Four of Lancaster County's best soccer players played key roles in a national tournament in Texas held in conjunction with Major League Soccer.

The 2010 SUM U17 All-Star tournament in Houston July 23-29 featured teenagers affiliated with every MLS squad. The local boys were club players chosen by their coaches to play for the Philadelphia Union's U-17 team.

The Union, a new MLS team, did not have a minor-league squad from which to pull players for the event. Iain Munro, who served as one of the coaches for the U-17 team, grabbed players from the best all-star teams. Steve Klein, Coaching Director for PA Classics, recommended five of his players for the squad and all five attended the elite tournament.

John Wenger (Warwick), Ryan Bertrando (Warwick), Jonathan Kumher (Conestoga Valley) and Troy Barr (Hempfield) were all part of the team that finished 1-2 in round-robin play and beat Colorado for ninth place. Another Classics player, Christian Kaschack of York, also was part of the team.

"We looked at local soccer clubs and asked the coaches to send us their best players. We took the four or five best players and joined them together as part of a team with lots of strikers, midfielders and central defenders. We had many players fill utility roles. We did not play games and did not work on any tactics until they arrived at the first practice," said Munro. "The goal was to make them better individually and this would make them better as a team."

The team practiced together for six weeks, meeting three times each week on a field outside Philadelphia.

"These practices were a lot more intense than what I was used to. I was concerned at first as to how the personnel would work together, but we gelled quick and became close," said Kumher, who played center back in the tournament but will play center midfield at CV this fall. "This was a great opportunity with all the college coaches and national scouts who were at the tournament."

The team lost its first game to eventual champion DC on penalty kicks. They lost their second game 2-1 to Seattle before beating FCD and Colorado in the last two games. This strong performance made Munro proud, though he said his players felt they could have done even better.

"The players were creative and made mistakes, but worked hard to get the ball back," said Munro. "We played well even when we lost. Once we found our blend, we were the strong team that no one knew anything about."

Wenger and Cummer played defense, while Bertrando played midfield. All three played in every game, as Munro made sure everyone received playing time each game. Barr was a late addition to the team, but still had some quality minutes at fullback.

"Troy did not train with the team, but the players still made him comfortable and he did everything we asked of him," said Munro. "He was part of an overall class effort. The players all had a first-class attitude and they enjoyed the experience. I would coach them again if I had the chance over any other group at the tournament."

Kumher said the experience was amazing, but the thing that most benefited him for the future was the sports science person who aided the team.

"I learned a lot about food and recovery. He had us take ice baths to help with soreness and the diet helped us stay fit with so many games in a short period," Kumher said. "I hope to bring what I learned to my teams at home."

Bertrando, who was on the PA Classics U16 Academy team with the others this summer, said Munro was a huge asset.

"He opened us up to new ideas on the field and helped me develop as a player. This was a fantastic experience and it was an honor to play with so many great players. We did fine for our first time together, but by the end we looked great and could have been even better."

The team's other coach was Ian Hennessy, in his fifth year as head coach at the University of Delaware. Philadelphia Union assistant Rob Vartughian was also with the team for two games.