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MLS Philadelphia Union

Five Union Tied Players Called into U.S Soccer Men's Youth National Team Training Camp

January 4, 2019 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Philadelphia Union News Release


CHESTER, Pa. - In conjunction with U.S. Soccer, Philadelphia Union announced today that five players affiliated with the club have been named to the rosters for the U.S. Soccer Men's Youth National Team January training camp. The camp features the U.S. Under-20, Under-19 and Under-17 Men's National Teams holding a three-team session from Jan. 4-13 at the Premier Sports Campus in Lakewood Ranch, FL.

Anthony Fontana, Matt Real, Brenden Aaronson, Kris Shakes, and Jack de Vries will all represent the Union at the camp. Fontana and Real have been named to the U-20 roster, Aaronson and Shakes are on the U-19 squad, and de Vries has been called to the U-17s. The Union are one of three MLS clubs with five or more representatives at the camp, joining FC Dallas and Seattle Sounders FC.

The camp begins an important year for the Men's Youth National Teams. The U-20 MNT qualified for this summer's FIFA U-20 World Cup in Poland by winning its second-straight Concacaf U-20 Championship last November. Coming off of last month's Nike International Friendlies, the U-17 MNT continues its preparation for the 2018 Concacaf U-17 Championship this spring, where the team will aim to qualify for October's 2019 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Peru.

Fontana most recently played for Head Coach Tab Ramos on the U-20 National Team in the Concacaf Championship, a tournament which he helped the U.S. win. He notched four goals and an assist over the course of the tournament, including a hat trick in the team's 6-0 win over Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (November 7).

Matt Real also played for Ramos in the Concacaf Championship where he captained the winning U-20 National Team to their second consecutive title. Real started each of the first three Group Stage matches, as well as the first match of the qualification stage. He also started the final vs. Mexico, a 2-0 victory (November 21).

Brenden Aaronson returns to this camp for a second time, and for the first time as a professional, after signing a Homegrown Player deal beginning with this MLS season. During the 2018-19 campaign, Aaronson made 16 regular-season appearances with the Union's USL affiliate, Bethlehem Steel FC, scoring one goal and tallying five assists.

Kris Shakes, a Union Academy player, will join the U-19 goalkeepers. He was most recently called up to the U-18s for the Vaclav Jezek tournament in Czech Republic last August, where he was a part of the U-18 MNT's third straight win in the tournament. Shakes has committed to play for Penn State University in the fall of 2019.

Jack de Vries, another Union Academy player, had previously been called up to the U-15 National Team in 2015 and 2016. This is his first call-up with the U-17s. During the 2018-19 season, he has scored four goals in nine games with the Academy. de Vries has committed to play at the University of Virginia in the fall of 2020.

Philadelphia Union Tied Players Attending YNT Training Camp

U-20 Men's National Team:

Anthony Fontana (Newark, DE)

Matt Real (Drexel Hill, PA)

U-19 Men's National Team:

Brenden Aaronson (Medford, NJ)

Kris Shakes (Coral Springs, FL)

U-17 Men's National Team:

Jack de Vries (Wayne, PA)

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