MLS Real Salt Lake

Real Salt Lake's Benji Lopez Named to U.S. U-20 Men's National Team

November 11, 2013 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Real Salt Lake News Release


SANDY, Utah (Monday, Nov. 11) - Real Salt Lake FW Benji Lopez was named to the U.S. U-20 Men's National Team 22-player roster for an international training camp in Verona, Italy from Nov. 10-20. This is Lopez's first call-up for the U.S. U-20 Men's National Team.

The squad, mostly comprised of graduates from the U.S. U-17 and U-18 National Team programs, is looking to play three friendly matches in addition to its training regimen. The U.S. will play against Italian Serie A side Hellas Verona's academy team Hellas Verona Primavera, Iran's U-20 National Team and a yet-to-be-confirmed opponent.

"This is purely a camp where we can get a better idea of where our players are," U-20 head coach Tab Ramos told ussoccer.com. "They are all players who are getting great experiences, and this particular camp gives us a good chance to see them in an international camp, playing in an international environment, which will give us a good idea of what these players can do."

Benji Lopez was signed as an RSL Homegrown Player on July 17, 2013 - the fourth player to graduate from the RSL-Arizona Academy to the first-team. The 18-year-old California native featured for Real Salt Lake Reserves five times this year, scoring one goal in RSL Reserve's 3-2 win over Vancouver Whitecaps FC Reserves on July 16. Lopez has been a regular member of the U-18 Men's National Team, getting his first call-up in January of 2012 and scoring a goal in the U.S.'s international friendly against the Netherlands on Sept. 11, 2012.

Roster by Position:

GOALKEEPERS (2): Santiago Castano (New York Red Bulls; Union City, N.J.), Ethan Horvath (Molde FK; Highlands Ranch, Colo.)

DEFENDERS (6): Kellyn Acosta (FC Dallas; Plano, Texas), Conor Donovan (Capital Area RailHawks Academy; Fuquay Varina, N.C.), Matias Fracchia (NJSA 04; Roselle Park, N.J.), Matthew Miazga (New York Red Bulls; Clifton, N.J.), Shaquell Moore (IMG Academy; Powder Springs, Ga.), John Requejo Jr. (Real So Cal; Carpinteria, Calif.)

MIDFIELDERS (8): Russell Canouse (TSG 1899 Hoffenheim; Lancaster, Pa.), Marco Delgado (Chivas USA; Glendora, Calif.), Junior Flores (Borussia Dortmund; Manassas Park, Va.), Romain Gall (FC Lorient; Herndon, Va.), Lynden Gooch (Sunderland AFC; Santa Cruz, Calif.), Emerson Hyndman (Fulham FC; Plano, Texas), Kristian Scott (Swansea City AFC; Winterbourne, Bristol), Omar Thompson (Wigan Athletic; Miami, Fla.)

FORWARDS (6): Kainoa Bailey (Bayer 04 Leverkusen; Henderson, Nev.), Benji Lopez (Real Salt Lake; San Diego, Calif.), Amando Moreno (New York Red Bulls; Morganville, N.J.), Zach Pfeffer (TSG 1899 Hoffenheim; Dresher, Pa.), Rubio Rubin (Unattached; Beaverton, Ore.), Ben Spencer (Molde FK; Albuquerque, N.M.)

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