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USMNT to hold January camp, eyeing friendly

By IVES GALARCEP

CARSON, Calif.–The U.S. Men’s National Team will hold a training camp in January ahead of the Feb. 6th World Cup qualifier against Honduras, Jurgen Klinsmann revealed on Friday.

A 23-player camp will convene here from Jan. 14th to Jan. 31st, and U.S. Soccer is working to try and organize a friendly on Jan. 30th, though that is still in the planning stages.

The camp, which will run in the second half of January, will consist of a mix of established veteran players as well as some young prospects, mostly from MLS with a mix of some Scandinavian-based players. Klinsmann mentioned that Rapid Vienna forward Terrence Boyd could potentially be part of the group.

Klinsmann didn’t have any details on a potential opponent for the friendly, but pointed out that most CONCACAF teams will be taking part in Copa Caribe and the UNCAF Cup in January. That would make it a good bet that the Americans will face a European opponent like Sweden or Denmark, which have domestic leagues on winter break.

What do you think of the news? Glad to see the January camp make a return? Who are you hoping gets a look?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. Time to bring in Omar Gonzalez to see if he’s ready for the big time. And I continue my one man crusade to give Dax McCarty a chance. And I’m not even a Red Bulls fan. Just think he has really improved and was very valuable on the youth national teams.

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  2. Likely Call ins and players that should get a look:
    Defenders: CB – Gonzalez, Besler, Berry, Goodson & Edu as the Vets
    RB – Beitishour, Williams, Alston
    LB – Morrow, TBD
    Midfielders: Pontius, Gatt, Bedoya, O’Brian, Iceland Aaron, Beckerman as the Vet. Possibly Adu/Corona/Farfan.
    Strikers: Johnson, TBD, TBD
    Keepers: Rimando, Johnson, Hamid

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  3. Berry should do fine for USMNT… 24yrs. old, Rookie of the year… over in Spain right now on two week training stint. Any word on how JK and Arne Freidrich get along? Maybe some insight there(?)…

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  4. My prediction. Two new(ish) faces make it on to the Honduras roster from this camp. Pontius and (gasp!) Austin Berry. If Ream can impress Klinsy’s after one year as a pro, then Berry can too. Still think edu will eventually start next to Cameron, though… Our left winger problems persist as well. Not a lot of obvious choices there, unless Fabian Johnson is moved up. Big question to me is whether Freddy adu gets another look, as there is a spot for him on the left if he can impress…
    Who else is there if Landon and Shea are not available?

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  5. It’s amazing to me how much chatter revolves around Midfield prospects. Does anyone really think there are spots in the midfield up for grabs in 2014? I guess anything is possible, but I think this camp and friendlies in the future need to focus heavily on defenders and forwards.

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    • I agree. An issue is that our best midfielders and experienced players (Bradley, Dempsey, Donavon,) will not be available and even the Germans will probably not all be released. That means that an important part of this camp will be populated by senior players from MLS, Denmark, etc. For example, it is pointless to have forwards making runs if the midfielders in camp can’t make a pass. No matter what one thinks of Beckermann’s suitability in the long run, he will be there, and Davis might finally get some attention from Klinsmann. The spots where we are presently very thin (CB) should have some new faces but they must be challenged by the best attackers available (Gordon, Wondo, Johnson and ?) not young players still trying to make it professionally.

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      • I don’t think you need mid fielders who can make perfect passes when you’re doing drills in practice. This is a squad that will most likely end up in gold cup or possibly in a friendly. It doesn’t matter if it includes a well rounded group. It should be treated like a try out for questionable spots.

        Between Williams, Dempsey, Holden (hopefully), Donovan, Jones, and Bradley… With Zusi, Kljestan, Edu, and Beckerman having caught JK’s eye in the past… I just don’t see a new midfielder breaking into the lineup. I hope someone amazing emerges but I doubt it.

        It’s not going to happen but I would love to see JK make a statement that the forward positions and cb positions are up for grabs and call in 8 forwards and 5 cbs. He hasn’t made that a priority (aside from maybe Cameron’s recent looks) and I think it clearly needs to be top priority.

      • “ I would love to see JK make a statement that the forward positions and cb positions are up for grabs and call in 8 forwards and 5 cbs. He hasn’t made that a priority (aside from maybe Cameron’s recent looks) and I think it clearly needs to be top priority.”

        I don’t agree that JK has not made it a priority.

