U-23 USMNT set to train alongside senior team at January camp in Florida

CHICAGO – At the start of a significant year for the U.S. Men’s National Team that includes the Concacaf Nations League Final Four, the Gold Cup and the start of 2022 World Cup Qualifying, USMNT head coach Gregg Berhalter will begin 2021 with a gathering of 12 players on Jan. 9 at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla.

The senior team group, consisting of players aged 24 and older, will train alongside the U-23 USMNT through January 24, at which point several U-23 players will be elevated to the full USMNT roster in advance of a planned match at the end of the month.

“This is an important year for our National Team programs, and we are looking to maximize every possible opportunity,” Berhalter said. “For the senior team players, this is an opportunity to continue to develop as a group and build on the foundation of a busy and challenging year. Being alongside our U-23 team gives that group a chance to prepare for Olympic qualifying while further integrating into our culture and game model.”

USMNT DETAILED ROSTER BY POSITION (CLUB; CAPS/GOALS)

GOALKEEPERS (2): Sean Johnson (New York City FC; 9/0), Matt Turner (New England Revolution; 0/0)

DEFENDERS (3): Tristan Blackmon (LAFC; 0/0), Aaron Long (New York Red Bulls; 18/3), Walker Zimmerman (Nashville SC; 13/2)

MIDFIELDERS (3): Kellyn Acosta (Colorado Rapids; 24/2), Sebastian Lletget (LA Galaxy; 17/4), Cristian Roldan (Seattle Sounders FC; 19/0)

FORWARDS (4): Jozy Altidore (Toronto FC/CAN; 115/42), Paul Arriola (D.C. United; 34/6), Jordan Morris (Seattle Sounders FC; 39/10), Chris Mueller (Orlando City SC; 1/2)

U-23 USMNT GATHERS FOR FINAL TIME AHEAD OF OLYMPIC QUALIFYING

The U-23s are gathering as a group for the first time since the suspension of the Concacaf Men’s Olympic Qualifying Championship ten months ago and will use this last opportunity for head coach Jason Kreis to build and evaluate the roster ahead of the resumption of the qualifying tournament in March.

“With Olympic qualifying approaching quickly, this training camp is a great opportunity to prepare ourselves and evaluate some new faces,” Kreis said. “While 2020 was a very challenging year, it was impressive to see so many U-23-eligible players make major strides on the field. Some of them have been involved with the senior team over the last few months and it’s exciting to now get our players and staff back together in camp alongside Gregg and his group as we prepare for a very important qualifying tournament.” 

U-23 USMNT DETAILED ROSTER BY POSITION (CLUB):

GOALKEEPERS (3): JT Marcinkowski (San Jose Earthquakes), David Ochoa (Real Salt Lake), Brady Scott (Austin FC)

DEFENDERS (10): Julian Araujo (LA Galaxy), George Bello (Atlanta United FC), Chris Gloster (PSV Eindhoven/NED), Aaron Herrera (Real Salt Lake), Aboubacar Keita (Columbus Crew SC), Henry Kessler (New England Revolution), Mauricio Pineda (Chicago Fire), Bryan Reynolds (FC Dallas), Miles Robinson (Atlanta United FC), Sam Vines (Colorado Rapids)

MIDFIELDERS (6): Hassani Dotson (Minnesota United FC), Bryang Kayo (Wolfsburg/GER), Andrés Perea* (Orlando City SC), Tanner Tessmann (FC Dallas), Eryk Williamson (Portland Timbers), Jackson Yueill (San Jose Earthquakes)

FORWARDS (7): Cade Cowell (San Jose Earthquakes), Daryl Dike (Orlando City SC), Jeremy Ebobisse (Portland Timbers), Jesús Ferreira (FC Dallas), Jonathan Lewis (Colorado Rapids), Benji Michel (Orlando City SC), Djordje Mihailovic (Montreal Impact/CAN)

*Player is currently ineligible to represent the United States

U-23 USMNT ROSTER NOTES

• Players born on or after Jan. 1, 1997 are age-eligible for the Concacaf Men’s Olympic Qualifying Championship, and Kreis selected 10 players born in 1997, two born in 1998, two born in 1999, five born in 2000, four born in 2001, two born in 2002 and one born in 2003.
• The 26-player roster comes from 16 clubs, 14 in Major League Soccer and one each from Germany and the Netherlands.
• Three players each come from FC Dallas, Orlando City SC and the San Jose Earthquakes.
• Eight players have been capped by the USMNT: defenders Julian Araujo, Miles Robinson and Sam Vines, midfielder Jackson Yueill and forwards Jeremy Ebobisse, Jesus Ferreira, Jonathan Lewis and Djordje Mihailovic.
• Eleven players have been part of a final U.S. roster at a FIFA Youth World Cup tournament:
  • 2017 U-20 World Cup – Goalkeeper JT Marcinkowski, midfielder Eryk Williamson and forward Jeremy Ebobisse
  • 2019 U-20 World Cup – Goalkeeper David Ochoa, defenders Julian Araujo, Chris Gloster and Aboubacar Keita
  • 2017 and 2019 U-20 World Cups – Goalkeeper Brady Scott
  • 2017 U-17 World Cup – Gloster and defender Bryan Reynolds
  • 2019 U-17 World Cup – Defender George Bello midfielder Bryang Kayo

