March Round Up: MLS coach returns, YNT victory

<p class="p1">The club soccer world is busy this month with nearly every level of the game having an event, showcase, or some other noteworthy tournament on the calendar. The spring season brings a revealed light to the game at every level, as teams begin a new heading toward the postseason playoffs in a few months.</p> This month, there was plenty of action on the field as the <a href="https://prepsoccer.com/2022/03/best-xi-from-the-us-youth-soccer-national-pro/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">US Youth Soccer National League P.R.O. event</a> was held in Arizona for the U15 through U19 age groups. The Girls Academy League also had the Champions League playoffs in Florida with the victors being crowned in the U13 through U19 age groups. Off the field, there was news of the return of a former MLS academy coach back to the sidelines with an MLS affiliate at the Boys ECNL level. At the international level, the U.S. Women's program enjoyed the spoils of a successful trip to Dominican Republic with the 2022 Concacaf U20 Women's Championship. The men's program returned to international action with a trip to Argentina in the U17 and U20 age groups. Plus the U15 Girls National Team is in camp for a week in Southern California as the next generation gets together for week-long training with the new head coach. <h4 class="p1" style="text-align: center;">Youth Club News<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></h4> <h6 class="p1" style="text-align: center;">Former LA Galaxy Academy coach returns to LAFC affiliate<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></h6> <p class="p1">Brian Kleiban is returning to coach club soccer. The former LA Galaxy academy coach is back on the sidelines nearly three years after being dismissed by the MLS franchise. LAFC So Cal, an affiliate of MLS franchise LAFC and the historic club from San Fernando Valley previously known as Real So Cal, confirmed to PrepSoccer on Wednesday that Kleiban is coaching the Boys ECNL teams in the 2006 and 2009 age groups. He started working for the club last week.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p1">Kleiban's popularity rose in 2012 with a video clip of his U11 team playing possession-dominant style in a Cal South State Cup game. The clip now has over <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DThjb_XyyoU"><span class="s1">a million views</span></a>. That team would go on to more accolades with success at the international level against clubs like FC Barcelona and Ajax.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p1">The quality of Kleiban's teams was well-known in Southern California, but the results against European opposition garnered national interest. After years of coaching at the club level, he joined Chivas USA's academy in 2013. The MLS franchise dissolved in 2015 and Kleiban joined LA Galaxy.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p1">He lasted at LA Galaxy for four seasons before the controversial exit for the MLS franchise in 2019. LA Galaxy dismissed Kleiban as the club's U19 coach after one of the players from the team, Ulysses Llanez, signed a professional deal with VfL Wolfsburg in Germany instead of signing with the MLS, <a href="https://www.mlssoccer.com/news/stejskal-la-galaxy-gm-discusses-losses-alex-mendez-ulysses-llanez"><span class="s1">according to reports.</span></a></p> <p class="p1">The reports also said that Kleiban's brother, Gary, was representing Llanez along with another player, which upset the front office at LA Galaxy.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p1">After a brief hiatus, Brian Kleiban is back at the elite level of the club game with his new stint at LAFC So Cal Boys ECNL. Kleiban, who started with the teams last week, is taking over the LAFC So Cal 09 team, which is 3-5-2 in ECNL play this season, and the 06 team, which is 5-2-4 in ECNL play.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p1">Brian Kleiban did not return a request for a comment by the time of publishing.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Girls Academy Champions League Champions</strong></p> 2009/U13 South Shore Select (MA) 2008/U14 Nationals (MI) 2007/U15 Cincinnati United Premier (CUP) 2006/U16 Colorado Rush (CO) 2005/U17 Florida United Soccer Club (FL) 2003/2004/U18/19 FC Bay Area Surf (CA) Nationals (MI) won the Girls Academy Champions League championship in the U14 age group and won the overall club title for the success of the club in every age group. <h4 class="p1" style="text-align: center;">U.S. Youth National Team News<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></h4> <h6 class="p1" style="text-align: center;">Regional Champions, Again<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></h6> <p class="p1">The U.S. U20 Women's National Team won the 2022 Concacaf Women's U20 Championship last week. USA defeated Mexico 2-0 in the final to finish the event with 49 goals scored, and zero conceded.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> US Women's U20 head coach Tracey Kevins talked with PrepSoccer before the final about <a href="https://prepsoccer.com/2022/03/usa-u20-coach-kevins-talks-about-path-to-final/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the challenges on and off the field during the tournament</a>. </span></p> <p class="p1">Michelle Cooper won the Golden Ball and Golden Boot from the event. Lexi Missimo, Emily Colton, Emily Mason, and Cooper were named to the Concacaf Best XI from the event. Talia DellaPeruta became the first U.S. Youth National Team player to win four Concacaf youth titles: U15 (2016), U17 (2018), U20 (2020 and 2022).