CHICAGO (January 6, 2022) – United States Men’s National Team head coach Gregg Berhalter has called up 19 players at BioSteel training camp in Phoenix, Arizona. The nationally-based squad will spend two weeks preparing for matches and competing for places in the World Cup qualifying training camp later this month.
The January training camp will run from January 7-21 and will feature several closed-door scrimmages.
“Our goal for the next two weeks is to prepare the domestic players for inclusion in the World Cup qualifying training camp,” said Berhalter. “This upcoming window offers an opportunity to move closer to our ultimate goal of qualifying for the FIFA World Cup in Qatar.”
The roster for the World Cup qualifying camp in Columbus – which will include national and European players – will be finalized at the end of training camp.
LINEUP BY POSITION (club / country; selections / goals):
GUARDIANS (3): Sean Johnson (New York City FC; 9/0), Gabriel Slonina (Chicago Fire; 0/0), Matt Turner (New England Revolution; 13/0)
DEFENDERS (6): George Bello (Atlanta United; 6/0), DeJuan Jones (New England Revolution; 0/0), Brooks Lennon (Atlanta United; 1/0), Aaron Long (New York Red Bulls; 21/3), Miles Robinson ( Atlanta United; 15/3), Walker Zimmerman (Nashville SC; 23/2)
MIDFIELDER (6): Kellyn Acosta (Colorado Rapids; 45/2), Cole Bassett (Colorado Rapids; 1/1), Djordje Mihailovic (CF Montreal; 6/1), Sebastian Lletget (New England Revolution; 33/8), Cristian Roldan (Seattle Sounders ; 30/0), Jackson Yueill (San José earthquake; 16/0)
BEFORE (4): Paul Arriola (DC United; 42/8), Jesús Ferreira (FC Dallas; 5/2), Jordan Morris (Seattle Sounders; 40/10), Gyasi Zardes (Columbus Crew; 66/14)
RAMPING BACK UP
With the triple date of the World Cup Qualifiers on the horizon, the majority of this group only took a short break from the holiday festivities before getting back to business. A total of 13 players were part of the USMNT’s December camp, with 11 appearing in USMNT’s 1-0 friendly victory over Bosnia-Herzegovina on December 18 in Los Angeles: Kellyn Acosta, Cole Bassett, George Bello, Jesús Ferreira, Brooks Lennon, Jordan Morris, Cristian Roldan, Matt Turner, Jackson Yueill, Gyasi Zardes and Walker Zimmerman.
Defender Aaron Long and goalkeeper Gabriel Slonina also took part in the camp but did not take part in the game.
ELIGIBLE POWERS
With more than half of the 2022 qualifying campaign completed, this national contingent has built a solid resume. A total of 10 players on the roster have appeared in the squad’s eight World Cup qualifiers so far: Kellyn Acosta (7), Miles Robinson (6), Matt Turner and Walker Zimmerman (5 each) ; Sebastian Lletget and Cristian Roldan (4 each); Paul Arriola and Gyasi Zardes (3 each); George Bello and Jesús Ferreira (2 each). These players represent 30 percent of the total minutes played during the current USMNT qualifying campaign.
Meanwhile, veterans Aaron Long and Jordan Morris are working on their first move in this cycle after long injuries.
WORLD CUP QUALIFICATIONS – WINTER EDITION
The United States will play a trio of critical World Cup qualifiers during the winter window, starting with a January 27 home game against El Salvador, presented by Volkswagen. Three days later, the United States will cross the northern border to face Canada, then return home to conclude all three games against Honduras.
Through eight matches in the 14-game Concacaf Octagonal Finals, the United States is on the right track. With a 4-1-3 record so far, the United States is in second place. The top three teams get an automatic berth in Qatar for the World Cup in November 2022.
Remarkably, the USMNT achieved this spot using a largely inexperienced squad in World Cup qualifying. In addition to the 27 players who have already made their first appearance in a World Cup qualifier, Berhalter has twice sent starting XIs who were the youngest in U.S. history in a qualifier.
NOTES ON THE LIST
- As of January 7, the roster of 19 training camp players will have an average age of 25 years and 205 days.
- The list has an average of 20 selections and 11 in official competition.
