With early preparations for the 2010 FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup underway, the US U20 Women’s National Team camp has been hard at work this week at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California.

It’s a group of 24, mostly made up of the same players who were just in Southern California for a meeting last month. But just because there are familiar faces doesn’t mean the team is working from the same curriculum.

Kim Castleberry, Courtney Verloo, Elizabeth Eddy, Maya Hayes, Beth West and Taylor Vancil have all been here before, but each week brings about its own set of learnings.

“We’re working more on 4-4-2 this week, and trying to read the game better and get everyone moving to open spaces to get better runs,” Eddy said. “A little different than in the past.”

It’s especially different for Samantha Mewis, who has played in her share of national camps and was present at March’s La Manga tournament in Spain, but wasn’t at last month’s gathering and has had to adjust to the change in focus.

“We’ve really been working a lot on shaping ourselves defensively,” she said. “We’re working on trying to force teams to the side where we have a numbers advantage and we’re doing that with the new formation.

For Mewis, a strong attacking player who can win a ball, this camp is a chance to show her special skill after missing out on the fun last month.

“I didn’t get called to the last one, so this time I came and wanted to prepare to make sure I get called next time,” she said. “You work so hard that it’s tough when you don’t get called but hopefully this time I’ll do better.”

Mewis isn’t the only face here that wasn’t present in April – Sydney Leroux, who was the Golden Ball and Golden Shoe winner as the top player and top scorer at the 2008 FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup in December, is in the mix along with Tiffany McCarty (Florida State) and Kelly D’Ambrisi (Georgetown), to name a few.

The team will finish up with an intra-squad scrimmage today and then head home with their newfound lesson plan instilled in their minds.


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U.S. U20 WNT Roster

GOALKEEPERS (3): Bianca Henninger (Santa Clara; Los Gatos, Calif.), Cat Parkhill (Minnesota; Apple Valley, Minn.), Taylor Vancil (Louisville; South Elgin, Ill.)
DEFENDERS (5): Zakiya Bywaters (Neusport SC; Las Vegas, Nev.), Crystal Dunn (Albertson SC; Rockville Centre, N.Y.), Cami Levin (Stanford; Newport Coast, Calif.), Bailey Powell (Georgia; Fayetteville), Toni Pressley (Florida State; Melbourne, Fla.)

MIDFIELDERS (9): Charney Burk (Portland; North Tuscan, Calif.), Kelly D’Ambrisi (Georgetown; Turnbull, Conn.), Katy Frierson (Auburn; Birmingham, Ala.), Maya Hayes (Aristics Club; West Orange, N.J.), Alev Kelter (Alaska Rush; Eagle River), Teresa Noyola (Stanford; Palo Alto, Caif.), Samantha Mewis (SC Scorpions; Hanson, Mass.), Jenna Richmond (McLean SC; Centreville, Va.), Beth West (Texas A & M(w); Centennial, Colo.)

FORWARDS (8): Lauren Alwine (Virginia; Elizabethtown, Pa.), Kim Castleberry (Dallas Texans; McKinney, Texas), Elizabeth Eddy (So Cal Blues; Costa Mesa, Calif.), Courtney Jones (North Carolina; Danville, Calif.), Sydney Leroux (UCLA; Phoenix, Ariz.), Tiffany McCarty (Florida State, Laurel; MD), Courtney Verloo (South Side Strikers, Tualatin, Ore.)