North Texas SC's star 16-year-old striker Ricardo Pepi has been named to the US U17 Men's National Team by head coach Raphael Wicky. There are 20 young men on the US for the 2019 Concacaf U-17 Championship, set for May 1-16 at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla.

20 nations are participating in the tournament and the four semi-finalists will qualify for this fall's 2019 FIFA Under-17 World Cup in Brazil. The USA was drawn into Group F and kicks off its tournament against Canada on Thursday, May 2 at 6 p.m. ET. The U.S. then faces Barbados on Saturday, May 4 at 4 p.m. ET and finishes group play against Guatemala on Monday, May 6 at 6 p.m. ET.

All three of the USA's group stage games will be broadcast on Univision Deportes Network and the Concacaf GO app.

Ricardo Pepi, USL League One's leading goal scorer with four goals in just two game including a hat-trick in the North Texas SC franchise's first ever game. Pepi, originally from El Paso, came up through the FCD Academy system and signed as the first player in North Texas SC history on December 6, 2018.

Pepi is also eligible to play for Mexico but so far has stuck with the USA. "I'll go with whichever national team that gives me opportunities to keep on growing as a player and as a person," Pepi said. But for now, the US is in the lead for his services. "The U.S. gave me better opportunities. I played U16s with both, the U.S. brought me up to the U17s. They showed more interest in me and my development." Pepi recently told the El Paso Times.

2019 Concacaf U-17 Championship Roster by Position

Ricardo Pepi was one of three North Texas SC players FC Dallas brought with them on their 2019 preseason training camp in Tucson, Arizona. (Buzz Carrick / 3rd Degree)

(Club; Hometown; U-17 Caps/Goals)

GOALKEEPERS (2): 1-Damian Las (Chicago Fire; Norridge, Ill.; 13/0), 12-Chituru Odunze (Vancouver Whitecaps FC/CAN; Calgary, Alta.; 4/0)

DEFENDERS (7): 4-Axel Alejandre (FC United; Chicago, Ill.; 14/0), 3-Adam Armour (North Carolina FC; Cary, N.C.; 11/0), 13-Mauricio Cuevas (LA Galaxy; Los Angeles, Calif.; 2/0), 14-Tayvon Gray (New York City FC; Bronx, N.Y.; 10/0), 5-Kobe Hernandez (LA Galaxy; Los Angeles, Calif.; 14/1), 2-Joseph Scally (New York City FC; Lake Grove, N.Y.; 14/1), 15-John Tolkin (New York Red Bulls; Chatham, N.J.; 3/0)

MIDFIELDERS (5): 7-Gianluca Busio (Sporting Kansas City; Greensboro, N.C.; 7/2), 20-Gilbert Fuentes (San Jose Earthquakes; Tracy, Calif.; 13/0), 8-Bryang Kayo (D.C. United; Poolesville, Md.; 0/0), 6-Daniel Leyva (Seattle Sounders FC; Las Vegas, Nev.; 0/0), 16-Adam Saldana (LA Galaxy; Panorama City, Calif.; 17/1)

FORWARDS (6): 18-Jack de Vries (Philadelphia Union; Wayne, Pa.; 0/0), 17-Tyler Freeman (Sporting Kansas City; Shawnee, Kan.; 3/1), 19-Alfonso Ocampo-Chavez (Tacoma Defiance; Kent, Wash.; 14/5), 9-Ricardo Pepi (North Texas SC; McKinney, Texas; 6/1), 10-Giovanni Reyna (Unattached; Bedford, N.Y.; 8/1), 11-Griffin Yow (D.C. United; Clifton, Va.; 6/3)