The U.S. Men’s National Team will feature several new faces for Sunday’s pre-Copa America friendly against Puerto Rico.
With only European and Mexican-based players at his disposal, Jurgen Klinsmann has called in seven players left off the Copa America preliminary roster ahead of the upcoming friendly, which is set for May 22 in Bayamón, Puerto Rico. Among the call-ins are Paul Arriola, Amando Moreno, Fafa Picault, Caleb Stanko, and Zach Steffen, five players looking to make their first senior appearance. Joining them are Julian Green and Emerson Hyndman, rounding out a roster that also features mainstays like Tim Howard, Geoff Cameron and Fabian Johnson.
“We are doing this week in Miami and finishing off the week with a game in Puerto Rico because it’s really important in terms of transitioning our players coming in from Europe and some who are already done in Mexico to keep them in a flow, to keep them in a rhythm,” said Klinsmann. “One of our lessons from last year’s Gold Cup was because the tournament was pushed into July, we couldn’t transition our European-based players and some of the Mexican players perfectly.
“We added some players coming from the younger side to look at them and to get a roster together, but the main purpose of this camp is to keep the rhythm, keep going and to transition perfectly into the preparation for the Copa America Centenario.”
Among the absences are several Mexican and European-based preliminary roster players that have yet to complete their club seasons. Ventura Alvarado, Edgar Castillo, and Omar Gonzalez are all set to participate in the Liga MX postseason, while Timmy Chandler and Christian Pulisic face a relegation playoff and DFB Pokal final, respectively. Finally, Ethan Horvath remains in season in Norway with Molde.
MLS players will join camp on May 23 in Dallas, three days after Klinmann’s final Copa America roster is required to be submitted.
Here’s a closer look at the team that will take on Puerto Rico:
GOALKEEPERS: Brad Guzan (Aston Villa), Tim Howard (Colorado Rapids), Zach Steffen (SC Freiburg)
DEFENDERS: John Brooks (Hertha Berlin), Geoff Cameron (Stoke City), Eric Lichaj (Nottingham Forest), Matt Miazga (Chelsea), Michael Orozco (Club Tijuana), Tim Ream (Fulham),DeAndre Yedlin (Sunderland)
MIDFIELDERS: Alejandro Bedoya (Nantes FC), Emerson Hyndman (Fulham), Fabian Johnson(Borussia Monchengladbach), Perry Kitchen (Heart of Midlothian), Alfredo Morales (Ingolstadt), Caleb Stanko (SC Freiburg), Danny Williams (Reading)
FORWARDS: Paul Arriola (Club Tijuana), Julian Green (Bayern Munich), Fabrice Picault (FC St. Pauli), Amando Moreno (Club Tijuana), Bobby Wood (Hamburg)
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What do you think of the roster? Any surprises or notable snubs? What lineup do you expect for the Puerto Rico match?
Share your thoughts below.
Pulisic scored today for BvB U19s in the German U19 Championship semi-finals, BvB went through on aggregate 3-2. The final is set for May 29th, can’t believe CP would stay in Germany after the German Cup Final on Saturday, but who knows.
https://cdn.streamable.com/video/mp4-mobile/dn6i.mp4
No national team game is a waste of time…they play so few to begin with, as a fan, you should relish every opportunity.
This game is a big waste of time for everybody
Pretty comparable to the game at St. V&G Sept. 2.
If only every roster omitted MLS players
Or a nationally televised annual match between MLS national team and abroad national team.
Which team would Zlatan be on?
I’m going to say Sweden, but Garber would set up a 3v3 for halftime with Giovinco, Kaka, and Villa vs Lampard, Zlatan, and Pirlo but of course Gerrard would have to play because Frank wouldn’t show up.
Based on the fact that almost all the midfielders are central midfielders I think we will see the 4-3-3 again.
Picaualt – Wood- Arriola
Bedoya—–Hyndman
Wiilliams
Ream – Brooks- Cameron- Yedlin
Guzan
2nd Half (by late in the game)
Green – Picault – Moreno
Morales— Hyndman
Kitchen
Ream-Orozco-Miazga-Lichaj
Steffan
I’m liking this. Hope we see it, or something close to it.
Based on the level of the competition and the players called this team needs to play in a 4-3-3. They need to give the young players experience while also getting some of the core players game fit for the Copa. To that end I’d like to see something like this…..
——Green————Wood————–Arriola——-
——Fabian———–Williams———-Hyndman—-
—Lichaj——-Brooks———Miazga——-Yedlin—-
—————————Guzan—————————-
Subs: Moreno for Wood, Kitchen for Williams, Morales for Fabian, Ream for Brooks, Steffen for Guzan.
