Galaxy’s Stephens, Chivas’ Villafana named to U.S. soccer squad

Galaxy midfielder Michael Stephens and defender Jorge Villafana of Chivas USA both made the final cut for the U-23 U.S. soccer squad Tuesday, two days before the team opens play in the CONCACAF Olympic Trials in Nashville.

The U.S. is grouped in a four-team pool with Cuba, Canada and El Salvador. It must finish in the top two in group play to advance to next week’s semifinals, where a berth in this summer’s London Games will be at stake.

Competition in the other four-team pool will be held at the Home Depot Center in Carson, beginning Friday. Mexico, Honduras, Panama and Trinidad and Tobago are grouped in that pool.

The 20-man U.S. team includes 14 MLS players, including Freddy Adu of the Philadelphia Union, who was named the team captain. Juan Agudelo, who has played 14 games with the senior national team, was also selected, as were MLS standouts Brek Shea of FC Dallas and Teal Bunbury of Sporting Kansas City.

The complete roster:

GOALKEEPERS (2): Bill Hamid (D.C. United; Annandale, Va.), Sean Johnson (Chicago Fire; Lilburn, Ga.)

DEFENDERS (6): Perry Kitchen (D.C. United; Indianapolis), Ike Opara (San Jose Earthquakes; Durham, N.C.), Kofi Sarkodie (Houston Dynamo; Huber Heights, Ohio), Zarek Valentin (Montreal Impact; Lancaster, Pa.), Jorge Villafana (Chivas USA; Anaheim), Sheanon Williams (Philadelphia Union; Boston.)

MIDFIELDERS (6): Freddy Adu (Philadelphia Union; Potomac, Md.), Joe Corona (Club Tijuana; Chula Vista), Mix Diskerud (Gent; Oslo), Jared Jeffrey (Mainz; Richardson, Texas), Amobi Okugo (Philadelphia Union; Sacramento), Michael Stephens (L.A. Galaxy; Naperville, Ill.)

FORWARDS (6): Juan Agudelo (New York Red Bulls; Barnegat, N.J.), Terrence Boyd (Borussia Dortmund; Berlin), Teal Bunbury (Sporting Kansas City; Prior Lake, Minn.), Joe Gyau (Hoffenheim: Silver Spring, Md.), Brek Shea (FC Dallas; Bryan, Texas), Tony Taylor (Estoril Praia, Jacksonville, Fla.)

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Galaxy’s Stephens, Chivas’ Villafana named to U.S. soccer