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Arena calls in 27-man squad for USMNT camp ahead of June qualifiers

 

 

Bruce Arena has called in a stacked 27-man squad for the U.S. Men’s National Team’s training camp ahead of the June World Cup qualifiers against Trinidad and Tobago, and Mexico.

Christian Pulisic, Clint Dempsey, Michael Bradley, Geoff Cameron and Jozy Altidore lead a group that will train at altitude in Colorado this week in preparation for the looming trip to Mexico City to face El Tri.

“I think we have a good group,” Arena said. “I’m still in the early goings with this team and I haven’t seen all of our players, so this camp gives me the opportunity to see six new faces we haven’t had in with the team yet, which is valuable. It’s also great that we’re able to bring back 21 players that have been in with our program already in 2017. We have a roster that has good balance all over, we have good young players and hopefully it’s a team we can put together to get us points in both games.”

Arena brought in an experienced group, with no national team newcomers included. Several of the players who missed the March qualifiers through injury are back in the fold, including Fabian Johnson, Cameron, Bobby Wood and John Brooks.

Here is the 27-man squad for the training camp in Commerce City, Colorado, which began on Sunday:

GOALKEEPERS: Brad Guzan (Atlanta United FC), Ethan Horvath (Club Brugge), Tim Howard (Colorado Rapids), Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake)

DEFENDERS: DaMarcus Beasley (Houston Dynamo), Matt Besler (Sporting Kansas City), John Brooks (Hertha Berlin), Geoff Cameron (Stoke City), Timmy Chandler (Eintracht Frankfurt), Omar Gonzalez (Pachuca), Matt Hedges (FC Dallas), Tim Ream (Fulham), Jorge Villafaña (Santos Laguna), DeAndre Yedlin (Newcastle United), Graham Zusi (Sporting Kansas City)

MIDFIELDERS: Kellyn Acosta (FC Dallas), Paul Arriola (Club Tijuana), Alejandro Bedoya (Philadelphia Union), Michael Bradley (Toronto FC), Fabian Johnson (Borussia Moenchengladbach), Dax McCarty (Chicago Fire), Darlington Nagbe (Portland Timbers), Christian Pulisic (Borussia Dortmund)

FORWARDS: Jozy Altidore (Toronto FC), Clint Dempsey (Seattle Sounders FC), Jordan Morris (Seattle Sounders FC), Bobby Wood (Hamburg SV)

Comments

  1. You can quibble with the selection. The bottom line is that we have a better first 23 than any other team in CONCACAF except for Mexico and we are pretty even with them. So, it is a matter of getting the team to play well together as we have enough individual talent such that only the game in Mexico will be difficult to get a result. My main problem is that Arena is apparently still dead set on using F Johnson in the midfield. That’s okay except for Mexico. I don’t know if we have anyone else up to the task of handling Mexican wingers as well as Fabian. In Mexico we are going to need to play excellent defense and rely on the counter attack.

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  2. The USA continues to flounder looking for a real starting LB, I think you have to look all the way down to the U-20s for any hope there, meanwhile Arena is left to see who is in best form right now among the usual suspects.

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  3. I understand bringing in the experienced players and am all for it but not so many. For example I dont get Ream and Besler, both are basically the same player both are LCBs that could slide to LB.

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  4. No problem bringing in Rimando to work with Hovarth and begin the transition. It allows for somebody that Hovarth can relly on somebody who is on his way out.

    No problem calling in Beasley either for that same reason. Also, you bring in Beasley for the Azteca experience.

    Of the 27 would not be surprised the following are not in the final 23.

    Rimando
    Beasley
    Bester or Ream (same guys) I prefer Ream
    Wood due to injury. Was actually surprised he made this list with the news he only playing for Hamburg because of relegation fight.

