Gerardo 'Dado' Valenzuela Named to U.S. U21 Men's National Team Roster
MLS FC Cincinnati

Gerardo 'Dado' Valenzuela Named to U.S. U21 Men's National Team Roster

Published on March 20, 2026 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
FC Cincinnati News Release


FC Cincinnati's Gerardo 'Dado' Valenzuela has been named to the 19-player U.S. U21 Men's National Team roster for a training camp during the upcoming March FIFA International Window, U.S. Soccer announced today.

The training camp runs from March 23-31 in Cheonan-si, South Korea. During the camp, the U21 MNT will play matches against Japan U21 on March 27 (2 a.m. ET / 3 p.m. local) and Korea Republic U23 on March 31 (6 a.m. ET / 7 p.m. local), with both games taking place at Korea Football Park.

Made up of players born on or after Jan. 1, 2004, the Under-21 MNT will train and play matches through summer 2026 in an effort to make up on national team programming that players in this age group missed during the COVID-19 pandemic. The U.S. Men's Olympic Soccer Team, made up of players under the age of 23 that will be eligible for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, will officially begin play later in 2026.

Valenzuela has earned a call-up for the second consecutive cycle after the first Olympic Cycle preparations began last fall. He made his international debut on November 18 against Serbia U21.

This month's camp is part of the Federation's continued focus on the U.S. Way philosophy, which emphasizes increased programming for Youth National Teams to create more opportunities for young players to advance through the pathway to the senior National Team with the goal of representing their country at a world championship.

Valenzuela, an FC Cincinnati Homegrown Player, has scored two goals and added two assists early in the 2026 campaign for the Orange and Blue.

The full U.S. U21 roster for the March 2026 camp can be found below.

U.S. UNDER-21 MEN'S NATIONAL TEAM - MARCH 2026 CAMP (CLUB; HOMETOWN)

GOALKEEPERS (2): Diego Kochen* (Barcelona/ESP; Miramar, Fla.), Gaga Slonina* (Chelsea/ENG; Addison, Ill.)

DEFENDERS (6): Reed Baker-Whiting* (Nashville SC; Seattle, Wash.), Noah Cobb* (Colorado Rapids; Chattanooga, Tenn.), Tate Johnson (Vancouver Whitecaps/CAN; Tampa, Fla.), Ethan Kohler* (New England Revolution; Campbell, Calif.), Nolan Norris* (FC Dallas; Fort Worth, Texas), Thomas Williams* (Nashville SC; Titusville, Fla.)

MIDFIELDERS (6): Santiago Castaneda* (Paderborn/GER; Tampa, Fla.), Jackson Hopkins* (D.C. United; Fredericksburg, Va.), Rokas Pukstas* (Hajduk Split/CRO; Stillwater, Okla.), Brooklyn Raines* (New England Revolution; Chicago, Ill.), Niko Tsakiris* (San Jose Earthquakes; Saratoga, Calif.), Gerardo Valenzuela* (FC Cincinnati; Boca Raton, Fla.)

FORWARDS (5): Luke Brennan* (Atlanta United; Atlanta, Ga.), Alan Carleton (Sandvikens/SWE; Powder Springs, Ga.), Damion Downs* (Hamburg/GER; Werneck, Germany), Brandon Powell (Barrow/ENG; Huddersfield, England), Darren Yapi* (Colorado Rapids; Denver, Colo.)

Part of November U-21 MNT Roster*

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