USL Louisville City FC

LouCity's Wynder Earns Historic U-20 World Cup Call-Up

Published on May 10, 2023 under United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Louisville City FC News Release


Louisville City FC's Josh Wynder will continue reaching personal milestones and making club history this spring as a member of the United States' FIFA U-20 World Cup squad.

A defender from Louisville, Wynder is among the 21 players called up by coach Mikey Varas for the World Cup running from May 20-June 11 in Argentina.

This makes Wynder the second Kentuckian to represent the U.S. at a World Cup following Racing Louisville FC Academy graduate Ella Sanchez, who played in the 2022 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup. He's also the first active LouCity player to make a World Cup squad.

"It's always been a dream of mine to play in a World Cup," Wynder said. "It's exciting to represent the United States - and the city of Louisville - on the global stage. This is another step in my journey, and I'm thankful for everyone who's helped me along the way."

"We are extremely proud of Josh and this announcement for him," added LouCity coach Danny Cruz. "This is a testament to the work that he puts in day in and day out to continue his development and pursuit of being the best center back that he can be. As we continue to watch him develop as a player and as a young man, we are most proud of the person that Josh is and how he carries himself."

For Wynder, this accomplishment follows a whirlwind year of international soccer. He was called up by the U.S. for the first time last summer at the U-19 level and has in subsequent months attended camps with both the U-20s and the senior national team.

Wynder's U-20 World Cup squad includes Jonathan Gómez, a close friend and former LouCity teammate. Gómez moved from City to La Liga power Real Sociedad on a transfer in January of 2022.

"When I see two players who have come through Louisville City being named to this roster I firmly believe that the culture that we have at this club has played an important role in their development," Cruz said. "We believe in our young players and the importance of continuing their development both on and off the field.

"I am looking forward to watching the U-20 World Cup and seeing a young boy from Louisville and JoGo represent this club, this community and our country."

The Americans will head to Argentina carrying high expectations, with the USA the only nation to reach the quarterfinals of the last three FIFA U-20 World Cups.

This year's events features 24 countries divided into six groups of four teams. The top two finishers in each group, as well as the four best third-place teams advance to the Round of 16. From there, the tournament will feature a knockout bracket to the tournament final.

The USA kicks off Group B play against Ecuador on Saturday, May 20, faces Fiji on Tuesday, May 23, and closes the group stage versus Slovakia on Friday, May 26. All three matches kick off at 2 p.m. ET and will be shown on FOX Sports and Telemundo platforms.

"We're very appreciative of the cooperation we've had from clubs, both at home and abroad, to release their players and let them shine on this global stage," Varas, the U.S. U-20 coach, said.

The 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup marks the 23rd overall world championship for this age group. The first 15 were held as the FIFA World Youth Championship before the competition assumed its current name in 2007. The USA's best finish - fourth - came at the 1989 tournament in Saudi Arabia.

Roster by position (club/country; U-20 caps/goals; hometown)

Goalkeepers (3): 21-Alexander Borto (Fulham/ENG; South Plainfield, N.J.; 2/0), 12-Antonio Carrera (FC Dallas; Frisco, Texas; 4/0), 1-Gaga Slonina (Chelsea/ENG; Addison, Ill.; 5/0)

Defenders (7): 17-Justin Che (Hoffenheim/GER; Dallas, Texas; 6/0), 5-Brandan Craig (Philadelphia Union; Philadelphia, Pa.; 10/1), 2-Mauricio Cuevas (LA Galaxy; Los Angeles, Calif.; 13/1), 14-Marcus Ferkranus (LA Galaxy; Santa Clarita, Calif.; 11/0), 13-Jonathan Gómez (Real Sociedad/ESP; Keller, Texas; 6/0), 3-Caleb Wiley (Atlanta United FC; Atlanta, Ga.; 5/0), 4-Joshua Wynder (Louisville City FC; Louisville, Ky.; 2/0)

Midfielders (7): 6-Daniel Edelman (New York Red Bulls; Warren, N.J.; 10/0), 10-Diego Luna (Real Salt Lake; Sunnyvale, Calif.; 16/4), 8-Jack McGlynn (Philadelphia Union; Middle Village, N.Y.; 16/2), 20-Rokas Pukstas (Hajduk Split/CRO; Stillwater, Okla.; 12/1), 15-Niko Tsakiris (San Jose Earthquakes; Saratoga, Calif.; 5/3), 18-Obed Vargas (Seattle Sounders FC; Anchorage, Alaska; 4/0), 16-Owen Wolff (Austin FC; Austin, Texas; 3/1)

Forwards (4): 9-Cade Cowell (San Jose Earthquakes; Ceres, Calif.; 7/2), 11-Kevin Paredes (Wolfsburg/GER; South Riding, Va.; 6/2), 7-Quinn Sullivan (Philadelphia Union; Philadelphia, Pa.; 15/7), 19-Darren Yapi (Colorado Rapids; Denver, Colo.; 3/0)

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