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  5. I’m a little disappointed in some of the player selections….
    Beasley – Was a good player, but at this point I’d have much rather seen Garza called up.
    Rimando – We’ve already got 2 aged keepers in Howard & Guzan. We need to groom the next generation. Glad to see Horvath, but Hamid or one of the others should have been called up ahead of Rimando.
    McCarty – I just don’t understand. Williams brings much more to a team than Dax. I don’t understand what people see in the ginger migget, but I don’t see it.
    No a fan of Ream & Zusi, but that’s more a a personal choice. Would have preferred to have seen someone like Zimmerman get the call.

    Hopefully Arena will use the Gold Cup to get some of the younger options a chance….Gooch, Green, Zimmerman, etc…. I’m tired of seeing some of these guys continue to be passed over for “OLD” guys because of Arena and his issues.

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    • Would be very surprised to see Gooch or Green at the GC, their preseason in Europe will have started and although Bruce could call them in he shouldn’t, they need good club positions to be ready for the WC next Summer.

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      • Even with Mexico sending its A team to the Confederations Cup, we will still need to send a pretty strong team with an eye on winning this version of the GBC.Calling in players like Julian Green and London Gooch, that haven’t played a full season is not what the team needs, they have to earn that merit! As you said, they’d be best served competing for playing time with their clubs in preseason. I love both players no less than the rest but we have to be practical about some of these decisions. Williams, in fully expecting to get a look along with Lichaj and other fringe first and second teamers.

    • I’ll explain McCarty. He’s technically proficient, including a pin point pass through traffic that led to a goal in his last start. There’s a reason he’s been a part of so many MLS playoff teams over the years. He circulates the ball well, and keeps a vice grip on the pace of the game in the midfield. Williams scores more goals (still only very rarely), but Dax is plenty good, and will never be the reason you lose a game.

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  6. 2011 U20s fail to qualify for WC, 2012 U23s fail to qualify for Olympics, 2013 U17s fail to qualify for WC, 2016 U23 fail to qualify for Olympics. These are players who are now between the ages of 20 and 26. Where is the gap in players in this national team?

    There is certainly potential in some of the young players in the 16-22 age range, but with the exception of Pulisic and possibly Miazga they haven’t shown that yet at the professional level. Arena’s only job is to qualify not build for beyond.

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    • How dare you talk sensibly and with logic?!?! I don’t know why people were expecting to see all of these new faces when we need results in both matches, so time for experimenting will have to wait until the summer! Would have loved to seen lichaj, but otherwise im good with the selections.

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    • Wondo played out a qualification in 2014,
      very experienced players suffered from
      mediocre teams from Central America in this qualyfier, we
      lost a gold cup to Jamaica with several
      experienced players, we lost the berth to the
      Confederations Cup with experienced players

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    • I have to agree that none of the US players ages 22-26 have been exactly gaining the attention of major clubs. People seem to think that all a coach has to do is call in new players, but when those players are demonstrably not as good as the present squad, what’s the point? Change for change sake? Any players left off this roster who might deserve to be on it are not the “young guys” people are constantly clamoring for. Kleijsen, Feilhaber, maybe Dom Dyer or Luis Robles or even Wondo could arguably be on the squad based on their recent performance, but they are hardly young guys.

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  7. I have to admit I am so far greatly disappointed in Arena. It seems he’s learned nothing since his last firing and is once again starting down that same road.

    This is nothing but a Klinsmann roster and it will take us nowhere but to the show, maybe, but no further. We cannot hope for any improved results if he thinks Bradley, Beasley, Dempsey, Altadore, Zusi, Bradley … and others are the answer.