Our line ups are pretty close, I don’t think Fabian will start since he hasn’t even dressed the last few weeks with BM, you might be right with Lichaj on the left especially with Fabian’s hamstring issues, I think Orozco at CB is more likely, but maybe he will fill in for Yedlin at RB instead leaving CB for Ream.
I’d prefer if Orozco didn’t see the field. He’s one of those players who has been given a number of opportunities and has failed to impress (except in the win over Mexico in Mexico). He is another player, like Wondo, Beckerman, Evans, etc…, which should no longer be in the USMNT picture. We have younger players who are every bit as good as they are, but need experience. I’m tired of seeing the same players who have failed called up time after time.
The way I see it, both Morales and D. Williams have to start so Klinsmann and the rest of us get another good look at them before the Copa Roster has to be picked. So if we are using your roster than put Morales over Hyndman.
I just have to throw-in that I feel our fanbase overrates Hyndman. Perhaps he will be good in the future but he’s not there yet. Not even close.
Unfortunately the roster has to be submitted by Friday.
I don’t overvalue Hyndman either just didn’t want to see two or three DMs on the field at once. I know Williams has played CAM some lately, but not with great results from what I’ve read. With 22 men and likely six subs just about everyone is going to play some.
Hydnman is one of the 5 best players under 21 in our entire pool…. He has a confidence on the ball like Reyna did… we have been missing that type of player for over a decade…
Caleb Stanko is a surprise haven’t heard his name in awhile. He was the captain of U20 WC team in 2013, but I don’t believe he was involved at all with the U23 in friendlies or qualifying.
Surprised Kiesewetter wasn’t called, but he hasn’t been seeing the field so perhaps there is an injury.
Only reason Stanko wasn’t part of the U-23 team was because he’s been recovering from a knee injury. Just started seeing minutes with his clubs reserve team in Feb. so didn’t have a chance to get game fit in time for the play-off.
I don’t have a problem with him on the roster just wondered since he wasn’t taken to Toulon last Summer and he was playing during the fall when the tournament took place ( I guess maybe they wouldn’t release him). He seems to be kind of like Accosta in that people aren’t sure where to play him def or midfield.
Nice chance to build continuity in the back 4 – Ream/Lichaj + Brooks, Cameron, Yedlin
LOL. Funniest commit of the day. “build continuity on the back line”
When has JK ever done that
Omar and Beasler played together most matches in the run up to 2014 when both were healthy and available.
What exactly would you want to continue? 2 GA to Guatemala away? 2 GA to Iceland? 1 GA to St. V.? 1 GA to Costa Rica? 3 GA to Mexico? 4 GA to Brazil?…..3 to Denmark, 3 to Chile, 4 to Ireland…..etc. etc.
My issue is that there is too much continuity, in the sense of he loops through the same shallow player pool too much. So we learn the same lessons about players like Gonzalez over and over, because they get second and third chances.
I’d like to see a more thorough churn of the pool, get some people in we haven’t seen and been disappointed by.
These chances don’t come very often because most of the time half the team is missing due to club commitments or injury. Before the World Cup, JK settled on Besler and Gonzalez. This is his chance to do something similar with Brooks, Cameron, and Yedlin.
There are 2 other friendlies before the Copa to build chemistry among the back 4. I’d rather not risk an injury to many of the older players (Cameron) unless necessary. Depending on Yedlin’s injury (left limping in last game) maybe sit him as well.
Fabian & Brooks need to play 45 as they may need to regain/retain match fitness after being sidelined recently.
Imp. Voice: the original comment was about continuity with players that are expected to play in the Copa. I don’t think the four he mentioned for the back line have played together very often so that’s where his comment comes from. Not really enough players available for this game with MLS and MX playoffs to churn up the pool as you said, but I see your point overall.
Well, I wouldn’t start most of that defense anyway. Ream is glacially slow and prone to giveaways, which is why he was dropped before. I always pimped for Lichaj and when he got called he looked like a nervous wreck. Yedlin and Brooks have made positive attacking contributions but have shown some defensive vulnerability. I don’t know if anyone off that list should be an A team starter.
Again, continuity with what? What I want to see is some people who can play, and I am talking about defense first.
TIV, Sounds like you should be following another team! Mediocrity may always be a characteristic of the USMNTs.
Idk what games you were watching but Ream was our most consistent defender leading up to this year. He was dropped because he got hurt for club and had couple of bad outings because of it with Fulham so like JK likes to say, “he wasn’t in rhythm” thus he wasnt called in. He’s not the fleetest of foot, and is not the best getting forward, but he is a good one v one defender and is thee best passer of the ball in the pool. People keep bringing up the TNT game were he was beat to the byline a few times but those didnt result in chances and if i remember correctly the whole backline was shredded in the GC. We need a solid LB who can defend and pass out of the back until someone else more serviceable comes along and Ream is that player in my opinion. Castillo can get forward but his crosses are suspect and he is terrible one v one defending. Fabian needs to be at LM/LW because he is our most creative player and it does us no good putting his talents furthest away from goal.
