SAN JOSE, Calif. – San Jose Earthquakes Homegrown midfielder Niko Tsakiris has been called to the United States U20 Men’s National Team for a training camp at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, Calif. from April 22 – May 1. Tsakiris, 16, is the second youngest of 22 players called by head coach Mikey Varas.
Tsakiris has made two MLS appearances for San Jose so far during his rookie season. He also started and scored his first professional goal in the Quakes’ Third Round U.S. Open Cup victory over Bay Cities FC on April 19.
Players born on or after Jan. 1, 2003, are age-eligible for the 2023 U-20 World Cup cycle. The roster features nine players born in 2003, 10 born in 2004 and three born in 2005. Tsakiris, born June 19, 2005, will be one of two 16-year-olds in the camp.
In addition to Tsakiris, Quakes Academy product Tarun Karumanchi has also been called to the U-20 camp. Karumanchi currently competes for UCLA.
The training camp comes as preparation for this summer’s Concacaf U-20 Championship, which will serve as qualification to the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup and the 2024 Summer Olympics.
U-20 MYNT ROSTER BY POSITION (CLUB; HOMETOWN) - APRIL TRAINING CAMP
GOALKEEPERS (3): Christopher Brady (Chicago Fire F.C.; Naperville, Ill.), Antonio Carrera (FC Dallas; Frisco, Texas), Xavier Valdez (Houston Dynamo; Bronx, N.Y.)
DEFENDERS (7): Quembol Guadalupe (Orlando City S.C.; Orlando, Fla.), Michael Halliday (Orlando City S.C.; Apopka, Fla.), Jaziel Orozco (Real Salt Lake; El Paso, Texas), Kayden Pierre (Sporting Kansas City; Bloomfield Hills, Mich.), Anthony Sorenson (Philadelphia Union; Ann Arbor, Mich.), Devan Tanton (Fulham F.C.; Orlando, Fla.), Thomas Williams (Orlando City S.C.; Titusville, Fla.)
MIDFIELDERS (6): Esmir Bajraktarevic (New England Revolution; Appleton, Wis.), Javier Casas Jr. (Chicago Fire F.C.; Addison, Ill.), Juan Castilla (Houston Dynamo; Houston, Texas), Tarun Karumanchi (UCLA; San Ramon, Calif.), Daniel Leyva (Seattle Sounders F.C.; Las Vegas, Nev.), Niko Tsakiris (San Jose Earthquakes; Saratoga, Calif.)
FORWARDS (6): Damion Downs (1. FC Koln; Schwenbenried, Germany), Kristian Fletcher (Unattached; Bowie, Md.), Luca Koleosho (RCD Espanyol; Trumbull, Conn.), Nathan Ordaz (Los Angeles F.C.; Encino, Calif.), Dante Sealy (PSV Eindhoven; Frisco, Texas), Tyler Wolff (Atlanta United F.C.; Braselton, Ga.)
