POSTED: Friday December 24th 2010
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
BRADLEY CALLS 24 PLAYERS TO BEGIN TRAINING CAMP ON JAN. 4 AT THE HOME DEPOT CENTER IN CARSON, CALIF
New Talent on Display in First Training Camp of 2011; Camp to Culminate in Match Against Chile on Jan. 22 at The HDC
CHICAGO (Dec. 21, 2010)—U.S. Men’s National Team head coach Bob
Bradley has named 24 players to the training camp roster that will
begin gathering Jan. 4 at U.S. Soccer's National Training Center at
The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif. The group will prepare for
the USA’s first match of 2011, a friendly against fellow FIFA World
Cup finalists Chile on Jan. 22 at The HDC (tickets). Kickoff is set
for 6 p.m. PT, with broadcast information to be announced at a later
date. Fans can follow the game live via ussoccer.com’s MatchTracker or
on twitter @ussoccer.
"The timing is right to assess many of the younger players and to
broaden the player pool as we look forward to the next three years,”
said Bradley. “These extended camps give the coaching staff an
opportunity to work with these players closely, and at the same time
expose them to what the environment and expectations are like at the
international level. We have a good feel for the veteran players in
the pool, several of whom are coming off long seasons, and we
certainly expect many of them to be part of the program for the
important tournaments this year.”
The annual camp held in January for players in their offseason is a
largely domestic-based group that includes 20 players who ply their
trade in the United States, and the coaching staff is taking full
advantage of the opportunity to assess new talent. With an average age
of just above 23 years old, half of the players can earn their first
cap for the full team.
Major League Soccer is well represented, with 10 clubs contributing a
total of 20 players to the Carson camp. Eight players come from the
MLS Cup finalists, four each from 2010 champion Colorado Rapids and
runners up FC Dallas following a thrilling championship settled in
overtime. Matt Pickens, Anthony Wallace and Marvell Wynne helped
anchor the Rapids defense while Jeff Larentowicz patrolled the center
of the park; on the other side, Ugo Ihemelu and Brek Shea started for
FC Dallas. Shea has the most recent experience with the full team,
making his debut on Oct. 12 against Colombia. A trio of Los Angeles
Galaxy defenders will move to a different locker room at The HDC,
including 2009 MLS Rookie of the Year Omar Gonzalez, who got his first
international appearance on Aug. 10 against Brazil and was named to
the 2010 MLS Best XI. San Jose Earthquakes striker Chris Wondoloski
joined him on the Best XI after scoring 18 goals - including nine
game-winners - and capturing the MLS Golden Boot.
After becoming the first U.S. Soccer Development Academy alumnus to
play for the full national team, Juan Agudelo made his first
appearance memorable by becoming the youngest player in the modern era
to score for the United States when he tallied the lone goal in the
1-0 win on Nov. 17 against South Africa. He was joined on the field
that day by Red Bull teammate and MLS Rookie of the Year finalist Tim
Ream, who also heads to Carson. At the other end of the spectrum,
two-time MLS Cup winner Nick Rimando is the oldest player on the
roster at 31 years old. The MVP of the 2009 MLS Cup has four caps to
his credit.
Alejandro Bedoya leads the small European-based contingent, the Ã-rebro
midfielder having earned six caps in 2010 and a spot on the 30-man
preliminary roster for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Mikkel Diskerud
returns after debuting in the 1-0 victory in the Nelson Mandela
Challenge, having set up Agudelo for the game’s only goal. Dominic
Cervi also rejoins after traveling to Cape Town with the team, while
Ryan Miller gets his first call into a national team camp.
The roster boasts several players with youth World Cup experience.
Wynne played in the 2005 FIFA U-20 World Cup on the U.S. team that
finished first in Group D ahead of Argentina and Germany. Two years
later, Dax McCarty and Wallace helped the U.S. once again top a Group
D, eventually falling in the quarterfinals to Austria. Diskerud, Shea
and Chicago Fire goalkeeper Sean Johnson went with the U-20s to Egypt
in 2009, and Agudelo was part of the U-17 squad that finished in
second place in their group at the 2007 FIFA U-17 World Cup. Of the
group heading into the January camp, a total of six players will be
age eligible for the 2012 Olympic Games in London.
The annual January camps have produced some memorable moments in
addition to being the starting point of promising international
careers. In 2007, a young Jonathan Bornstein scored his first goal in
his first game, a path which led to two starts at the 2010 FIFA World
Cup. A year later, Landon Donovan made history when he became the
all-time leader in goals scored for the United States. In 2009, Sacha
Kljestan opened his international scoring account in style, becoming
only the second player in U.S. history to score his first three goals
all in the same game.
U.S. ROSTER BY POSITION Detailed Roster
GOALKEEPERS (4): Dominic Cervi (Celtic), Sean Johnson (Chicago Fire),
Matt Pickens (Colorado Rapids), Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake)
DEFENDERS (9): A.J. DeLaGarza (Los Angeles Galaxy), Sean Franklin (Los
Angeles Galaxy), Omar Gonzalez (Los Angeles Galaxy), Ugo Ihemelu (FC
Dallas), Zach Loyd (FC Dallas), Ryan Miller (Halmstads BK), Tim Ream
(New York Red Bulls), Anthony Wallace (Colorado Rapids), Marvell Wynne
(Colorado Rapids)
MIDFIELDERS (7): Eric Alexander (FC Dallas), Alejandro Bedoya
(Ã-rebro), Sam Cronin (San Jose Earthquakes), Mikkel Diskerud
(Stabaek), Jeff Larentowicz (Colorado Rapids), Dax McCarty (D.C.
United), Brek Shea (FC Dallas)
FORWARDS (4): Juan Agudelo (New York Red Bulls), Justin Braun (Chivas
USA), Teal Bunbury (Sporting Kansas City), Chris Wondolowski (San Jose
Earthquakes)
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Keywords · US · Soccer · Bob Bradley · MLS · 2010 FIFA World Cup
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