Goalkeeper Ethan Horvath of Highlands Ranch was called up to the U.S. U-23 Olympic qualifying team. (Brent Lewis, The Denver Post file)
Four players with ties to Colorado will represent the United States when the Under-23 team tries later this month to qualify for the Olympic Games in Rio.
Two current Colorado Rapids, midfielder Dillon Serna and defender Eric Miller, were named to the squad, along with former Rapids’ homegrown defender Shane O’Neill. Serna and O’Neill came up through the Rapids Academy. O’Neill plays for Cambridge United.
Goalkeeper Ethan Horvath, who went to high school in Highlands Ranch, was also named to the team. Horvath plays professionally in the Norwegian first division for Molde FK. He , the same program that produced U.S. women’s national team star Mallory Pugh.
The U.S. U-23s take on Colombia in a two-leg series, with the winning team advancing to the 2016 Olympics. The first match is Friday, March 25 at Estadio Metropolitano Roberto Meléndez in Barranquilla, Colombia, at 3 p.m. MT. It will air on FS1.
The U.S will host Colombia on March 29 in the second leg at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas at 7:30 p.m MT. It will air on ESPN 2.
U.S. Roster by Position:
GOALKEEPERS (3): Cody Cropper (Milton Keynes Dons), Ethan Horvath (Molde KJ), Zach Steffen (SC Freiburg)
DEFENDERS (8): Kellyn Acosta (FC Dallas), Matt Miazga (Chelsea FC), Eric Miller (Colorado Rapids), Tim Parker (Vancouver Whitecaps FC), Desevio Payne (FC Groningen), Shane O Neill (Cambridge United), Brandon Vincent (Chicago Fire), Walker Zimmerman (FC Dallas)
MIDFIELDERS (9): Fatai Alashe (San Jose Earthquakes), Paul Arriola (Club Tijuana), Luis Gil (Queretaro), Julian Green (Bayern Munich), Emerson Hyndman (Fulham FC), Jerome Kiesewetter (VfB Stuttgart), Matt Polster (Chicago Fire), Dillon Serna (Colorado Rapids), Wil Trapp (Columbus Crew SC)
FORWARDS (3): Jordan Morris (Seattle Sounders FC), Mario Rodriguez (Borussia Monchengladbach), Khiry Shelton (New York City FC)
