The U.S. Men’s National Team will have an additional attacker join the squad for the upcoming match against Paraguay.
U.S. Soccer announced on Monday that Kekuta Manneh has been called up to join the USMNT squad for the March 27 friendly in Cary. With the addition, the squad now stands at 23 players.
Manneh joins a young midfield group that includes wide options in Darlington Nagbe, Timothy Weah, Kenny Saief and Rubio Rubin. The former Columbus Crew and Vancouver Whitecaps attacker joins USMNT camp for just the second time after previously getting called in for January camp in 2017.
Since moving to Pachuca this past winter, Manneh has made one league appearance as well as five appearances in the Copa MX.
Here’s a closer look at the updates roster:
GOALKEEPERS: Alex Bono (Toronto FC/CAN; 0/0), Bill Hamid (Midtjylland/DEN; 5/0), Zack Steffen (Columbus Crew SC; 1/0)
DEFENDERS: Cameron Carter-Vickers (Ipswich Town/ENG; 1/0), Eric Lichaj (Nottingham Forest/ENG; 14/1), Matt Miazga (Vitesse/NED; 4/1), Shaq Moore (Levante/ESP; 0/0), Erik Palmer-Brown (Kortrijk/BEL; 0/0), Antonee Robinson (Bolton Wanderers/ENG; 0/0), Jorge Villafaña (Santos Laguna/MEX; 15/0), DeAndre Yedlin (Newcastle United/ENG; 49/0)
MIDFIELDERS: Tyler Adams (New York Red Bulls; 2/0), Marky Delgado (Toronto FC/CAN; 0/0), Kekuta Manneh (Pachuca/MEX; 0/0), Weston McKennie (Schalke/GER; 1/1), Darlington Nagbe (Atlanta United FC; 24/1), Cristian Roldan (Seattle Sounders FC; 2/0), Kenny Saief (Anderlecht/BEL; 1/0), Wil Trapp (Columbus Crew SC; 3/0), Tim Weah (Paris Saint-Germain/FRA; 0/0)
FORWARDS: Andrija Novakovich (Telstar/NED; 0/0), Rubio Rubin (Club Tijuana/MEX; 4/0), Bobby Wood (Hamburg/GER; 36/10)
I know he’s third division, but I would have like to have seen a call-up for Joe Gyau. He’s been scoring and assisting, would a courtesy call-up for a guy whose promising career hit the breaks while playing for the Nats. Plus Manneh has only made the first team line-up once in a league match. Hard to see him playing much this season being behind Honda who has been scoring for Pachuca.
It’s probably just as well to cap him and lock him in. We also need some wings and there aren’t enough “true” ones on the roster. I wouldn’t count Nagbe as a wing now any more than Gold Cup, or Saief, etc. But they need someone to play wide. Guess Manneh is ok for it.
I would also have brought in Lletget and Parks.
This match does not tie anyone only competitions or qualifiers. Jesse Gonzalez the keeper does not need cap tie because he filed a one-time switch meaning he can not go back Mexico even if he never plays for the US.
Don’t need him. We have a lot of young world class players coming up.
I like Steffen and we’ll see on Bono but I don’t know if I’d describe Hamid as world class. Guzan was sufficiently mediocre Howard came back and took the job at the end. There is a list of interesting names but no one I’d anoint as the proven heir to the Meola/ Friedel/ Keller/ Howard historical succession of quality American keeping.
Hamid still has some time to grow into being ‘world class’, I’m not giving up on him yet. I am more excited about Steffen though. I think he has a higher ceiling and doesn’t have some of the hang-ups that plague Bill.
Silver- Steffen is killing me with his at least once a game direct pass to the opposition 20 yards from goal for the Crew.
Have they ever capped Jesse Gonzalez to make it official?
I think Rob confused Jesse for Jonathon Gonzalez. To answer your question, I don’t think that Jesse Gonzalez has been capped, but I think that he filed a 1 time switch with FIFA to play for the US and is not committed to the US.
My bad…
Should read “and is NOW committed to the US”.
you would be correct…Arena convinced him to join the US setup for good via JG filing ” a one time switch”