• Though part of the camp roster, midfielder Andrés Perera is currently ineligible to represent the United States after playing for Colombia at the U-17 World Cup in 2017 and U-20 World Cup in 2019.
• Nine players were involved in the USMNT’s December training camp: Julian Araujo, Daryl Dike, JT Marcinkowski, Djordje Mihailovic, David Ochoa, Andreś Perea, Mauricio Pineda, Sam Vines and Jackson Yueill.
• Ten players make their first appearance with the U-23 USMNT this cycle: George Bello, Cade Cowell, Daryl Dike, Bryang Kayo, Aboubacar Keita, Andrés Perea, Mauricio Pineda, Bryan Reynolds and Tanner Tessman.
• Midfielder Djordje Mihailovic leads the roster with five U-23 USMNT caps. He captained the squad in its last three international matches.
• Goalkeeper JT Marcinkowski has appeared in all eight training camps for the U-23 USMNT this cycle, including the team’s joint camp with the USMNT in June 2019.
• Fourteen of 24 domestic-based players are MLS Homegrowns.
• A total of 24 of 26 players spent time in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy.
• In addition to the 14 players from MLS teams that came up through their respective academies, the remaining 10 players last played for the following DA teams: Julian Araujo (Barca Academy), Hassani Dotson (Crossfire Premier), Jeremy Ebobisse (Bethesda-Olney), Chris Gloster (New York Red Bulls), Bryang Kayo (D.C. United), Henry Kessler (Beachside SC), Jonathan Lewis (Kendall SC), Miles Robinson (FC Boston Bolts), Brady Scott (De Anza Force), Jackson Yueill (Minnesota Thunder Academy).
• Six players have won Development Academy Championships. Aaron Herrera took home the 2013 U-15/16 National Championship with Real Salt Lake-Arizona, while Djordje Mihailovic and Mauricio Pineda helped the Chicago Fire win the 2015 U-17/18 Academy title.
• Jesús Ferreira and Bryan Reynolds were part of the FC Dallas U-15/16 team that won the 2016 Academy Championship. Reynolds was also part of the club’s U-17/18 team that also won the championship that year.
• George Bello won the 2017 Academy Championship with Atlanta United’s U-15/16 squad.
• The seven players born in 2001 or later – Julian Araujo, George Bello, Cade Cowell, Bryang Kayo, David Ochoa, Bryan Reynolds and Tanner Tessmann – are also age-eligible for the 2024 Summer Olympics.

USMNT ROSTER NOTES

• The 12 players have an average age of 27 years, 48 days with an average of 24 caps.
• Players represent 11 different MLS clubs: Seattle Sounders FC (2), Colorado Rapids, D.C. United, LAFC, Nashville SC, New England Revolution, New York City FC, New York Red Bulls, Orlando City SC and Toronto FC.
• Returning to the USMNT for the first time since the 2019 Concacaf Gold Cup, striker Jozy Altidore is the senior-most player on the roster with 115 caps. He’s followed by Jordan Morris (39), Paul Arriola (34), Kellyn Acosta (24) and Aaron Long (18).
• Defender Tristan Blackmon is the lone newcomer on the USMNT roster. The 24-year-old right back completed his third season with LAFC in 2020, appearing in 20 matches across all competitions, while helping the club to the final of the 2020 Concacaf Champions League.
• Blackmon joins veteran goalkeeper Matt Turner as the two players on the senior roster seeking their first caps this month.
• Six players on the senior roster took part in the USMNT’s 6-0 win against El Salvador last month: Paul Arriola, Aaron Long, Sebastian Lletget and Chris Mueller started the match, while Kellyn Acosta and Walker Zimmerman entered as substitutes.
• Mueller debuted in the El Salvador match, becoming just the sixth player to score two goals in his first USMNT match. Mueller also provided an assist in the 6-0 win.
• Arriola opened the scoring against El Salvador with his sixth international goal, while Lletget found the back of the net for the fourth time and his second consecutive USMNT match.
• Lletget was also the lone USMNT player to appear in all four matches in 2020.
• Though they took part in some of last year’s January camp, the Seattle Sounders FC duo of Jordan Morris and Cristian Roldan will seek their first caps since the 4-0 win against Cuba in Concacaf Nations League group stage play on Nov. 19, 2019.
• Four players on the senior roster earned their USMNT debuts during a January camp match: Kellyn Acosta (Jan. 31, 2016 vs. Iceland), Sean Johnson (Jan. 22, 2011 vs. Chile), Sebastian Lletget (Jan. 29, 2017 vs. Serbia) and Walker Zimmerman (Feb. 3, 2017 vs. Jamaica).
• Jozy Altidore scored his first international goal during a January camp friendly, tallying in the 2-2 draw with Mexico on Feb. 6, 2008.