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Morris, Finlay, Robles among players called into young USMNT roster

Jordan Morris USMNT 29

If ever there was a time for a new crop of U.S. Men’s National Team players to state its case, this winter camp might just be it.

U.S. head coach Jurgen Klinsmann unveiled a 23-man roster for his first camp of 2016 on Wednesday, and, as expected, it includes several young or fresh faces that are on the fringes of the team. Some of the more notable players summoned by Klinsmann include NCAA champion Jordan Morris, MLS Goalkeeper of the Year Luis Robles, Columbus Crew duo Ethan Finlay and Tony Tchani, and promising youngster Kellyn Acosta of FC Dallas.

Klinsmann had previously promised to bring in several U.S. Under-23 Men’s National Team players, and he made good on that by calling in the likes of Morris, Matt Miazga, Wil Trapp, and Jerome Kiesewetter as they gear up for their Olympic qualifying playoff vs. Colombia in March.

The roster, which could grow in the coming days, is not filled with just newcomers and promising prospects. Captain Michael Bradley, Jermaine Jones, Jozy Altidore, and Matt Besler are among the regulars brought in by Klinsmann, and other familiar faces called up are Gyasi Zardes, Mix Diskerud, and Lee Nguyen.

The Americans will convene for camp next Monday in Carson, California, before playing two home friendlies at the StubHub Center. The U.S. will first take on Iceland on Jan. 31 before welcoming northern rival Canada on Feb. 6.

Here is the full U.S. roster:

Goalkeepers: Bill Hamid (D.C. United), Luis Robles (New York Red Bulls)

Defenders: Kellyn Acosta (FC Dallas), Matt Besler (Sporting Kansas City), Matt Miazga (New York Red Bulls), Eric Miller (Montreal Impact), Tim Parker (Vancouver Whitecaps), Marc Pelosi (San Jose Earthquakes), Matt Polster (Chicago Fire)

Midfielders: Fatai Alashe (San Jose Earthquakes), Michael Bradley (Toronto FC), Mix Diskerud (New York City FC), Jermaine Jones (Unattached), Darlington Nagbe (Portland Timbers), Lee Nguyen (New England Revolution), Tony Tchani (Columbus Crew), Wil Trapp (Columbus Crew)

Forwards: Jozy Altidore (Toronto FC), Ethan Finlay (Columbus Crew), Jerome Kiesewetter (VfB Stuttgart), Jordan Morris (Unattached), Khiry Shelton (New York City FC), Gyasi Zardes (LA Galaxy)

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What do you think about this USMNT roster? Any inclusions/omissions that really stick out at you? How do you see this group doing in the upcoming friendlies?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. I really hope Lee N gets a fair shot minutes wise this time out to show what he can do. Last few outings this has not been the case. Do we really need to give Mix the nod….again? Hes shown over and over he isn’t the answer. Lets see Lee for 80 minutes and Mix for 10 this time

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    • What you’re likely to see happening is Nagbe getting 80 minutes and Lee getting 10 in the first game than Nagbe getting 70 and Mix getting 20 in the second.

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    • Lee Nguyen is such an anamoly. He clearly impresses JK enough with his MLS play, as he’s being called up with some regularity. But there must be something else going on during training in these camps, that for one reason or another, does not impress JK enough.

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  2. It is entirely possible that Jermaine Jones does not ever play club soccer again. And yet he will almost certainly be on Klinsmann’s Copa America roster, and start several if not all games.

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  3. like others, biggest disappointment is Lletget, Hedges, Agudelo, and Shea. but otherwise, this is a good roster. my guess is others will be called in. per Wahl’s article a few days ago, some vets basically opted out of the camp which made USSF/JK re-think everything.

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    • I think questioning the others you mentioned are fine, but why would we need Shea in this camp. It seems to be young and new players with a few veteran leaders Altidore, Bradley, Jones. I don’t think Shea would fit either category.

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      • for sure, i see your point. but Seah is so far from being a regular callup that i think he can use as many as he can get. he’s not doing anything else, so why not call him in? especially when he is an option at LB.

  4. I am a Quakes fan, but am I the only one not convinced by Fatai Alashe? Not saying he is a bad player, but he seems pretty 1-dimensional and limited. He is not really a hold and build type nor does he pick out the exceptional pass. He just tends to run hard, pester players, and occasionally get on the end of a set piece. He brings frenetic energy (but not the unpredictable attacking kind) to the midfield, not any kind of calm or methodical break an opponent down kind of play. What am I missing?

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    • They’re basicly the same player, but Jerome’s got a better touch. But, he’s gotta start breaking into the first-team. Everyone gives Julian Green so much flak for staying at Bayern II, but Kiesewetter is 2 years older and still playing for Stuttgart II.

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  5. Pretty good roster. disappointed not to see lletget or hedges but glad to see finlay, kiessewetter, trapp, robles and others.

    I see this working as 4-5-1
    CF: Jozy, Morris, Shelton
    LM: Zardes, Kiessewetter
    CM: Jones, Mix
    CM: Bradley, Nguyen
    RM: Nagbe, Finlay
    DM: Trapp, Tchani
    LB: Miller, Pelosi
    LC: Besler, Parker
    RC: Miagza, Always
    RB: Polster, Acosta
    GK: Hamid, Robles

    If we get one thing out of this camp its who can be the u23 fullbacks. A couple of fullback options that are probably better in the midfield vs a pretty good set of attackers in training, Iceland and Canada.

