A day after making his MLS debut at the age of 16, D.C. United’s Griffin Yow was named to the USA squad for the upcoming Concacaf U-17 Championships, which will the determine the four teams that will play at this year’s U-17 World Cup. Yow, who signed with the Black-and-Red last month as a homegrown player, has six caps and three goals for the U-17 team. He will be joined on the team by D.C. United academy player Bryang Kayo, who has one substitute appearance for Loudoun United this season.
Yow made three appearances for the USL side as well, and scored the first goal in Loudoun’s history. Last weekend, with injuries limited D.C.’s numbers, Yow traveled with the Black-and-Red, making the game day roster against the Colorado Rapids. He was on the bench once again yesterday against New York City FC, and made his debut in stoppage time, coming on for Paul Arriola.
The U-17 championships kick off on May 1st, and run through May 16th, down at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. The US is in a group with Canada, Guatemala, and Barbados. The top three teams will move on to the round of 16, which will go to a knockout format. The four semifinalists will then all qualify for the U-17 World Cup, which takes place later this year in Brazil.
Yow is expected to be an important part of the US squad, having previously appeared with the team last year during the Nike Friendlies. Yow was also included in the U-17 camp that took place in January, before joining D.C. United for their preseason camp in Florida. Yow was the 12th homegrown player signing in club history, and the third for D.C. this season, following Donovan Pines and Antonio Bustamante.
Here’s the full squad for the US team:
Goalkeepers: Damian Las (Chicago Fire), Chituru Odunze (Vancouver Whitecaps)
Defenders: Axel Alejandre (FC United), Adam Armour (North Carolina FC), Mauricio Cuevas (LA Galaxy), Tayvon Gray (New York City FC), Kobe Hernandez-Foster (LA Galaxy), Joseph Scally (New York City FC), John Tolkin (New York Red Bulls)
Midfielders: Gianluca Busio (Sporting Kansas City), Gilbert Fuentes (San Jose Earthquakes), Bryang Kayo (D.C. United), Daniel Leyva (Seattle Sounders), Adam Saldana (LA Galaxy)
Forwards: Jack de Vries (Philadelphia Union), Tyler Freeman (Sporting Kansas City), Alfonso Ocampo-Chavez (Tacoma Defiance), Ricardo Pepi (North Texas SC), Giovanni Reyna (Unattached), Griffin Yow (D.C. United)