The emphasis is on the youth of Major League Soccer. With a focus on the future, acting U.S. Men’s National Team head coach Dave Sarachan has called 30 players for the USA’s annual January camp. Players will report Jan. 10 to the National Training Center in Carson, California.
Some of the USA’s most promising young prospects are expected to be on display in the friendly against Bosnia and Herzegovina on Jan. 28 at the StubHub Center in Carson. Kickoff is set for 9:30 p.m. ET, and the match will be broadcast live on FS1 and UniMas.
“We’re excited about our 2018 January Camp roster. It’s all about the future and opportunity,” said Sarachan. “We clearly feel that we want to have a look at these players that have the chance to be a part of the National Team for a number of years to come. It’s a long journey forward, but this is the first step starting in 2018 for the program and for these players to now get experience at this level.”
Two very talented Mexican-Americans not included on Sarachan’s roster are goalkeeper Jesse Gonzales and midfielder Jonathan Gonzales (not related). Both have played for Mexico at the youth level. Jesse, who plays in MLS with Dallas, was on Bruce Arena’s Gold Cup roster, but has yet to make a senior team appearance for the U.S. Jonathan, who plays professionally in Mexico with Monterrey, recently was reported to have decided to play for Mexico.
U.S. ROSTER BY POSITION (Club; Caps/Goals):
GOALKEEPERS (4): Alex Bono (Toronto FC/CAN; 0/0), Bill Hamid (Midtjylland/DEN; 4/0), Cody Cropper (New England Revolution; 0/0), Zack Steffen (Columbus Crew SC; 0/0)
DEFENDERS (9): Danny Acosta (Real Salt Lake; 0/0), Justen Glad (Real Salt Lake; 0/0), Nick Lima (San Jose Earthquakes; 0/0), Justin Morrow (Toronto FC/CAN; 3/0), Ike Opara (Sporting Kansas City; 0/0), Tim Parker (Vancouver Whitecaps FC/CAN; 0/0), Matt Polster (Chicago Fire; 0/0), Brandon Vincent (Chicago Fire; 1/0), Walker Zimmerman (Los Angeles Football Club; 1/0)
MIDFIELDERS (11): Tyler Adams (New York Red Bulls; 1/0), Paul Arriola (D.C. United; 15/2), Russell Canouse (D.C. United; 0/0), Marky Delgado (Toronto FC/CAN; 0/0), Marlon Hairston (Colorado Rapids; 0/0), Ian Harkes (D.C. United; 0/0), Brooks Lennon (Real Salt Lake; 0/0), Cristian Roldan (Seattle Sounders FC; 1/0), Kelyn Rowe (New England Revolution; 3/1), Wil Trapp (Columbus Crew SC; 2/0), Gyasi Zardes (LA Galaxy; 37/6)
FORWARDS (6): Juan Agudelo (New England Revolution; 27/3), Dom Dwyer (Orlando City SC; 4/2), Jordan Morris (Seattle Sounders FC; 24/5), Christian Ramirez (Minnesota United FC; 0/0), Rubio Rubin (Unattached; 4/0), CJ Sapong (Philadelphia Union; 3/0)
MOVING UP THE DEVELOPMENT LADDER
Most encouragingly on this roster, the group is heavily populated with players moving through the development pipeline, starting with Youth National Team experience. Twelve players have been included on the final U.S. roster at a FIFA Youth World Cup, including recent U-20 MNT graduates Danny Acosta, Tyler Adams, Justen Glad and Brooks Lennon, who were part of the team that reached the quarterfinal of the 2017 U-20 World Cup. In addition, 19 players have U.S. Soccer Development Academy ties.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
This time of year, one normally sees a notable amount of young and uncapped players and this time around it’s even more pronounced. A total of 50 percent of the roster is hoping to make their international debut at the end of the month, while 10 are getting their first taste of a senior National Team camp. Youth is well served, as 21 players on the 30-man squad are 24-years-old or younger.
THREE FOR THREE
With 28 of 30 players coming from MLS, a total of 19 teams from the domestic league are represented. Three clubs contribute a trio of players to the roster, starting with 2017 MLS Cup champion Toronto FC with goalkeeper Alex Bono, defender Justin Morrow and YNT product Marky Delgado, making his senior team camp debut. Real Salt Lake sends U-20 World Cup veterans Acosta, Glad and Lennon, while D.C. United is represented by debutantes Russell Canouse and Ian Harkes alongside midfielder Paul Arriola, who stands in rarified company as one of only 10 players in U.S. history to score goals in each of his first two games for the MNT.
ROSTER NOTES
- Twenty-one players are 24 and under, while the average age of the roster will be 24 years, 93 days when camp opens on Jan. 10.
- Twelve players have been part of a final U.S. roster at a FIFA Youth World Cup: Danny Acosta, Tyler Adams, Juan Agudelo, Paul Arriola, Cody Cropper, Marky Delgado, Justen Glad, Brooks Lennon, Ike Opara, Rubio Rubin, Zack Steffen and Wil Trapp.
- Six players took part in the MNT’s most recent camp leading up to a 1-1 draw against defending European champions Portugal on Nov. 14, 2017: Adams, Juan Agudelo, Dom Dwyer, Bill Hamid, Kelyn Rowe and CJ Sapong.
- Fifteen players come into camp looking for their first cap.
- Ten players will attend their first MNT camp: Acosta, Russell Canouse, Delgado, Glad, Marlon Hairston, Ian Harkes, Lennon, Nick Lima, Opara and Christian Ramirez.
- Nineteen have ties to U.S. Soccer Development Academy clubs: Acosta, Glad, Lennon (Real Salt Lake-AZ); Adams, Agudelo, Canouse (New York Red Bulls); Hamid, Harkes (D.C. United); Arriola, Zardes (LA Galaxy); Bono (Empire United), Delgado (Chivas USA); Lima (San Jose Earthquakes); Morris (Seattle Sounders FC), Rowe (Crossfire Premier); Rubin (IMG Academy); Steffen (Philadelphia Union); Trapp (Columbus Crew SC); Vincent (Real So Cal).
- With 37 caps, Gyasi Zardes is the most seasoned player at the international level, followed by Juan Agudelo (27), Jordan Morris (24) and Paul Arriola (15).
- Eighteen MLS clubs are represented on the roster with D.C. United, New England Revolution, Real Salt Lake and Toronto FC leading the way with three selections each.
- Opara comes to his first MNT camp fresh off winning MLS Defender of the Year with Sporting KC.
- MLS Best XI selection Justin Morrow is joined by fellow Toronto FC treble-winners goalkeeper Alex Bono and midfielder Marky Delgado.
- Veteran goalkeeper Bill Hamid is the lone foreign-based player on the roster and will join new Danish side Midtjylland following the Jan. 28 friendly vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Six players hail from the January Camp base of Southern California: Arriola, Delgado, Ramirez, Roldan, Brandon Vincent and Zardes.