U.S. Olympic team standouts Sacha Kljestan, Marvell Wynne and Stuart Holden headline a very young group chosen for the first U.S. national team training camp of the new year.
Here is the 25-man roster for the January training camp:
GOALKEEPERS– Jon Busch (Chicago Fire), Will Hesmer (Columbus Crew), Troy Perkins (Valerenga IF), Matt Pickens (out of contract)
DEFENDERS-Jonathan Bornstein (Chivas USA), Danny Califf (FC Midtjylland), Sean Franklin (Los Angeles Galaxy), Cory Gibbs (Colorado Rapids), Clarence Goodson (IK Start), Chad Marshall (Columbus Crew), Chris Wingert (Real Salt Lake), Marvell Wynne (Toronto FC)
MIDFIELDERS – Geoff Cameron (Houston Dynamo), Brian Carroll (Columbus Crew), Ricardo Clark (Houston Dynamo), Eddie Gaven (Columbus Crew), Stuart Holden (Houston Dynamo), Jack Jewsbury (Kansas City Wizards), Sacha Kljestan (Chivas USA), Robbie Rogers (Columbus Crew), John Thorrington (Chicago Fire)
FORWARDS- Brian Ching (Houston Dynamo), Kenny Cooper (FC Dallas), Charlie Davies (Hammarby IF), Chris Rolfe (Chicago Fire)
Kenny Cooper, Chad Marshall, Sean Franklin, Robbie Rogers and Will Hesmer are just some of the fresh faces included in this MLS-heavy roster. Cory Gibbs joins Brian Ching as two of the only veterans in a very young group.
What are my initial thoughts on the list? I think it's a great group of young talent and we see several players who are coming off strong MLS seasons. Surprise inclusions? Geoff Cameron, Chris Wingert and Jack Jewsbury are all pleasant surprises as three underrated talents who showed versatility and skill all season.
The camp, set to kick off on Jan. 4 in Carson, California, will conclude with the U.S. team's friendly against Sweden on Jan. 24 at Home Depot Center.
What do you think of the group? Happy to see all the young guns get the call? Excited to see Chad Marshall back in the mix? Any inclusions or exclusions that surprise you? Share your thoughts on the squad below.
Yuri Movsisyan would have been a good addition to this roster.
I like the roster as a whole. Many young players with a nice blend of veterans. While I do not necessarily want some of the veterans as regulars in the MNT starting team they still higher quality than most of the young players and will be able to provide leadership.
The one player that really intrigues me is Geoff Cameron. I did not think he would be called into the camp but a player I have enjoyed watching since I first saw him this year. Great movement, good feet, attacking mentality, and a good defender. I would not push for him to be starting or even in the game day team right now, but is a player I feel could help the MNT in the future especially in the next world cup cycle. This camp is a great opportunity for him and others in similar situations to see the level they need to be at while gaining experience with the national team.
Where is Eddie Johnson? LMAO
Nice to see DCU players get a break 🙁
I don’t see any Euro’s making it over for the game on Jan 24th. Look at last years roster against Sweden all MLS’rs + the Norics:
USA: 18-Brad Guzan; 15-Drew Moor, 8-Eddie Robinson (16-Michael Parkhurst, 46) 12-Jimmy Conrad (7-Clarence Goodson, 46), 6-Ramiro Corrales; 10-Landon Donovan (capt.) (23-Jeremiah White, 81), 13-Ricardo Clark, 19-Maurice Edu, 22-Brad Davis (26-Sacha Kljestan, 72); 20-Taylor Twellman (14-Josmer Altidore, 46), 11-Pat Noonan (17-Chris Rolfe, 63)
Subs not used: 1-Steve Cronin
I don’t see why we would expect the Adu’s, Beez’s, Edu’s of the world this year. Maybe you add Hejduk and Mastro but don’t expect Guzan between the pipes.
Hey Ives, who do you think will be the starting 11? Between these players and most certainly some Euro call-ups (Adu, Edu, Beasley, Guzan etc….)
My mistake, I didn’t mean Mexico friendly. I know it is a WC qualifier.
Oh I think Ching would most definately make the squad, but I feel Bradley is just calling him in to get some exercise before the Mexico friendly and also to get in a little conditioning before MLS season. I don’t think he will use him in the friendly though.
Right, Nate. And you’re basing your illogic on what, exactly?
The fact that Buddle was the third highest goal-scorer in the MLS this last season (behind Cooper and Donovan) doesn’t count for anything?
I’m glad Rolfe, Cooper and Davies have been called up. But it’s a TRAINING CAMP! We all know what Ching can, and can’t do. He’s a known quantity. Buddle is not.
