The Dr. Pepper Dallas Cup is one of the more prestigious annual youth tournaments across the globe.
Youth coach Tab Ramos, recently added to the USMNT coaching ranks, will take a US Soccer group into the cup to face youth programs from clubs from around the world.
Other teams in the US’s group of competition include the Premier League’s Fulham, Brazil’s Fluminense, Mexico’s Chivas Guadalajara, Germany’s Eintracht Frankfurt, Argentina’s River Plate, and Belgium’s Anderlecht.
Ramos has named his squad for the event next week, including eight MLS players. Two of them - FC Dallas’s Kellyn Acosta and Chivas’s Marky Delgado - have seen first-team minutes already this year.
Sporting KC’s Erik Palmer-Brown is the youngest player on the list with the only 1997 birthday.
Acosta’s situation is unique, since FC Dallas itself has a team in the field, but they are not in the US Soccer group. Teams in their initial group are Eintracht Frankfurt, River Plate, and Tigres out of the Liga MX. The LA Galaxy also have a youth team in the event.
Fulham’s squad, which is set to play in the FA Youth Cup finals against either Chelsea or Arsenal, features American talent and Dallas native Emerson Hyndman.
Here is the full list per MLSsoccer.com:
GOALKEEPERS (2): Santiago Castaño (New York Red Bulls; Union City, N.J.), Zack Steffen (Maryland; Philadelphia Union Academy; Downington, Pa.)
DEFENDERS (9): Jordan Allen (Real Salt Lake; Rochester, N.Y.), Michael Amick (UCLA; Sunnyvale, Calif.), Suliaman Dainkeh (Maryland; D.C. United Academy; Reston, Va.), Trevor Haberkorn (Furman; Roanoke, Texas), Matt Miazga (New York Red Bulls; Clifton, N.J.), Shaquell Moore (Unattached; Powder Springs, Ga.), Erik Palmer-Brown (Sporting KC; Lee’s Summit, Mo.), John Requejo Jr. (Real So Cal; Carpinteria, Calif.), Jesus Vazquez (Tigres UANL; San Luis Obispo, Calif.)
MIDFIELDERS (5): Kellyn Acosta (FC Dallas; Plano, Texas), Marky Delgado (Chivas USA; Glendora, Calif.), Luis Felipe (Cruzeiro; Ouro Branco, Brazil), Romain Gall (FC Lorient; Herndon, Va.), Lynden Gooch (Sunderland; Santa Cruz, Calif.)
FORWARDS (5): Benji Lopez (Real Salt Lake; San Diego), Amando Moreno (Club Tijuana; Morganville, N.J.), Zach Pfeffer (Philadelphia Union; Dresher, Pa.), Rubio Rubin (Unattached; Beaverton, Ore.), Ben Spencer (Indy Eleven; Albuquerque, N.M.)