After securing their place as the best Academy side in the country, the Sounders U-17s are ready to take on the rest of the world, with the squad heading to Japan this week to compete in the Toyama World International Challenge Youth Tournament.
Since the tournament is a U-18 competition, the Sounders roster is an amalgam of the three full-time Academy sides, with players representing the U-15s, U-17s and U-19s all making the trip. While the core of the squad is made up of the recently crowned USSDA Championship team, three players from the U-19s – winger Gabe Threadgold, defender Khai Brisco and goalkeeper Sam Fowler – will link up with U-15 standouts Danny Leyva and Sota Kitahara.