The honors keep rolling in for the Earthquakes’ up-and-coming stars.
Three Academy players, goalkeeper JT Marcinkowski and midfielders Amir Bashti and Roberto Mendoza, were selected to Starting XI West Conference teams by the U.S. Soccer Development Academy on July 20. Marcinkowski and Bashti were named to the Under-15/16 squad, and Mendoza was picked to the Under-17/18s.
Moreover, Earthquakes’ senior team rookie Tommy Thompson, the club’s first Homegrown Player, turned heads in his debut tourney with the U.S. Under-20 Men’s National Team. He helped the squad win the inaugural National Team Training Center Invitational with a 0-0 draw against Australia at the StubHub Center in Carson on July 18.
Thompson, 18, nearly put the U.S. team ahead in the sixth minute when he dribbled down the right side and hit a cross to midfielder Fernando Arce, whose shot was headed over the goal by an Australia defender. Thompson showed his special qualities again in the 77 minute, dribbling through a group of Australia defenders on the right side. His shot was deflected wide.
In the U.S. U-20 MNT’s 4-0 rout of Bermuda in the second game of the Invitational, Thompson scored in the 45 minute to make it 3-0. Thompson, a late addition to the roster, received a cross in the middle of the box, dribbled to his right and shot into the right corner of the net.
Thompson, born in Hinsdale, Ill., made his mark with the Quakes in 2013, when he had four assists in five appearances in the Reserve League Play. He also starred at the Indiana in 2013, leading the Hoosiers to the Big-Ten Tournament title as a freshman.
The U.S. U-20 MNT will begin preparations for 2015 U-20 World Cup Qualifying, beginning in January 2015. The team will assemble for foreign-based training camps in the run-up to qualifying.
-- Richter Media