        This past cycle JK called in newbie forwards EJ, Gordon, Gatt, Gyau and Gomez. All could play a role in the HEX and maybe even the World Cup.

        There are only so many available candidates for center back. If they are new to the USMNT and most of these prospects are, then it may be best observe them with their clubs.

        National teams play only so many games and , particularly at center back, there are few opportunities to give meaningful playing time to prospects. Especially when you have to win the game. At the last January camp there were three star center back candidates, Cameron, Gonzo and George John.

        Cameron we know about , Gonzo left to go to Europe to blow out his knee and John declined the invite in order to go to Europe and fail a trial with West Ham. I assume this year’s camp will repeat the process.

        The evaluation of candidates for those “priority” positions is an ongoing process. These camps are just a part of that process.

        Which means that JK and his staff would have been keeping an eye on potential candidates over the past season. Maybe you did not notice but players like Beitashour, Parke, Besler, Gordon, Gatt and Gyau have been called in to train with the team this last cycle and some of them have even played.
        JK likes to work his players in gradually if possible. The level they are trying out for , the World Cup finals, is a lot more intense than what these prospects are used to and my guess is JK wants to be as sure as possible tthat he and his staff are not wasting time with player X.

  6. Excited to see a wide variety of players. Hoping to see Besler, Gonzalez, Connor O’brien, Gatt, Mix, and Boyd. I hope Klinsi brings in MLS veterans like Eddie Johnson, Nick Rimando, Graham Zusi and Beckerman for some stability and leadership no matter what I think of their overall play. All in all, I also pray that Landon Donavan is present there. Good luck Klinsi and don’t call up Benny Fehlabier.

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    • no way london or benny are there. the rest of your list is likely all depending on who is not in the middle of a transfer..

      the main point of this camp is working out the cbs. goodson vs gonzalez vs besler. on a secondary note some gold cup roster spots

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    • wouold rather see landycakes back at Everton….Benny should get another look…maybe later rather than sooner…playing for the Revs would make Pele look like Bornstein

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    • i bet they try to tie the us into that as well.. US vs Denmark on the 25th at the Home Depot and then an away game on the 31st in El Salvador are my picks

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  7. I wonder how many hold overs we will have from Jan 31 to Feb 6? Not sure the timing of this works well. I would rather see JK focus solely on a very tough Honduras.

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    • Disagree, for the following reasons:

      (1) the Scandinavian leagues will be out of season, which means our likely starting CB needs the work (Goodson)
      (2) This camp has been a tradition. No need to break it.
      (3) The holdovers will be minimal. I’d say no more than 3 people will probably make it. Of Ives’ latest projected roster, only 1 will likely be called in (obviously, pending suspensions in domestic leagues)
      (4) We need to still integrate young blood. This is a good time to do it.

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  8. JANUARY 30TH…….KLINSMANN AND THE US MENS NATIONAL TEAM VS BOB BRADLEY AND THE PHARAOHS OF EGYPT…….Hahahahaha, on a real note I would lost my job over that game!!!!!!

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  9. Who is called in also will be dictated by who is seeking a new employer. Guys like Mix and Bedoya signed short-term deals so they could explore options after the season. Parkhurst and O’Brien have interest in neighboring leagues. Brondby is a sinking ship and one would have to think Goodson is one his way out. Gatt, though less likely, could be looking at a new home after OGS departs Molde as his manager. That’s just the Eruo guys. Besler, Wondo, Agudelo, and John, who could be called up, have had interest or rumors of moves. The camp could be a revolving door or sorts.

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    • Zusi has done well but is really like to see Bedoya called in. I don’t think sacha is bad but Rogers is screwing around in league 1. No where near good enough for the USMNT.

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      • Never seen Bedoya play either just heard he’s decent…better than league one quality at least..who would u rather see on the wings. If Donovan doesn’t come then we have zusi…a cm playing a wing, Shea, very lackluster this year, Gatt, great prospect and who else..being Bedoya in and give him a shot…

      • Bedoya played well in his last USMNT appearances during the 2011 Gold Cup. He provided an important spark off the bench, allowing the US to turn around from the Panama loss.

      • I have watched Bedoya play for some time now and one of the reasons why he does not impress that well is because he does not take necessary risks. He does his job with fierce determination and he is always confident on the ball. When he attacks…he attacks….when he aims to work the ball around , he does so with intent and precision. He did that well during CL and he seems to be ramping up in league play. If you take a look at Sasha and Suzi, there is so much indecision and dispossession that it becomes a detriment. I believe Bedoya would be able to unseat those two given more time to win the position.

