Aaron Guillen, Coy Craft, and Jesse Gonzalez, of FC Dallas, have earned a trip to the 2016 Chipotle MLS Homegrown Game (only "MLS home grown"-players aged 23 or under were available for selection). The 20-player roster was announced by U.S. soccer legend, and MLS Homegrown Team head coach, Landon Donovan.
The MLS Homegrown Team will take on the Mexico U-20 National Team in the third annual Chipotle MLS Homegrown Game on Wednesday, July 27, at 8pm at Avaya Stadium in San Jose, California. This is the second consecutive year Craft and Gonzalez have been named to the squad, while Guillen is making his first appearance.
The MLS Homegrown Team will take on its most formidable opponent to date, the Mexico under-20 team. Mexico's U-20 team is one of the region’s more accomplished youth national teams. The Mexico U-20s has won 13 CONCACAF U-20 Championship titles, most recently winning the past three editions of the tournament in 2011, 2013 and 2015. The Mexico U-20 travelling roster will be named at a later date.
With the one of the nation’s strongest academy program, FC Dallas also leads MLS in minutes played by home grown players. Guillen (90), Victor Ulloa (1131), Gonzalez (447) and Kellyn Acosta (1301) have accumulated 2,969 total minutes for the first team this season, marking the third consecutive season FC Dallas has the most minutes played by homegrown players. Guillen, the club’s record fourteenth homegrown signing, made his MLS debut on March 29 in a 3-0 win at DC United. Meanwhile, in 2015 Ulloa set a franchise record for minutes played by a field player and Acosta, tabbed as one of the league’s top players under age 20, earned his first cap with the U.S. Men’s National Team earlier this year.
Following a stellar 2015, where Jesse Gonzalez helped lead FC Dallas through a playoff run to the Western Conference Finals, he also opened the 2016 season as the youngest goalkeeper in MLS history to record a shutout on opening day. He notched two saves in a 2-0 win.
The Chipotle MLS Homegrown Game is an annual platform for the MLS to showcase its young talent and demonstrate the growth of the league’s youth development system. MLS academies continue to attract and groom prospects. They have now produced over 150 Homegrown Players who have signed professional contracts with MLS clubs.
For a look at the full roster, check out http://chipotlehomegrown.com/#team