    I dont see the fixation on Nagbe either. Both Lee and Sacha have better stats than Dax and Nagbe and yet they don’t get a look

    Very disappointing roster in my opinion. The fact that Arena is once again, relying too much on aging players is what got him fired last time and if we fall, it could happen again. We need far more younger players involved and not just a collection of his favs (and Klinsmanns). I think hiring Arena was a mistake

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    • Agree with USA Fan completely. I don’t care whatever Zusi’s computer rating is or any other nonsense that someone pointed to earlier…he gets torched at the international level. We all love Beasley but he is WAY past his prime and it’s a sad state when we have a coach who doesn’t believe there is other talent to push him out of a call up. Eric Lichaj has definitely made a case for being called in. Besler is disappointing as he has less upside than Zimmerman. I’m ok with “calm on the ball” Ream being called in as a backup. With the exceptions of Fabian, Christian, and Arriola, our midfield makes make cringe. Would have liked to have seen Williams and Morales called as they’re playing at a much higher level. Would have preferred to see Benny in this group assuming he’s healthy. I don’t see that Nagbe and Dax are the answer. Bedoya seems lackluster at times and that he has lost a step since he left France. And I’m never sure what Michael Bradley is going to show up anymore. Both he and Dempsey were great internationals, but I hope we can find replacements for them soon..

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      • Sorry forgot to add my disclaimer that the computer numbers are just one piece of data, that show Besler, Zusi, and Bedoya are having good seasons in MLS since most posters probably haven’t seen much SKC or Union matches.

        I don’t know about Williams, Morales, Lichaj, and Feilhaber, but I do know two and in some cases 3 sets of international team coaching staffs have passed on them.

        I think Arena didn’t bring in Zimmerman because he didn’t want to take both FC Dallas cbs when neither were likely to see action.

    • Guys this is qualification time to get the job done at all costs not the time to experiment. We have the gold cup this summer for that. The u-20 World Cup is going on right now for youth to get experience. We can bring in youth at the gold cup and then have all of next winter and spring to figure out the roster for the cup.

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  8. Taking the rimando the other options pro gol are
    good, for defense, brooks, Cameron, yedlin, chandler
    and Gonzalez are undisputed, I think Villafana is
    hedges are understandable choices, miazga could
    have been called in between bradley, pulisic and
    Johnson are choices Obvious, arriola and acosta
    deserve the opportunity, mcarty would not be
    necessary if he called acosta and bradley, I think
    should have called hyndman, nagbe and bedoya are
    players of a level below compared to the other
    options, but since there are no other great options
    Like lletget who is injured and gooch who is very
    young and already has other young people, so it is
    reasonable and the attack is alright

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  9. I would love to know why players like rhyming, zusi
    and beasley are still being called and that players
    like ream, bedoya and besler have so much prestige

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    • Zusi is the highest ranked American RB in MLs according to whoscored’s computer rankings. He has over 40 caps and can play several different positions, he would be a surprise to see the field for more than 30 minutes barring an injury.

      Rimando, has been the best American goalkeeper in MLS for the last ten years. He is consistent and steady and is more than good enough if need be against CONCACAF competition.

      Besler, is rated as the 6th best American CB in MLS, but the 2nd best LCB and could play LB if necessary due to injury or suspension.

      Ream was the starting CB for a team that nearly made it back the Premier League. He can also play LB or DM.

      Bedoya is rated as the best American DM in MLS, even when expanded to include DM and CM appearances he rates above Roldan, McCarty, Bradley, Acosta, Jones and only below Feilhaber. He can also play every midfield position.

      Beasley has 142 caps, Arena trusts him in an emergency, and he is by all accounts a great team first guy. He is also unlikely to ever see the field in either qualifier and with 27 players unlikely even to dress.

      I understand why many people won’t like these six, but with an expanded roster I don’t think anyone should be surprised. Arena’s only goal is to qualify for Russia. If we are able to get some results and have that be more assured then he can experiment, but not at this juncture.

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      • Beasley, zusi and ream go to world cup? I think it
        difficult then why not call players who may be

      • Because there is no reason to prepare for a WC you aren’t invited to. Qualification ends in October the WC is next June that gives you eight months to revamp your roster if you qualify.

      • “according to whoscored’s computer rankings”
        lol, I see you are learning Johnnyrazor đŸ˜‰

      • I know Bizzy I thought of you when I wrote it. Certainly not the be all end all, but its helpful when talking about DM midfielders and defenders who aren’t going to score or assist on goals.

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