Since being named head coach of the United States Under-20 Men's National Team in October 2011, Tab Ramos has had ample opportunity to evaluate Sporting Kansas City midfielder Mikey Lopez in training and competitive matches. No player on his 18-man roster for the upcoming CONCACAF U20 Championship has made more career appearances at the under-20 level than Lopez with 19 caps and Ramos revealed yesterday what it is he likes most about the 19-year-old rookie out of North Carolina.
In a conference call with media members, Ramos praised the versatilty and work ethic of Sporting Kansas City's first round pick in the 2013 MLS SuperDraft...
“Mikey has done well because he is one of those guys who can play any position in midfield. He works extremely hard every day, works hard in the games, and everywhere you throw him in you’re making your team a little bit better. He brings that intensity that’s contagious to the other guys and I think that Mikey is certainly one of those guys that, when we put the final 20 players together, was one of those guys that we put toward the top of our list because of his work ethic.”
Ramos, who himself played in Mexico in the FIFA World Youth Championship 1983, currently has his squad in Toluca, where they will train in advance of the tournament opener against Haiti on Feb. 18 in Puebla. Click here to read the full quote sheet from yesterday's teleconference and follow @MLopez5_12 on Twitter for updates throughout the trip.
