Nov. 8, 2011
SAN DIEGO - Former San Diego State men's soccer player Joe Corona has recently been called up to the United States Under-23 National Team.
Corona, who earlier this fall was a call-up to the Mexican U-22 National Team, is one of 31 players invited to the Nov. 7-16 training camp in Duisburg, Germany. The camp will give the U.S. coaches an early look at a player pool for the 2012 Olympic qualifying stages.
The camp will be run by former American great and current U.S. Soccer Youth Technical Director Claudio Reyna. Reyna is filling in for U.S. U-23 head coach Caleb Porter, who is currently the head coach at defending NCAA champion Akron.
Prior to his call-up, Corona had been playing with the Tijuana Xoloitzcuintles of Mexico's first division.
Corona is the ninth Aztec since 2006 to be called up to a national team, joining current players Jose Altamirano (United States U-20's), Jordan Ongaro (Canada U-20's) and John Pegg (Canada U-20's), and former players Nick Cardenas (U.S. U-20's), Kraig Chiles (U.S. Futsal National Team), Myles Davis (Canada U-23's), Tally Hall (U.S. U-23's) and Omar Persad (Jamaica U-20's).
Other current SDSU players who have been part of the national pool or played for a national team prior to coming to Montezuma Road include Gemechu Abraham (U.S. U-17's), Kevin Bick (U.S. U-18's), Miles Byass (U.S. U-18's), Daniel Kohen (U.S. Maccabiah team), Ongaro (Canada U-17 and U-20's) and Abraham Villon (U.S. U-15, U-16, U-17 and U-18's).
Corona spent one year with San Diego State before joining the professional ranks, accumulating seven points in 2008 on three goals and an assist in just 501 minutes. A midfielder, he played in 15 matches, earning three starts.
In other news, former Aztec two-time All-American Tally Hall and the Houston Dynamo will be playing the Los Angeles Galaxy in the Major League Soccer Cup on Sunday, Nov. 20 at the Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif., at 6 p.m. PT. A first-time MLS All-Star, Hall went 12-9-13 in the regular season with six shutouts. In the playoffs, Hall is 3-0-0 and has allowed just one goal.
SDSU (10-5-3, 4-4-1 Pac-12) plays host to league champion and sixth-ranked UCLA at 2 p.m. PT Saturday. San Diego State seniors Gemechu Abraham (Beaverton, Ore.), Pedro Adan (San Diego/Preuss HS), Byron Boyken (San Diego/Westview HS), Justin Davies (San Diego/Brooks School (Mass.)) and Daniel Steres (Calabasas, Calif.) will be honored in a pregame ceremony.