Real Salt Lake defender Boyd Okwuonu and midfielder Sebastian Saucedo and Real Monarchs goalkeeper Cristian Herrera all received international call-ups this week as youth squads prepare for future tournaments.
Okwuonu was called in to Andi Herzog’s U.S. U-23 team as it prepares for a playoff against Colombia for a berth in the 2016 Olympics. This week, the U.S. Olympic qualifying team went to Brazil, where it will face the Brazil U-23s in two friendlies on Wednesday and Sunday as the squad continues preparation for a two-leg playoff that is scheduled for March.
Herzog called in 19 players, including nine from the qualifying tournament that saw the U.S. finished third behind Mexico and Honduras. Okwuonu is among those nine players and among the nine MLS players included on the roster.
Meanwhile, Saucedo and Herrera were called in to Mexico’s U-18 camp as that team readies for the new cycle for the U-20 National Team that will compete in the 2017 FIFA U-20 World Cup. This is Saucedo’s first call-up to Mexico, but he will not be tied to them internationally yet, as there are no matches scheduled for the short camp that concludes on Sunday.
