Louisville City FC defender Josh Wynder has received his first call up to the United States Under-19 Men’s Youth National Team ahead of its April training camp, the federation announced Thursday.
Wynder, a 16-year-old center back from Louisville who came up through the LouCity Academy, will participate in the camp from Friday through May 1 at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California, where the U-19 team will train for the first time under new coach Marko Mitrović.
“I’m excited to get the chance to prove myself with players around my age,” said Wynder, the hero of Wednesday evening’s penalty kick shootout in a Third Round U.S. Open Cup victory at Lynn Family Stadium. “The opportunity to represent my country will be a great experience and a big step in my career. I look forward to making Louisville proud.”
Having started six of seven USL Championship matches this season, Wynder is the second LouCity prospect to receive a national team call up in the last year. Jonathan Gomez — now playing for Spanish first division club Real Sociedad — made an appearance for the U.S. senior team and trained with Mexico’s squad during his time in purple.
“We are thrilled to see Josh rewarded for his strong start to this season,” said LouCity coach Danny Cruz. “He is a humble young man with a bright future, and we are excited about this opportunity for him. While he will miss a few important games for us, we feel it is invaluable that he arrives at this camp fresh and ready to compete. I am looking forward to monitoring his progress in California and cannot wait to have him back with the group.”
This camp marks the first programming for the U-19s group since the COVID-19 pandemic began. It will take place concurrently with the U-20 MYNT training camp in in Carson, and U-19 players may be pulled to train with the U-20 team.
This is also the first team camp put together by Mitrović for the U.S. U-19 squad, making Wynder’s inclusion significant. He signed an academy deal with LouCity in February 2021 before inking a professional contract four months later. The 6-foot-3 center back made 11 appearances last season for LouCity, which won a division title and advanced to its seventh consecutive USL Championship Eastern Conference final, and has poised himself for a larger role in 2022.
Mitrović, a Serbian who played for Belgrade powerhouse Red Star, coached in Serbia’s youth national team setup for multiple years before spending four years with Major League Soccer’s Chicago Fire. He most recently was an assistant with Reading FC, an English club competing in the second-tier Championship.
All 33 players at U-19 training camp are age-eligible for this summer’s 2022 Concacaf U-20 Championship in Honduras, which serves as qualification for the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup and the 2024 Olympics.
U-19 MYNT Training Camp roster
GOALKEEPERS (3): Gavin Beavers (Real Salt Lake: Henderon, Nev.), Fred Emmings (Minnesota United, Saint Paul, Minn.), Emmanuel Ochoa (San Jose Earthquakes; Salinas, Calif.)k
DEFENDERS (12): Tyler Bindon (LAFC; Los Angeles, Calif.), Noah Cobb (Atlanta United FC; Chattanooga, Tenn.), Carlos Diaz (LAFC; Baldwin Park, Calif.), Alexander Freeman (Orlando City SC; Plantation, Fla.), Samuel Jones (Wake Forest; Portsmouth, Va.), Nolan Norris (FC Dallas; Dallas, Texas), Curtis Ofori (New York Red Bulls; Hopewell Junction, N.Y.), Mateo Pinilla (Houston Dynamo; Houston, Texas), Justin Reynolds (Chicago Fire FC; Chicago, Ill.) , Nathan Rodrigues (San Jose Earthquakes; Campbell, Calif.), Diego Rossi (New York City FC; New York, N.Y.), Josh Wynder (Louisville City; Louisville, Ky.)
MIDFIELDERS (10): Gonzalo Agustoni-Chagas (Orlando City SC; Kissimmee, Fla.), Reed Baker-Whiting (Seattle Sounders; Seattle, Wash.), Caleb Borneo (Columbus Crew; Morgantown, W.V.), Osvaldo Cisneros-Reyes (Sporting KC; Omaha, Neb.), Benjamin Cremaschi (Inter Miami CF; Miami, Fla.), Robert Deziel Jr. (Bayern Munich/GER; Palm Beach, Fla.), Ethan Kohler (San Jose Earthquakes; Campbell, Calif.), Bryan Moyado (LAFC; La Puente, Calif.), Sergio Oregel Jr. (Chicago Fire FC; Chicago, Ill.), Brooklyn Raines (Houston Dynamo; Maricopa, Ariz.)
FORWARDS(8): Bryan Arellano (Austin FC; San Antonio, Texas), Favian Loyola (Orlando City SC; Orlando, Fla.), Rodrigo Neri (Atlético Madrid/ESP; Madrid, Spain), Korede Osundina (Orange County SC; Redmond, Wash.), Nighte Pickering (FC Dallas; Frisco, Texas), Anthony Ramirez (FC Dallas: Little Elm, Texas), Alixson Soukup (LAFC; Canoga Park, Calif.), Ethan Subachan (Orlando City SC; Orlando, Fla.)
