U.S. U-15 Boys National Team Heads to Croatia With a Roster Worth Watching

The squad heads to Varaždin, Croatia for the 2026 Vlatko Marković International Tournament, running May 14-24, where they'll face South Korea, Switzerland, and Portugal. Three games against three serious programs in ten days.
The roster itself is a cross-section of what American youth soccer looks like right now. LAFC sends three players — Aidan Carlos, Mason Washington, and Levi Welch — making them the most represented club on the list. Houston Dynamo contributes three as well with Santiago Alvarez, Chris Gonzalez, and Kenzynton Pierre. Barca Residency Academy has two players in Ethan O'Neil and Diego Ros, as does New York with Bradley Castro and Cosimo Tristani.
Two names jump off the page immediately. Christopher Fitanidis of Cedar Stars Academy who we had on our MLS Next Cup U15 ones to watch list just days ago earns a national team call-up in the same week his club is preparing for Salt Lake City. Also worth noting: Julian Lake is listed out of Monaco in France, making him one of the few players on the roster already playing their club soccer in Europe. At 14 or 15, that's a different developmental path than everyone else in this squad.
The schedule is straightforward. USA vs South Korea on May 19, USA vs Switzerland on May 20, USA vs Portugal on May 22 — all at 5:30 a.m. ET.
Portugal and South Korea both run serious youth programs. This isn't a comfortable tournament it's designed to test this group against players they won't see in MLS Next.