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    • Besides yourself, I have seen one or two other put Pelosi at outside back. Yet I know he came through the Liverpool youth system as a midfielder and I thought he was a mid for San Jose. What am I missing here?

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      • He’s a lot like Bedoya, an outside mid who can spot fill up and down the flank. He actually did play LB at Liverpool a handful of times. But you’re right, He was predominantly a LM/CM at Liverpool, and as far as I know only played LM at San Jose.

        He’s just such a shadow of his former self. I think the only reason he’s getting any sniffs for the national team is because of LB, a position you can literally count on one hand the depth, for all levels of the national team

  6. Last year the US called in 28 players and Grant Wahl says 7 players have been told that they may be called in later, so this is not necessarily the final roster. I hope lletget is one of those coming in. He’s more deserving than Pelosi.

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  7. Surprised not to see Brek Shea. I was hoping to see more of him at left back. Happy to see Nguyen and Finlay. Doesn’t Acosta play more of a D-Mid role for FC Dallas?

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  8. I really don’t understand Jurgen’s mind. I love the new guys he’s bringing in, but why is it not a balanced squad (outside backs) and why stop at 23? Haven’t we had more in Camp Struedel in the past?

    If this is a combined Confed/Olympic group we really should have more guys out there!

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    • Yeah, two solid criticisms I can’t think of a smart answer for. I suppose the argument for only 23 is that he’s thought a lot about this beforehand, and decided that he wants to focus on these players, and give them the maximum amount of time and preparation. Maybe they’re already confident in their young outside backs, or plan to do some position converting?

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  9. Love the Acosta call up and the kiesewetter call up. 2 young talents to look at just not for the u23s but the senior team too.

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  10. I am a little confused as to who is going to play the outside back positions. Maybe we are going to try the little used 2-3-4-1 formation.

    Altidore
    Zardes-Nguyen-Nagbe-Finlay
    Jones-Bradley-Trapp
    Besler-Miazga
    Hamid

    Reply
  11. Some nice inclusions but overall I am disappointed with this roster. Maybe there is some information we don’t know yet as to why some players aren’t there. We will have to wait and see. Knowing Klinsmann’s preferences and seeing the players he selected, I would feel confident betting money that the line-up for the first game will be:

    (4-2-3-1) or (4-4-2 -just shuffle them around)
    ——————-Altidore———————-
    ————–Diskerud/Morris—————–
    Zardes———————————-Finlay
    ————-Bradley—Jones—————-
    ??Acosta??-Besler-Miazga—–??????
    ——————–Hamid———————

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    • I forgot to mention, look at my projected line-up and how boring it is. Nothing we haven’t already seen except for Finlay and whoever JK picks at outside backs.

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  12. Is Matt Hedges injured? Did he pick up a knock at the end of the year, or is there something going on with him – contract, potential move abroad or something? Asking because if he’s healthy and available, I really can’t wrap my head around why Klinsmann would leave him out. Best XI. Nominated for best defender. Club captain on a team with one of the stingiest defenses in MLS. 25 years old. 4 years of experience where he’s gotten better every season. And, you could make the argument that with Cameron playing a variety of positions for Stoke again, the best right-sided CB in the pool at the moment….

    I know Klinsi wants to get the U-23 guys some looks, but Hedges could be a plug and play solution right now for the senior squad.

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    • I agree about Hedges, but at the same time I don’t think he really fits in this camp given what JK is trying to do. I hope to see him get calls later on in the year.

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      • Yeah, that’s a good point. If Klinsmann is trying to get the U-23’s prepped, you’d imagine he’d want Miazga to get as much work as possible since presumably he’ll be in the line-up against Colombia. Still, just feel like Hedges has so much to offer the senior squad right now that it would be worth working both guys into this camp. Shame to waste the opportunity, but hopefully he does get a few looks later on this year.

  13. I have no issue with the players called into this camp other than Jones. IMO JJ should have been left off in order to insure that younger options actually get to see the field. I would have also added a couple other names to the roster….Shea, Lleget, & Agudelo…in order to see how they stack up with the young players at the U-23 level.

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    • You’re ignoring what Jones will bring outside of the actual game, which is professionalism and passion. Letting guys know what it takes to prepare for group vs knockout rounds in UCL/EL, GC, and WC competitions; But more importantly, he’ll teach these guys what it takes to leave it all on the field.

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  14. This jag off shouldnt have even bothered with this camp if your going to make a joke out of it. No lleteget, hedges, shea, rogers, nope none of it. Once again some nice call ups but piss piss piss poor roster construction. Who plays both outside backs? uhhh i dont know, why do we need 87 freakin holding mids, cant wait till he throws out the 4-5-1, with 5 defensive mids. Wheres the proven veterans like dempsey and zusi. still need those guys and they help form a cohesive unit. And if your going to complete exile those older guys, then dump the shit stain that jermaine jones has been as of recent.

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  15. Folks wanted young, and boy did we get young(sans JJ). I like the roster, still some other guys i would like to have seen but overall satisfied. The youth has to step it up now if we’re going to see this program take the next step so i’m excited to see how this group kicks off the new year in the upcoming friendlies and beyond.

    Reply

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