Does anyone know if we could swap in PR game performers in for the provisional 40, or do we have to draw exclusively from that roster?
Including for someone like Altidore who is actually hurt.
No you cannot swap in anyone not on the 40 man roster.
I would have included these guys in the 40 because while this is a nice opportunity, it also is a cul de sac. If one of the new players impresses, where does it go from there? I guess in theory they could be held over for the next friendlies, but not for the CA itself. Getting ready for CA probably boxes JK in. But this team needs some fresh blood that plays better. But I am sure that even if it would be better for the US long term, he’s going to do what it takes to look ok at CA and not embarrass, which is basically what we’ve done in Gold Cup and early qualifying, low risk, ageing roster, not thinking past next week. If this team isn’t improved we will have a rough Hex ahead, and no one will care if we were ok enough for this CA.
I understand where you are coming from, but the youth players that would most likely be brought in got pretty much embarrassed by Colombia’s U23s in Dallas not sure putting them in a bigger stage to get beaten by Colombia, C,Rica, and Parguay just to get a few weeks of training is worth it. As fans we want to see these new guys especially since most of them play in lower levels of Europe and we can’t watch them regularly, but I don’t want to see them crushed by full national teams.
Just because they are not on the 40 man or final 23 man roster I’m sure they can still be in the camp since they are in off-season, for some it could probably help future call ups. With the ones on the move to new clubs they could just do what miazga did in the January camp.
JK could name Altidore and Johnson to the 23 and replace them by June 2 with someone from the 40 man roster only.
1) So no Zelalem. I wonder what his future holds after Rangers.
Back to the drawing board at Arsenal’s academy.
2) I still have to double take when I see Lichaj on the roster.
3) Are there any updates on Fabian? Is he still hurt – he hasnt played in a few games, right?
Rangers play in the Scottish Cup final on Saturday, so Zelalem not being included here could be a sign that he will get playing time in the final.
Ah, very good. Thank you!
The Rangers game is on 5/21. He is usually starting or on the bench.
Would rather guys like Picault, Green, Arriola get lots of time this game. With two more friendlies and three group games spread all around the US, the last thing we need is for A teamers to be fatigued by playing a full 90 against freakin Puerto Rico
Agreed, I would love to see a very young team with a few vets for leadership. PR is a minnow and the young guns should be hungry to show well.
I’d rather see them involved in CA also, period. Run out the same basic set of people, expect the same results, and CA is basically a rare chance to take risks during the season without serious qualifying consequences. The games count, but then don’t. There is no pressure to win this tournament. You can camp for weeks and prepare new people.
I think you may be surprised at the amount of pressure there is to do well in this tournament. Most people watching won’t know care if it counts towards qualifying or not. They’ll see that it’s the biggest tournament hosted on US soil since the World Cup in ’94, and they’ll expect the US to have a respectable showing.
This tournament is actually a fantastic opportunity to get people to pay attention to international soccer in the US every 2 years, instead of every 4 years.
Muddled. We already have a biannual tournament we host regularly — Gold Cup — that hasn’t jolted US soccer into the stratosphere. This is a one-off. And like I said, there might be more value here to taking some lumps while sorting out personnel problems, as opposed to lipstick on the same pig and in a few months after another qualifying upset it’s like we finally acknowledge we need change.
There was similar pressure to win Gold Cup and win the playoff last year, we compromised those rosters in the direction of experience, we didn’t win either, we didn’t show that well, and it hasn’t helped the team long term one bit.
I hope JK uses his first choice defenders so they can play together. That likely includes Cameron, Yedlin, Brooks and Miazga. (I suppose Besler could join in that group after the PR game.) The back 4 need to learn to work together under pressure; it is never too early to start that process.
agreed..
start LB-Brook-Cameron-Yedlin together and Johnson, Wood, Bedoya in the attack for about 45 minutes. hopefully they can run wild and build some chemistry and then rest up before the Copa ramp up.
Second half it will be fun watching a lot of senior team debuts/first runs in a while.
Bruh, why no Beckerman?
did u even read the article?
It aint say nuttin bout Kyle tho.
I assume not on an international date nor connected directly to the CA. This is like the summer equivalent of camp cupcake, the players who happen to be offseason now.
“MLS players will join camp on May 23 in Dallas, three days after Klinmann’s final Copa America roster is required to be submitted.” And after the Puerto Rica game.