<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p1">The U20 Women's World Cup is scheduled for August in Costa Rica.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <h6 class="p1" style="text-align: center;">Time for the Test<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></h6> <p class="p1">The U.S. U17 Men's National Team is in Argentina this week for games against Uruguay and Argentina, the first international games for this age group since 2020. USA lost the opener against the host side on Tuesday. San Jose Earthquakes midfielder [player_tooltip player_id="7351" first="Cruz" last="Medina"] scored the lone goal in a 2-1 loss. Diego Kochen had a stellar showing in the game including a couple of spectacular saves.</p> <p class="p1"><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/yJs6VJ6N3gA" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p1">The U20 Men's National Team is also headed to Argentina this month. The U20s will play Argentina and River Plate during the training camp, which kicks off on March 21.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p1">Seattle Sounders midfielder and Alaska-native Obed Vargas is the lone player born in 2005 on the roster. The rest of the squad is made up for players born<a href="https://www.ussoccer.com/stories/2022/03/us-under-20-mynt-travels-to-buenos-aires-for-matches-vs-argentina-and-river-plate"><span class="s1"> in 2003 and 2004</span></a>.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> &nbsp; <details><summary><strong>U.S. U17 Men's National Team Roster - March Camp</strong></summary>GOALKEEPERS (2): Ryan Carney (New England Revolution), Diego Kochen (Barcelona/ESP) DEFENDERS (6): Jayson Castillo (Seattle Sounders), [player_tooltip player_id="8535" first="Riley" last="Dalgado"] (LA Galaxy), Tyler Hall (Inter Miami), Stuart Hawkins (Seattle Sounders), Gershon Henry (Real Salt Lake), [player_tooltip player_id="8449" first="Oscar" last="Verhoeven"] (San Jose Earthquakes) MIDFIELDERS (5): Brian Carmona (Charlotte FC), [player_tooltip player_id="7351" first="Cruz" last="Medina"] (San Jose Earthquakes), [player_tooltip player_id="7520" first="Edwyn" last="Mendoza"] (San Jose Earthquakes), [player_tooltip player_id="16471" first="Luis" last="Moreno"] (Houston Dynamo), Pedro Soma (UE Cornella/ESP) FORWARDS (7): [player_tooltip player_id="7611" first="Fidel" last="Barajas"] (San Jose Earthquakes), Micah Burton (Austin FC), Bajung Darboe (Philadelphia Union), [player_tooltip player_id="15805" first="Andre" last="Gitau"] (Houston Dynamo), [player_tooltip player_id="8479" first="Paulo" last="Rudisill"] (LA Galaxy), [player_tooltip player_id="7597" first="Ezekiel" last="Soto"] (Houston Dynamo), Luke Zielinski (Philadelphia Union) </details> <h6 style="text-align: center;">The Future</h6> The U.S. U15 Girls National Team is in camp in Chula Vista this month. This is the second camp for head coach Katie Schoepfer, who called in 36 players for the week in Southern California. Twenty-six clubs are represented among those 36 players with Solar SC (TX) leading the way with seven players. The strength of this age group is in the midfield as [player_tooltip player_id="26916" first="Kennedy" last="Fuller"] (Solar SC), Kimmi Ascanio (Florida United), and Sofia Atehortua (NYSC) all have elite traits that suggest full national team potential. <details><summary><strong>U.S. U15 Girls National Team Roster - March Camp</strong></summary>GOALKEEPERS (4): [player_tooltip player_id="27140" first="Olivia" last="Geller"] (Solar SC; Southlake, Texas), Emily Jenkins (ISC Gunners; North Bend, Wash.), Molly Vapensky (Chicago FC United; Evanston, Ill.), Kennedy Zorn (SC del Sol; Peoria, Ariz.) DEFENDERS (11): Riley Bradley (CESA; Greenville, S.C.), [player_tooltip player_id="23212" first="Mya" last="Brandon"] (Michigan Hawks; Canton, Mich.), Jaelyn Byeman (Crossfire Premier; Redmond, Wash.), Maddie Costello (SUSA; Stony Brook, N.Y.), Alexis Coughlin (Legends FC; Corona, Calif.), Sofia Fox (Crossfire, Premier; Kirkland, Wash.), [player_tooltip player_id="26834" first="Jordyn" last="Hardeman"] (Solar SC; Prosper, Texas), Daya King (Legends FC, Moreno Valley, Calif.), Kai Price (Concorde Fire; Atlanta, Ga.), Katie Scott (Internationals SC; Erie, Pa.), [player_tooltip player_id="33320" first="Jocelyn" last="Travers"] (FC Bay Area Surf; Santa Cruz, Calif.) MIDFIELDERS (14): Kimmi Ascanio (Florida United; Doral, Fla.), Sofia Atehortua (NYSC; Fairfield, Conn.), Amelia Bray (Seattle United; Bainbridge, Wash.), Riley Cross (PDA; Chatham, N.J.), Addison DeJoseph (United Futbol Academy; Roswell, Ga.), Eres Freifeld (Crossfire Premier; Redmond, Wash.), [player_tooltip player_id="26916" first="Kennedy" last="Fuller"] (Solar SC, Southlake, Texas), Emma Johnson (Indiana Fire Juniors; Greenfield, Ind.), [player_tooltip player_id="26634" first="Coda" last="Jones"] (Solar SC; Frisco, TX), [player_tooltip player_id="26768" first="Hannah" last="Jordan"] (Solar SC; Southlake, Texas), [player_tooltip player_id="26393" first="Ainsley" last="McCammon"] (Solar SC; Aubrey, Texas), Leena Powell (Tudela FC; Culver City, Calif.), [player_tooltip player_id="33401" first="Chloe" last="Ricketts"] (Michigan Tigers; Dexter, Mich.), Lauren Stevens (San Diego Surf SC; Encinitas, Calif.) FORWARDS (7): Abby Ballek (Real Colorado; Timnath, Colo.), [player_tooltip player_id="19150" first="Ava" last="Harrison"] (San Diego Surf SC; San Diego, Calif.), Caroline Helfrich (Virginia Union; McLean, Va.), Alexandra Pfeiffer (St. Louis Scott Gallagher; St. Louis, Mo.), Casey Phair (PDA; Warren, N.J.), [player_tooltip player_id="27233" first="Sealey" last="Strawn"] (Solar SC; Prosper, Texas), Lauryn Thompson (NC Courage; Wake Forest, N.C.) </details>