Atlanta United 2 goalkeeper James Donaldson and midfielder Ignacio Suarez-Couri were selected for the United States Under-17 Men’s National Team’s latest camp in Spain. U.S. Soccer’s official roster included both players in the group named on Sept. 23. The camp was scheduled for Sept. 24 through Oct. 7 in Marbella as part of the team’s preparations for the 2026 FIFA U-17 World Cup.
Head coach Alex Aldaz named 24 players for the camp, all born in 2009. The schedule included the Republic of Ireland on Sept. 30, Norway on Oct. 3 and the Netherlands on Oct. 6. Selection placed the Atlanta players in an international evaluation setting before the World Cup squad is chosen.
Donaldson had made seven starts for Atlanta United 2 at the time of the club’s call-up announcement. He recorded 17 saves and two clean sheets over those appearances. His professional debut came in a 2–0 win against Inter Miami CF II on April 10, when he became the youngest goalkeeper to record a clean sheet in the team’s history.
Suarez-Couri had appeared in 24 matches for Atlanta United 2, including 16 starts, when the September call-up was announced. He had developed in the Atlanta United Academy since 2020 before joining the second team in 2025. He had also made his MLS debut against Charlotte FC on July 22 after signing a Short-Term Agreement with the first team.
Both players had previous youth international experience before the Spain selection. Donaldson had been involved at the U.S. Under-15, Under-16 and Under-17 levels, while Suarez-Couri made his U.S. Under-17 debut against Brazil in June. The call-ups therefore extended an existing international pathway rather than marking either player’s first contact with a national team.
U.S. Soccer described the Spain camp as the final gathering before Aldaz selects 21 players for the World Cup. Inclusion in the camp roster does not itself confirm a place on that final squad. For Atlanta United 2, the selections add a development milestone to a season that has also produced the club’s first playoff qualification.
GSB Take
These selections show that Atlanta United 2’s development work is reaching national-team evaluators as well as the club’s first team. Donaldson’s goalkeeping appearances and Suarez-Couri’s attacking contributions give the recognition a clear professional foundation. Their next progress should be assessed through continued club performance and future official roster decisions, with no World Cup place assumed.
Sources
- Atlanta United 2 official national-team call-up announcement
- U.S. Soccer official Spain camp roster and schedule
- Atlanta United 2 official Donaldson debut recap
- Atlanta United official Suarez-Couri agreement and debut history
- Atlanta United 2 official 2026 roster
- Atlanta United 2 official season review