By Brian SciarettaPublished Jun 04, 2018 10:08:20The United States Soccer Federation has made a number of announcements over the past year to expand its roster of domestic teams, including an expansion of its own division, the U-18 National Team.
The decision to expand to four teams was met with enthusiasm in the country’s capital.
“The United Soccer Federation is proud to announce that the U18 National team has been added to the U20 National team, making it one of the newest domestic teams in Major League Soccer,” the federation said in a statement on June 4.
“The U.K. U-19 National team is also slated to play in 2018.
The U-20 team will be the first team in North America to join the International Champions Cup and will be a first-team appearance in the World Cup of Hockey.”
The U-17 National Team, which played in the inaugural World Junior Championship in 2015, is set to be joined by the U19 National Team for a round of 16 game against Canada on Aug. 18 in Toronto.
The U18 and U-23 teams, which will play in the CONCACAF Champions League in 2018, will also play in FIFA World Cup Qualifying in 2018 in Chile.
In the meantime, the FIFA World Rankings are projecting the U23 team to win the 2019 FIFA World Youth Championship, a FIFA ranking that currently stands at 20th.”FIFA is currently assessing the impact of the recent changes in FIFA and the FIFA U-21 World Ranking system, as well as FIFA U23 rankings,” the statement continued.
“FIFA will provide an update on the FIFA rankings system once the system has been evaluated by the appropriate FIFA authorities.
The revised ranking is based on FIFA’s new rankings system, which has significantly improved the quality of play and player performance over previous years. “
Additionally, the 2019 edition of FIFA World Club Rankings, the most comprehensive ranking of the world’s top 20 clubs, has been updated to reflect the change in FIFA rankings.
The federation also announced a new coaching program for the U21 and U20 teams, allowing them to earn their place on the U16 World Club Ranking, which they currently do not. “
All these developments, together with the FIFA’s decision to release FIFA’s full World Rankings, have led to increased interest in the U17 National and U18 FIFA rankings, and in the future we will work closely with the clubs, the FA and FIFA to ensure that these rankings remain the most accurate in the world.”
The federation also announced a new coaching program for the U21 and U20 teams, allowing them to earn their place on the U16 World Club Ranking, which they currently do not.
This year, the league will feature 14 coaches with a combined combined total of 1,700 minutes of experience in all competitions.
“With a roster of over 1,300 players in both U17 and U21, the opportunity for our coaches to train together on the same day and learn from a proven coach has become even more appealing,” said USSF President Sunil Gulati in the statement.
“We look forward to seeing our players compete in the 2019 World Cup and beyond, and the opportunity to grow as a team, as the U15 and U16 teams have in the past, as our U-16 team in 2019 will look to take the next step forward.”
The United Women’s National Team is also set to play at the 2019 Copa America Centenario, which kicks off June 7 in Chile, with the women set to represent their country in the quarterfinals.
“This is a great step forward for women’s soccer,” Gulati said.
“It’s a great start for women and a great stepping stone to a very long and successful future.”
The American soccer scene has seen a resurgence of interest in domestic expansion in recent years.
The league’s membership increased from 28 teams in 2015 to 48 teams in 2017.
Since then, the number of teams in the United States has increased by two teams.
The United National team had to find a new home in the league when the American Soccer Association was formed in 2015.
The new organization, however, has since been met with opposition from some local owners, and its owners have been pushing for the expansion.
The league, which was originally called the MLS, has played its first three matches at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City.
The team has already played at the Copa Libertadores, a Copa Sudamericana and the Copas Blancas in Brazil.