I was just putting a 3-5-2 out there because–>no Onyewu, Boca, Dolo or Pearce. Gotta work with what we got.
why why why. perkins, pickens, jewsbury, franklin, wingert, cameron, and carroll? is this a joke? Why is it that guys like Jeff Parke or Seth Stammler never get a chance to even get into camp?
Well, typical BB, some good, some bad, some WTF.
First off Ives, I’d call Rico Clark, and maybe Bornstien veterans at this point.
The Good:
Franklin, Marhsall, Rogers, Wynne, Thorrington, Holden, Goodson, Davies, Rolfe.
The Bad:
Absence of: Harrington, Casey, Buddle, White, Beckerman, Borchers, Conrad, Torres and Orozco.
The inclusion of: Ching (don’t we know enough about him already).
WTF: Wingert (wouldn’t Borchers or Beckerman have been better from RSL), Cameron.
Seems like the competition for the backup CB spots is in earnest.
Overall BB grade: B.
the ONLY think I can think of that could justify this roster is that BB will add Euro players at the end because they are in season and this is just to run around the mostly MLS guys
If that is not his plan then my regard for him has just gone even lower and I didn’t think that was possible
Justin, your squad asumes that Ching won’t make the squad. That’s laughable because bradley loves him. I also bet we have a 4 man defense, we never go with 3 in the back.
All 4 of these forwards are hands down more deserving and hands down more capable of helping us in 2010 than Buddle.
Justin: Bornstein and Hejduk in a 3-5-2? Be prepared to leak goals.
Why do people always try to push a 3-5-2 on the US team? It completely misuses two of our three best defenders (Onyewu and Steve0.
Oh yeah, I totally spaced Holden. He will make the squad as well.
———–Cooper——–Davies————
——————-Adu———————
Beasley———–Clark————Kljestan
—————-Mastroeni——————
Bornstein——-Marshall————Heydude
——————Guzan——————–
Subs: Perkins, Thorrington, Edu, Holden, Rogers, Rolfe
Kyle Beckerman is only 26 thats still young he needs to get some more call ups for sure
If Edson Buddle can’t make it into this camp, the Bradley is never going to give him the call. I would have liked to see him in the mix.
I don’t have particularly high hopes for Marshall. he seems a step slow to my untrained eye, and while he’s got good size, he’s not exactly Gooch-sized. He’s also not 19, he’s in his mid-20s and I wonder why he didn’t get any Euro love at the transfer window. Others would know better than me, but, from what I can see, his upside isn’t that high.
Beckerman is only 26…
Also, no Harrington? I thought he would be a shoo-in.
I guess there are more than a few things strange about this roster, but it’s not like it’s completely out of the blue.
Glad to see Cameron on that list. If you consider all competitions, he was the best rookie last year in MLS.
I echo the feeling about Beckerman. Maybe it’s his age keeping from getting called in but he’s better than Carroll for me.
Chris Wingert. Wow. Just…wow. I have been hoping for his call-up to the MNT camp about as much as I have been hoping to see Joe Max-Moore get the call-up.
About Euro players in season:
How often do they come over for non-FIFA date friendlies? Almost never. Even the ones not getting time. The 18 will most likely come from this group.
Wingert! Awesome! Nice to see him getting a call; he is very underrated and had a strong (and very quiet) season. He just doesn’t get much attention playing here in Salt Lake (see: Javier Morales).
@ Isaac—-You think Busch would get the nod over Perkins? I think Perkins was a better MLS keeper than he was plus he now has Euro experience. I am not takng shots, just wondering if you forgot about him.
It’s a moot point anyways as I am sure Guzan will be between the pipes.
I agree with Voodoo.
Edson Buddle should at least make the camp. Why not let him at least train and see what he can do. I would rather have Buddle than Rolfe in training camp. Reward the guy for having a breakout MLS season.
Long Island’s own Chris Wingert is a bit of a surprise, but the guy was hailed as the best of American Soccer at St. John’s.
I don’t get the Jewsbury call up.
Northzax, Bradley isn’t calling in the top Euros that are in season. They do this every year for the MLS based players to get some training in during their offseason. Pay attention.
Holden!!! Nice. Love that kid.
hey Gerald, Euro based guys come over regularly for friendlies. Guys like Adu and Altidore, who aren’t getting tons of time, will come over I’m sure. Same with Beasley and Edu. We may however, not get Donovan, seeing as he will be starting his loan at Bayern, and I doubt very much to see Boca, Gooch, Dempsey, or Howard, who are all playing huge roles for their clubs.