- Thirteen MLS clubs are represented. Atlanta United and New England Revolution lead the way with three caps each, followed by Colorado Rapids and Seattle Sounders (2 each); CF Montreal, Chicago Fire, Columbus Crew, DC United, FC Dallas, Nashville, SC New York City FC, New York Red Bulls and San Jose Earthquakes (1 each).
- Thirteen players were in the USMNT’s December camp, including 11 in USMNT’s 1-0 friendly victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina last month: Kellyn Acosta, Cole Bassett, George Bello, Jesús Ferreira, Brooks Lennon , Jordan Morris, Cristian Roldan, Matt Turner, Jackson Yueill, Gyasi Zardes and Walker Zimmerman.
- Defender Aaron Long and goalkeeper Gabriel Slonina also took part in the December camp but did not make the game.
- Ten players have played in the squad’s eight World Cup qualifiers so far: Kellyn Acosta (7), Miles Robinson (6), Matt Turner and Walker Zimmerman (5 each); Sebastian Lletget and Cristian Roldan (4 each); Paul Arriola and Gyasi Zardes (3 each); George Bello and Jesús Ferreira (2 each)
- These players represent 30 percent of the total minutes played during the current USMNT qualifying campaign.
- Djordje Mihailovic returns to USMNT camp for the first time since January 2021. The 23-year-old midfielder played all 34 regular-season games in his first season with CF Montreal, finishing second in MLS with 16 mentions. help and four goals.
- Making his USMNT debut on January 27, 2019 against Panama, Mihailovic scored the team’s first goal under Gregg Berhalter, opening the scoring in the 3-0 victory.
- Back-to-back MLS Defender of the Year winner Walker Zimmerman also scored the second goal in Berhalter’s opener on January 27, 2019 in Phoenix.
- New England Revolution left-back DeJuan Jones is the only one called to the USMNT camp for the first time. The 23-year-old has had a landmark year in 2021, starting 29 of 31 appearances while adding three goals and five assists to help the Revs at MLS Supporters Shield.
- Three players who won their first appearance at USMNT camp last month are returning for prep camp. Midfielder Cole Bassett came off the bench to score the winning goal against Bosnia and Herzegovina, right-back Brooks Lennon played 90 minutes on his long-awaited USMNT debut, and 17-year-old goalkeeper Gabriel Slonina was in Matt Turner’s reserve for the game. .
- Atlanta United full-back Brooks Lennon is from Paradise Valley, Ariz., And spent three years at Real Salt Lake-Arizona academy before signing with the first team in 2017.
- Matt Turner has just had a pivotal year for the country and the club. He made his name in the team’s history books, setting a new mark with nine shutouts in 2021, while his 13 appearances were the most important for a USMNT goalkeeper in his first year. Supporting the United States at the 2021 Gold Cup and the New England Revolution at the Supporters Shield, Turner also won top goalie honors from both competitions, as well as the MLS All-Star Game MVP.
- In recognition of their overall performances, three players – Turner, Acosta and Robinson – were nominated for the 2021 US Soccer BioSteel Male Player of the Year award, while George Bello and Jesús Ferreira were also nominated for the 2021 US Soccer Chipotle Young Male Player of the Year.
- Veteran goaltender Sean Johnson returns to camp after helping New York City FC win the club’s first MLS Cup last month. After a 1-1 draw, Johnson took home MVP honors after making two saves in the NYCFC shootout victory over the Portland Timbers.
- Having made his USMNT debut in January 2011, Johnson is one of nine players to earn their first caps at the annual January camp: George Bello and Matt Turner (2021), Jesús Ferreira (2020), Djordje Mihailovic (2019), Sebastian Lletget and Walker Zimmerman (2017); Kellyn Acosta (2016), Gyasi Zardes (2015), Johnson (2011).
- Jordan Morris made his first USMNT appearance in more than two years in last month’s friendly victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina. The veteran USMNT winger returned from a torn ACL suffered last winter on loan with Swansea last winter and missed games during the COVID shortened campaign in 2020.
- Veteran defenseman Aaron Long participates in USMNT’s third consecutive camp. Continuing to recover from a ruptured Achilles he suffered last May, the center-back was asked to rehabilitate alongside the USMNT during the team’s November camp before resuming full training at last month’s camp. .
