Indiana University Athletics
Balchan, Bruin Earn Call Up With U-20 National Team
1/16/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Jan. 16, 2009
CHICAGO - Indiana University sophomore defender Rich Balchan and freshman forward Will Bruin are two of 19 players that U.S. Under-20 Men's National Team head coach Thomas Rongen has selected to travel to Trinidad & Tobago from Jan. 18-24 as part of preparation for the CONCACAF Under-20 Championship in March.
The CONCACAF U-20 Championship will be held in Macoya, Trinidad and Bacolet, Tobago from March 6-15. Rongen's squad will face Jamaica, El Salvador and either Honduras or St. Vincent & the Grenadines in Bacolet, Tobago. The U.S. will acclimate to both islands while staying and training in facilities in and around both host cities during their upcoming trip. The U-20 Championship, which will be held from March 6-15, will qualify four regional teams to the 2009 FIFA Under-20 World Cup.
A combination of professional, collegiate and youth players will travel to Trinidad on Jan. 18 and scrimmage the T&T Under-17 MNT before moving on to the island of Tobago. The team will continue training in Tobago through Jan. 24.
Balchan is no stranger to the U-20 squad, having earned four caps in 2008. This past season with the Hoosiers Balchan started all 24 matches, moving between central defense and holding midfield spots. He took a total of 14 shots and tallied three assists, including ones on the game-winning goals at No. 24 UCLA and Evansville.
Bruin is making his first appearance with the U-20s after a freshman season which saw him earn the Big Ten Freshman of the Year award, as well as a unanimous first-team Big Ten All-Freshman team nod. He finished the year with six goals in 24 starts, including game winners at Evansville and against Northwestern and Ohio State. He was also named to the Soccer America and College Soccer News All-Freshman teams.