  10. Glad they chose to have this camp. This is an important opportunity for young/new (Bedoya, Gatt, Diskerud, Besler, etc.) players to be seen, but also for any MLS players (Zusi &…) that will be involved in the Feb 6 Hex match to get some organized practice prior to that match. I am really happy to hear this camp will take place.

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  11. Per wikipedia the Copa Caribe is going to be in mid December and doesnt include very many nations that we would play in a january friendly.

    I still believe that El Salvador would be available as would Colombia or Venezuela. Imo they would be better prep for honduras.

    Good to jurgen is continuing the tradition.

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      • I want wondolowski again as well. I don’t understand how people discount his goalscoring the past three years. It’s not like any of SJ’s midfielders are of the quality of Becks, Rosales, Morales, and yet he always finds space and scores goals. And look at his more recent performances with Nats. I thought I might be hallucinating, so I went back and watched the Venezuela highlights. Virtually all of the 2nd half highlight in that game are of wondolowski, including a creative pass that few else on the Nats would even try.
        The crap that he can’t do it for the Nats is such total crap. Put it another way. Who of our other forwards finds space despite mediocre service from the midfield? Not jozy, and yet people call for him. Free Wondolowski!

      • JK has often spoken of how highly he rates Wondo.

        Wondo has had very few chances to prove himself for the USMNT. Many caps, very few minutes.

        The times I have seen him, he has looked very good.
        He has a chance to make the Hex squad, and perhaps the WC squad, if we qualify.

        People on this site forget that JK is not building a fantasy squad, he is building a real team. JK brought in EJ and Gordon because they were playing well and because their particular skill set fit a particular need of the team. That situation hasn’t yet happened for Wondo but it certainly could.
        There will be several iterations of that team before he has to settle on the 2014 WC squad. I imagine a player as good as Wondo, who is as well regarded by JK as he is, will eventually get another shot.

      • A great domestic goal-scorer does not make for a great international goal scorer. Strikers are judged on how many goals they score not how well they may pressure the defenders or hold up the ball…In addition, I trust the player evaluations of one of the most dynamic strikers to ever lace them up. what Wondo does for San Jose is not what Wondo would do for the US. Wondo almost has carte blanche similar to a (10) with san Jose. That is Dempsey territory and if Dempsey is not available then it is Bradley or Donovan (should he over-come his hormonal imbalance) however, Wondo will never be given the keys to drive that team.

      • “A great domestic goal-scorer does not make for a great international goal scorer.”

        That’s silly. It is also inaccurate.

        Muller, Klose, Ronaldo, Lineker, and about a few hundred other guys were great domestic goal scorers and also scored a lot at the international level.

        McBride and Wynalda were “great” domestic goal scorers and also ” great ” at the international level.

        Wondo has not had much of a chance yet to show his worth. Of course he may never get another chance but that isn’t necessarily all his fault.

        With any national team there will always be guys who might actually be able do the job will never get the chance because there are only so many chances to show your worth in the compressed time frame of a national team.

        If JK is that dynamic striker you are referring to, then remember that he has been very effusive in his praise of Wondo and that JK played in his last World Cup at age 33-34 and scored three goals so his isn’t overly concerned about age.

        There are supposed to be a lot of games this year so we’ll see soon enough if JK will give Wondo another chance.

    • You’ve got to have some vets for stability, leadership, and as a measuring stick for the coaches to assess the younger guys.
      I’d think 5 veterans out of 23 would be pretty good.

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    • Why? We have U-20, and U-23 teams for that. This is a chance to bring in the best players available (ie. those actually released from their clubs) to see who fits on the team in the coming 6 months, not the next 6 years. It is only 23 players, it would be a waste to bring in more than a few young players (and mostly, we know who those might be).

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    • Klinsman mentioned running 2 teams – one for qualifiers and another for Gold Cup…we should get an idea of our 2018 team will be this year as well…

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  12. Well, considering the scandanavian leagues will be on a domestic break i think we have to look at Gatt, Diskerud, Bedoya and if possible Aaron Johansson….Parkhurst, Goodson are also in those leagues sp we should be ssing them as well, although i’ve had enough of goodson right now! with Mo Edu not plyaing alot with Stoke, i think its a good chance we’ll see him along with Boyd and hopefully Seb Hines, JAB, Gyau, Whitbread and Parker…ofcourse these are just some of the names i would like to see!

