USSoccer.com Release
PORTLAND, Ore. --- Portland freshmen Ariel Viera and Allison Wetherington were both called into the U.S. Under-20 Women's National Team training camp, which is running from Nov. 24-Dec. 1 at the U.S. Soccer National Training Center at the StubHub Center in Carson, Calif.
This event will serve as a bridge camp to an event in Florida in December, which will be the final preparation for the team before the CONCACAF Women's U-20 Championship in the Cayman Islands in January.
Wetherington has previous experience with the U.S. U-20 Team, which is coached by Portland alum and former player Michelle French. Wetherington, a midfielder originally from Acworth, Ga., has previously played with the U.S. U-18's and she played in a couple of international matches with the U.S. U-20's in Sweden last May.
Wetherington was the 2013 West Coast Conference Freshman of the Year and she had four goals and six assists this season for the Pilots.
This is the first national team experience for Viera, a defender from Scappoose, Ore. Viera started every match this season for the Pilots and she led the team in minutes played. She also earned All-WCC Honorable Mention and she was named to the league's all-freshman team.
Players born on or after Jan. 1, 1994, are age-eligible for the 2014 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup, to be held in Canada. The CONCACAF Women's U-20 Championship will run from Jan. 9-19 at the Truman Bodden Sports Complex in George Town, Cayman Islands.
The tournament features eight nations divided into two groups of four teams. The top two finishers in each group will qualify for the semifinals, with the winners of those games along with the winner of the third-place match earning berths to the 2014 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup.
The USA is in Group A with Costa Rica, Jamaica and Guatemala, while Group B features the host Cayman Islands, Honduras, Trinidad & Tobago and Mexico.
The USA opens play on Thursday, Jan. 9, against Costa Rica, faces Jamaica on Saturday, Jan. 11, and finishes the group against Guatemala on Monday, Jan. 13. The semifinal matches will take place on Friday, Jan. 17, and the Championship and Third-Place match are on Jan. 19.