Northzax- Please see list of players above. You can expect plenty of these guys in camp to be playing against sweden. I expect that probably the entire starting defense will come from this camp, except maybe Pearce. Edu, Bradley, and Beasley will probably all come over for the game, and Adu and Altidore. I’d expect a lineup against Sweden to look something like this:
Altidore
Beasley Adu Kljestan
Bradley Edu
Pearce Marshall Califf Wynne
Guzan
I say 11 of these players make the squad for the Sweden friendly: Perkins, Thorrington, Marshall, Bornstein, Clark, Kljestan, Rogers, Cooper, Ching, Davies and Rolfe.
Then add in Guzan, Adu, Heydude, Edu, Beasley and maybe Mastroeni.
Wow. I’m surprised no one has mentioned Stuart Holden yet. His play in the Olympics was outstanding, save the foul in the Netherlands game. He’s also played extremely well for the Dynamo for a few years. I know he may not have the flash of a Robbie Rogers, but has been better at a higher level of international play. He like, Jose Torres, may not be the flashiest, but he creates chances for others and puts himself in dangerous places on the field.
I would have liked to have seen Clyde Simms ahead of Jewsbury or Cameron…even Carroll
How well does Kyle Beckerman have to play to get a nod anymore?
The “surprise” invitees are there as the “B” team to practice against. Don’t even think that somebody like Jack Jewsbury has any sort of realistic shot at being in the long-term plans for the National Team.
I wonder if the situation would have been better had this game been held in Sweden. I mean everyone’s talking about Europe based players not coming over but what if the game had been held in Europe? I mean i dont really know either way but its just a question
Nice roster of young talent. Be good for Bradley to see what these guys can do.
I echo the poster who wanted Connor Casey included. Bob knows all about Ching, so let the guy enjoy his January in Oahu and give Casey a chance to impress.
Glad we aren’t pulling any of the Euro-players in except those out of season. Let all those guys stay with their teams.
Lastly, where is the call-up for Justin Mapp. Oh wait, I hate that guy, glad he wasn’t called. No real reason either for hating him either, maybe because he’s so soft, just not sure…
‘Bout time. I’ve been waiting a long time for Holden to get the call up. I wonder if Bradley will trust him, Rogers or Sacha at left midfield. a Line up i can see happening is:
—————Cooper—Ching————–
—Holden—Clark——-Kljestan—Gaven—
—Bornstein—Califf—Marshall—Wynne—
——————-Busch——————-
Its nice to have a problem like this among such a new batch of players.
What? No Buddle?
Isn’t camp supposed to be an opportunity for an unvarnished look-see at players on the margins? Not just his favorites, and others who he deems as flavors of the month.
I don’t think Bradley fully grasps the concept of a training camp.
There’s really not much to get excited about here. I am happy to see Davies and Cooper get called in. I think Rolfe could be a very good player if he would be more consistent in his performances.
The real key is getting these guys to play 1 or 2 touch soccer with good tactical movement and awareness around the field. Typically our MLS-based guys have been doing a lot of dribbling with poor tactical movement until they have made the jump to Europe where this aspect of the game has been forced on them.
For example with Dempsey, when he limits his touches to 2 and moves around the field smarter, his game immediately improves. I really liked his chest and toe poke past Cech last weekend, but I was even more impressed by the chest and pseudo-bike that he did the game before, even though it was saved.
Northzak – Where are the other 12 players coming from? I doubt the Euro-based players are coming over for a friendly
Wingert is a bit of a surprise
Wingert jumped out at me … that is until I saw Jewsbury. That’s a real shocker.
But what the heck, let’s get some of these guys some time.
My disappointments? Where are Orozco and Torres? Did we not want to interrupt FMF players?
ok, what’s the over/under on the number of players on this list making the 18 against Sweden? I go with six, Cooper, Ching, Sascha, Rico, bornstein and maybe Marshall.
Shouldn’t Thorrington be listed as a defender seeing how he is usually deployed as a right fullback.
Chris Wingert (Real Salt Lake) would be a new face as well
It’s nice to see Eddie Gaven back in camp. He’s only one year older than Rogers and people are acting like his career is over.
Jewsbury, Carroll, and Wingert are the surprises for me. I kind of like the Cameron call up.
Would have liked to have seen Conor Casey included.
lol, take a look at the midfield….
Houston- 3 players
Columbus- 3 players
KC, Chi, CUSA- 1 player each
im not complaining… merely pointing out two teams who seem to have dominant american midfielders….
the forward selection doesnt surprise me… not shocked by the defense either… and the goalies were picked correctly… overall im quite up on the selection…
“The squad you have been waiting so long to see”
I’m assuming this is a joke? I mean, the squad I’ve been waiting to see doesn’t include Eddie Gavne, Matt Pickens, and Jack Jewsbury.