SANDY, Utah (Thursday, October 1, 2015) – U.S. Under-23 Men’s National Team Head Coach Andi Herzog has added Real Salt Lake defender Boyd Okwuonu to the roster that will compete in the 2015 CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying Championship, which will be played across the United States from Oct. 1-13. Okwuonu replaces injured Montreal Impact defender Eric Miller and joins Real Salt Lake teammate Luis Gil among eight MLS players on the squad that kicks off the tournament Thursday night against Canada at Sporting Park in Kansas City, Kansas.
Gil and Okwuonu now have the chance to play at Rio Tinto Stadium for the tournament semifinal and final rounds on October 10 and 13, if the U.S. advances that far.
“We are proud as an organization to have two players representing the club at the Olympic Qualifying Tournament,” said Real Salt Lake General Manager Craig Waibel. “Boyd has worked hard this season and we are excited about his development and this tournament will provide another opportunity for him to see competitive minutes on a big stage.”
The U.S. was drawn into Group A and opens with a pair of games at Sporting Park in Kansas City, Kansas, against Canada on Thursday at 7 p.m. MT and Cuba on Saturday at 3 p.m. MT. The U-23’s will conclude group play at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colorado on Tuesday, October 6 against Panama at 7:30 p.m. MT. The semifinal and final rounds will be at Rio Tinto Stadium on Oct. 10 and Oct. 13, respectively.
Okwuonu has three appearances for Real Salt Lake this year, including his first MLS start on July 11 against the Colorado Rapids. He also started in RSL’s fourth-round U.S. Open Cup match against Seattle Sounders FC 2. In addition to his time with Real Salt Lake, Okwuonu also made 12 starts for Real Monarchs SLC in the USL. He was RSL’s first pick in the 2015 MLS SuperDraft, coming in the second round with the 27th overall pick after a four-year career at the University of North Carolina.
The U.S. enters the tournament having defeated Qatar in its final tune-up. In June, the team finished third at the renowned Toulon Tournament in France, defeating the Netherlands and England.
The U.S. hopes to return to the Olympics for the first time since the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, where it posted a 1-1-1 record but did not advance past the Group Stage. The USA’s best showing in the Olympics came during the 2000 Summer Games in Sydney, when the team defeated Japan in the quarterfinals and finished fourth in the event.
Roster By Position:
GOALKEEPERS (3): Charlie Horton (Leeds; Cleveland Ohio), Ethan Horvath (Molde; Highlands Ranch, Colo.), Zack Steffen (Freiburg; Downington, Pa.).
DEFENDERS (5): Cameron Carter-Vickers (Tottenham Hotspur; Westcliff on Sea, England), Matt Miazga (New York Red Bulls; Clifton, N.J.), Boyd Okwuonu (Real Salt Lake; Edmond, Okla.), William Packwood (Unattached; Concord, Mass.), Dillon Serna (Colorado Rapids; Brighton, Colo.)
MIDFIELDERS (8): Fatai Alashe (San Jose Earthquakes; Northville, Mich.), Gboly Ariyibi (Chesterfield; Arlington, Va.), Luis Gil (Real Salt Lake; Garden Grove, Calif.), Emerson Hyndman (Fulham; Dallas, Texas), Marc Pelosi (San Jose Earthquakes; Sunnyvale, Calif.), Matt Polster (Chicago Fire; Milwaukee, Wis.), Wil Trapp (Columbus Crew; Gahanna, Ohio), Gedion Zelalem (Rangers; Bethesda, Md.).
FORWARDS (4): Alonso Hernandez (C.D. Juarez; El Paso, Texas), Jerome Kiesewetter (VfB Stuttgart; Berlin, Germany), Jordan Morris (Stanford; Mercer Island, Wash.), Maki Tall (Scion; Washington, D.C.).
