United midfielder/defender Chris Durkin and current United Academy product Chandler Vaughn have been invited by U.S. Under-17 Men’s National Team head coach John Hackworth to the 2016 Fall Semester of the U.S. U-17 Residency Program in Bradenton, Florida.
The U-17 Residency Program 32-man roster features 21 players who were with the team during the 2016 spring semester. Vaughn is one of 29 players currently registered with Development Academy clubs and 30 in all with ties to the Academy.
“This is a special semester and year for our program,” Hackworth said. “We are returning the majority of the 2000’s and integrating the new group of 2000’s & 2001’s. Our primary objective is player development with these talented young men, but with World Cup qualifying beginning in April, we will certainly put an emphasis on building a team that can achieve our desired goals.”
Durkin became the Black-and-Red's newest and eighth all-time Homegrown Player when he signed with United on June 14, 2016, after spending the last five years in the academy. He made his competitive debut for the club on June 15, playing 86 minutes against the Fort Lauderdale Strikers of the NASL in United's Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup match. The Virginia native was most recently named to the U.S. Under-17 roster to compete in the 2016 Torneo de Naciones that took place Aug. 22-29, in Mexico City.
Next on the schedule for the U-17 MNT is hosting Costa Rica on October 22 and 24 in Bradenton, Fla.
Roster by Position:
GOALKEEPERS (4): Alexander Budnik (Sockers FC; Arlington Heights, Ill.), Nicolas Defreitas-Hansen (Weston FC; Southwest Ranches, Fla.), Justin Garces (Kendall SC; Miami, Fla.), Quantrell Jones (Baltimore Celtic; Baltimore, Md.)
DEFENDERS (9): Carlos Asensio (Atlanta United; Roswell, Ga.), Jose Bencomo (Colorado Rapids; Aurora, Colo.), Christopher Gloster (New York Red Bulls; Montclair, N.J.), Jaylin Lindsey (Sporting Kansas City; Charlotte, N.C.), Carlo Ritaccio (BW Gottschee; Westbury, N.Y.), Nicholas Slonina (Chicago Fire; Addison, Ill.), Arturo Vasquez (FC Golden State; Mira Loma, Calif.), Chandler Vaughn (D.C. United; Woodbridge, Va.), Tristen Weber (Unattached; San Clemente, Calif.)
MIDFIELDERS (11): George Acosta (Weston FC; Hollywood, Fla.), Isaac Angking (New England Revolution; Providence, R.I.), Taylor Booth (Real Salt Lake AZ; Eden, Utah), Christopher Durkin (D.C. United; Glen Allen, Va.), Blaine Ferri (Solar Chelsea SC; Southlake, Tex.), Christopher Goslin (Atlanta United; Locust Grove, Ga.), Marcelo Palomino (Houston Dynamo; Houston, Tex.), James Sands (New York City FC; Rye, N.Y.), Indiana Vassilev (IMG Academy; Savannah, Ga.), Adrian Villegas (Portland Timbers; Hood River, Ore.), Akil Watts (IMG Academy; Fort Wayne, Ind.)
FORWARDS (8): Ayomide Akinola (Toronto FC; Brampton, Ont.), Matthew Hundley (Real Colorado; Littleton, Colo.), Zyen Jones (Atlanta United; Clarkston, Ga.), Alejandro Pereira (Orlando City FC; Oviedo, Fla.), Bryan Reynolds Jr. (FC Dallas; Little Elm, Tex.), William Sands (New York City FC; Rye, N.Y.), Joshua Sargent (Scott Gallagher Missouri; O’Fallen, Mo.), Tonny Temple (IMG Academy; Millville, Pa.
