Mukwelle Akale and Max Stiegwardt Impressing in Last US U-14 National Camp

Mukwelle Akale (left) and Max Stiegwardt (right) at a US Soccer U-14 training session this past winter.

Minnesota’s Mukwelle Akale (Minneapolis, Minn. Minnesota Thunder Academy) and Max Stiegwardt (Maple Grove, Minn. Minnesota Thunder Academy) were called back into the U.S. Soccer Under-14 Boys’ National Team domestic training camp in Carson, California. That camp started June 12 and will run through Sunday the 19th.

This time, coach Manfred Schellscheidt called in 40 players as he hoped to take one last look at this age group before they move up to the U-15′s.

Such a large group of players takes a large staff to manage. So this group traveled with 4 assistant coaches, a goalkeeper coach, 2 athletic trainers, an equipment coordinator and two team coordinators.

Top Drawer Soccer is reporting that both Minnesotans, Akale, who is a midfielder and Stiegwardt, a defender, played well on Wednesday in a 3-0 win over California’s Arsenal FC. Akale scored one goal and assisted on another in the victory.

Top Drawer Soccer reported:

Hailing from the Minneapolis (Akale) he’s as dynamic a player as there is in camp and he repeatedly showed his dribbling ability by carving up the defense. He’s a speedy left-footed player, who played out right and typically cut back inside.

Because he’s so fast and shifty there were times when he dribbled into no man’s land – just because you can get anywhere you want to on the field, doesn’t necessarily mean you should. But he’ll learn that, and he’s a serious talent.

In the second half, Akale scored on a great build from the back and setup by Lindley, who also played a good match, setting up Akale’s goal as well.

Please read the whole article at Top Drawer Soccer here.

Click ‘read more’ for the full U-14 Roster.

U.S. U14 Boys National Team Camp Roster

GOALKEEPERS (6): Christian Herrera (Strikers FC; Las Cruces, N.M.), Cameron Keys (Lehigh Valley United FC; Whitehall, Pa.), JT Marcinkowski (Mustangs FC; Alamo, Calif.), Jonathan Klinsmann (Irvine Strikers; Newport Beach, Calif.), Parker Siegfried (Newark Area SA; Granville, Ohio), Justin Vom Steeg (Santa Barbara SC; Santa Barbara ,Calif.)

DEFENDERS (9): Billy Abdallah (Fullerton Rangers; Monterey Park, Calif.), Guillermo Bermudez (Albion SC; San Diego, Calif.), Chester Castellaw (Real So Cal; Hidden Hills, Calif.), David Chavez (Juventus Forza; Redwood City, Calif.), Malcolm Jones (Cosmos Academy West; Chino Hills, Calif.), Jean Orvil Jr (West Pines United; Miramar, Fla.), Erik Pritschau (PFC; Perry, Ohio), Tommy Redding (FC America Premier; Oviedo, Fla.), Max Stiegwardt (Minnesota Thunder; Maple Grove, Minn.)

MIDFIELDERS (19): Mukwelle Akale (Minnesota Thunder; Minneapolis, Minn.), John Antunes (NY Red Bulls; Fairfield, N.J.), Coy Craft (Fusion FC; Glade Spring Va.), Daniel Crisostomo (Cosmos Academy West; Chino, Calif.), Collin Fernandez (Chicago Fire; Downer’s Grove, Ill.), Jacob Hernandez (Solar; Mesquite, Texas), Cameron Lindley (Carmel United; Carmel, Ind.), Maduabuchi Obinwa (FC America SA Orlando; Windermere, Fla.), Pablo Pelaez (Albion SC; San Diego, Calif.), Josh Perez (Chivas USA; La Habra, Calif.), Remington Pimm (IMG Academy; Tarpon Springs, Fla.), Martin Salas (FC Dallas; Dallas, Texas), Peter Schropp (Omaha FC; Omaha, Neb.), Orestis Sousonis (NY Red Bulls; Dover, N.J.), Benjamin Swanson (Columbus Crew; Grove City, Ohio), Alejandro Vergara (Cosmos Academy West; Long Beach, Calif.),
David Villegas (Elk Grove Everton; Sacramento, Calif.), Sean Wilson (PDA; Bethlehem, Pa.), Kyle Zajec (NY Red Bulls; Westport, Conn.)

FORWARDS (6): Marc Calderon (South Bay Gunners; Huntington Park, Calif.), Malcolm Dixon (NY Red Bulls; Glenridge, N.J.), Stephen Elias (NY Red Bulls; Rye, N.Y.), Andre Garcia (CV Manchester Academy; Lemon Grove, Calif.), Amirgy Pineda (Fullerton Rangers; Santa Ana, Calif.), Christian Ramirez (FC Dallas; Farmers Branch, Texas)