad advanced out of their group before meeting eventual third-place finishers Germany in the Round of 16, falling 2–1.