Inter Miami CF midfielder Edison Azcona and Inter Miami CF II defender Israel Boatwright, both Club Academy products, have been called up by the Dominican Republic’s U-20 national team for their upcoming friendlies in Jerez, Spain from April 15 to 26 as the team continues gearing up for the FIFA U-20 World Cup that is set to take place from May 20 to June 8 in Indonesia.
The Dominican Republic will face Brazil on Wednesday, April 19 in Jerez, Spain at 3 p.m. ET, followed by Iraq on Saturday, April 22 at 6:30 a.m. ET and Uzbekistan on Tuesday, April 25 at 6:30 a.m. ET.
Azcona and Boatwright have previously featured for the Dominican Republic, with Azcona having represented the country’s senior side in the past, while Boatwright previously shone for the U-20 team. In 2022, both Inter Miami Academy products were key members of the team as Dominican Republic had a historic 2022 Concacaf U-20 Championship campaign, earning the nation’s first-ever qualifications for a FIFA U-20 World Cup and the Summer Olympics. Azcona captained the side throughout the tournament, while the competition saw Boatwright make his debut and net his first goal for the Dominican Republic.
At club level, Azcona and Boatwright have both been mainstays in Inter Miami II’s lineups in the start of the 2023 MLS NEXT Pro regular season. Azcona has started in each of the team’s four matches thus far in the campaign, registering a goal. Boatwright, meanwhile, has registered three appearances, all as part of the starting XI.
Azcona and Boatwright are among a growing list of current and former Inter Miami CF Academy players to be called up to a national team, including: Noah Allen, Nicholas Almeida, Tyler Austin, Edison Azcona, Israel Boatwright, Benjamin Cremaschi, Bryan Destin, Justin Ellis, Victor Fung, Tyler Hall, Santiago Morales, Daniel Pinter, Adrián Rosario, David Ruiz and Felipe Valencia, among others.