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    • Seb Hines? Brooks? Gyau? Whitbread? Parker?
      What from previous January Camp rosters suggests that guys like that who are in the middle of their league seasons will be called in?

      And Conor O’Brien is another likely call-up for this.

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      • Wait a second, John. The 2. Bundesliga shuts down for about six weeks in mid-December and does start playing again until first weekend of February. For Joe Gyau, St. Pauli plays December 15 and then not again until February 3.

        And, by the way, Bobby Wood of TSV Munich 1860 scored a goal today.

  13. Aside from veterans like Beckerman, Parkhurst, Wondo, etc. that are already part of the extended pool, I hope most of the roster spots are given to youngsters like Diskerud, O’Brien, Beitashour and Agudelo instead of older players whose ceilings are already known like Carroll, Pause, Ricardo Clark.

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    • Sorry that was in response to “vets from MLS”:

      “Klinsmann added there will be 23 players invited for camp 1/14-31. Mix of young players and vets from MLS. #usmnt”

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  14. It will be good for the young prospects and fringe players to get a feel of what a camp is like if they’ve never been or to further their stock with JK. It would be nice if there is a friendly scheduled that they can build towards.

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    • who are the three bald white guys in the picture? are there three Michael Bradleys now? if we could clone Michael Bradley we would be unstoppable!

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    • Klinsman needs to focus on the players he has who are already most confident on the ball on the international stage. Discovering MLS talent is fine, but as far as friendlies go, and moving toward Brazil, the USMNT needs to know who it’s first team is with certainty very fast, and what formation/style this core of players perform best with. Any new prospective players must be able to fall into sync with the system of the first team, and as of now Klinsman has very little recognizable system. This is primarily true due to his seeming inability to secure a consistent first team and ensure all these players understand their role and how to best serve the team. For example, Klinsman has not yet shown he understands the significance of Michael Bradley to the team as it’s core playmaker. The USMNT has very few players who have the ability to be consistently dangerous on the ball and Bradley is by far the most consistent. Next, is the issue of Dempsey and how to get the most out of his ability to be dangerous in front of goal. As far as Klinsman’s strategy in attack, it has to be built around Dempsey’s style of play. This can happen largely by recognizing Bradley’s abilities to distribute and feed players like Dempsey who are hungry to pounce on opportunities. Also, Klinsman has players like Altidore and Agudelo who he clearly does not know how to utilize to their full potential. Agudelo is a player who must be on the pitch during friendlies and even qualifiers, (at least as a sub every game) because he is one of the few USMNT players who shows natural composure on the ball under pressure, and even one of the fewer who has a degree of creativity and 1 on 1 threat. (Bradley and Dempsey are the other two) THEN THERE IS JOSIE! I was the world’s biggest Altidore hater until this year. AZ has figured out how to make this player affective, and Josie seems to have developed a bit of skill and understanding of how to hold up the ball and sit on the penalty spot as a point man. He uses his strength more now and lays off the ball. He is another player that Klinsman has to be able to understand and make as a focal point of his attacking strategy. Altidore now knows how to come back to the ball in midfield and lay it off, then also sits in front of goal and waits for a cross. He is a simple player with simple talents, but he has proved affective in the right system. BRADLEY TO JOSIE, JOSIE TO BRADLEY, BRADLEY TO DEMPSEY… GOAL! Also, there is the whole issue of POSITIVE possession, movement out of the back, and….. DEFENDING!!! And, my last point is that if Klinsman can not discover 2 center backs who know how to defend, we might as well kiss Brazil goodbye this winter. We are fortunate to have Chandler back with Cherundolo (sp?) on the wings. But again, Klinsman has to recognize that without two SOLID center backs, his two talented wing backs, who like to go forward, will be null and void as attacking threats. Cherundolo and Chandler are two other important pieces for Klinsman to understand, in order for our USMNT to be a positive possession team that can show it can be a threat at higher levels of play. Ok, one more briefly, if Torres is healthy he needs to be on the field, along with Kljestan simply for their composure on the ball and ability and perspective to move the ball quickly through midfield. (as least as subs) Klinsman said he wanted to be a positive possession team, but if he doesn’t quit wasting time trying out guys like Josh Gatt, who have no composure and little quality, we’re doomed!

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