Brandon Zimmerman and Ellis McLoughlin Selected to Prestigious Program

The eighth year of U.S. Soccer’s Full-Time Residency Program kicked off on Jan. 9 as the 40 players arrived at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla. The 40-player roster consists of players born in 1988, 1989, 1990 and 1991.

The majority of the players (28) were born in 1990 or later and are just beginning the two-year cycle toward the next U-17 World Championship in 2007, which will take place in . There are 25 players returning to the residency program for at least their second semester, while 15 players will be beginning their first year under the instruction of U.S. Under-17 head coach John Hackworth. Twelve were born in 1988 or 1989 and are therefore ineligible for the 2007 U-17 World Championship.

During the final two months of the year, more than 50 non-resident players born in 1990 or later were invited into a mini-camp in Bradenton , the Thanksgiving Interregional Event in Austin, Texas , or the 2005 Nike Friendlies.  In the past, finding the best players has always been a little tough because you’re basing your decisions on watching players with their club teams, said Hackworth. It is much different when you have them with you in the national team camp, have them in training and when you put them in game situations and they put on a national team jersey. Getting a chance to see these kids perform as part of the U-17s has been invaluable in terms of picking out the best players for the Residency Program.

2006 Soccer Under-17 Residency Program

GOALKEEPERS: Brandyn Bumpas ( Denver, Colo. ), Larry Jackson ( East Palo Alto, Calif. ), Josh Lambo ( Middleton, Wis. ), Chris Miller ( Garland, Texas ), Brian Perk ( Santa Margarita, Calif. ).

DEFENDERS: Mykell Bates (Roseville, Calif.), Kyle Davies (Pleasanton, Calif.), Greg Eckhardt (Orange Park, Fla.), Ian Kalis (Plano, Texas), Brandon Lee (Tenafly, N.J.), Eric Lichaj (Downers Grove, Ill.), Thomas Meyer (St. Louis, Mo.), TJ Nelson (Garland, Texas), Anthony Wallace (St. Petersburg, Fla.), Brandon Zimmerman (Pasco, Wash.).

MIDFIELDERS: Alex Dixon (Humble, Texas), Jeremy Hall (Tampa, Fla.), Tevin Jackson (Baltimore, Md.), Jared Jeffrey (Dallas, Texas), Daniel Kelly (Henderson, Tenn.), Axel Levry (Fort Washington, Md.), David MacVane (Middle Grove, N.Y.), Jesse Paredes (Los Angeles, Calif.), Dane Shea (College Station, Texas), Brandon Tarr (Knoxville, Tenn.), Kirk Urso (Lombard, Ill.), Matthew Uy (New Hyde Park, N.Y.), Daniel Wenzel (Federal Way, Wash.).  (Ed. Note:  Daniel plays for FC United)

FORWARDS: Dersu Abolfathi (Irvine, Calif.), Josmer Altidore (Boca Raton, Fla.), Edgar Barajas (San Fernando, Calif.), Danny Barerra (Thousand Oaks, Calif.), Bryan Dominguez (Atlanta, Ga.), Abdus Ibrahim (Richfield, Minn.), Perica Marosevic (Rockford, Ill.), Ellis McLoughlin (Seattle, Wash.), Temistocles Molinar (Chandler, Ariz.), Joseph Sorrentino (Trenton, N.J.), Sheanon Williams (Boston, Mass.), Victor Yanez (Riverside, Calif.).