Sporting Kansas City Academy defender Cameron Duke was named to the United States U-16 Boys National Team roster on Tuesday ahead of the Val-de-Marne Tournament in France, set to kick off on Oct. 25.
Duke, the younger brother of Swope Park Rangers captain Christian Duke, joins a 20-player roster that will train in Val de Marne Thursday through Monday before facing England in the tournament's opening match on Oct. 25. Led by head coach Shaun Tsakiris, the United States will then meet Russia on Oct. 27 and finish the competition on Oct. 29 against hosts France. All players on the squad were born in 2001, with Duke among the 17 who currently play in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy.
A native of Olathe, Kansas, Duke participated in his first U.S. U-16 camp last month in Davis, California, featuring against U-18 teams from Juventus Sport Club, Sacramento Republic, Clovis Crossfire and Sacramento United. Duke has been invited to seven previous camps and tournaments with the U.S. Youth National Teams – six with the U-14s and one with the U-15s.
Duke joined the Sporting KC Academy in 2012, rising to the U-16 level last year to make 24 appearances throughout the 2015-16 USSDA season. He has started four USSDA matches in 2016-17, helping the U-16s to a 4-1-1 start and second place in the Frontier Division of the Central Conference.
U.S. U-16 BNT Roster by Position:
GOALKEEPERS (2): Michael Collodi (FC Dallas; Frisco, Texas), Nicolas Defreitas-Hansen (Weston FC; Southwest Ranches, Fla.)
DEFENDERS (9): Nico Benalcazar (NYCFC; Wilton, Conn.), Eduardo Blancas (Real Salt Lake; Napa, Calif.), Jackson Conway (Atlanta United FC; Marietta, Ga.), Cameron Duke (Sporting KC; Olathe, Kan.), John Hilton (Unattached; Long Beach, Calif.), Julian Hinojosa (FC Dallas; Garland, Texas), Ian Hoffmann (Karlsruher SC; Germany), Alexsi Morel (New York City FC; Huntington Station, N.Y.), Leonardo Sepulveda (LA Galaxy; Corona, Calif.)
MIDFIELDERS (7): Luis Arriaga (Real Salt Lake; Santa Rosa, Calif.), Taylor Booth (Real Salt Lake; Eden, Utah), Azriel Gonzalez (Seattle Sounders FC; Renton, Wash.), Ulysses Llanez (LA Galaxy; Lynwood, Calif.), Marcelo Palomino (Houston Dynamo; Houston, Texas), Jose Rivas (Weston FC; Weston, Fla.), Indiana Vassilev (IMG Academy; Savannah, Ga.)
FORWARDS (2): Konrad De la Fuente (FC Barcelona; Barcelona, Spain), Stefan Stojanovic (Sockers FC; Des Plaines, Ill.)
