The USMNT will begin its annual January camp from January 7-21, allowing national players the opportunity to stay in shape during the offseason and impress head coach Gregg Berhalter to earn a spot on the qualifying squad for the World Cup at the end of the month.
Berhalter called up 19 players, all from Major League Soccer clubs, for the two-week camp in Phoenix, Arizona. Players vary in international experience, from unlimited veterans to grizzled veterans, and all will have the opportunity to stay in shape, impress the coaching staff and be considered for a call-up before the next round of CONCACAF qualifying matches.
“Our focus for the next two weeks is to prepare the national players to be included in the qualifying training camp for the World Cup,” Berhalter said in the official launch of US Soccer. “This next window presents an opportunity to move closer to our ultimate goal of qualifying for the FIFA World Cup in Qatar.”
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USMNT roster for January 2022 camp
Goalkeepers (3): Sean Johnson (New York City FC), Gabriel Slonina (Chicago Fire), Matt Turner (New England Revolution)
Defenders (6): George Bello (Atlanta United), DeJuan Jones (New England Revolution), Brooks Lennon (Atlanta United), Aaron Long (New York Red Bulls), Miles Robinson (Atlanta United), Walker Zimmerman (Nashville SC)
Midfielders (6): Kellyn Acosta (Colorado Rapids), Cole Bassett (Colorado Rapids), Djordje Mihailovic (CF Montreal), Sebastian Lletget (New England Revolution), Cristian Roldan (Seattle Sounders), Jackson Yueill (San Jose Earthquakes)
Forwards (4): Paul Arriola (DC United), Jesus Ferreira (FC Dallas), Jordan Morris (Seattle Sounders), Gyasi Zardes (Columbus Crew)
USMNT Qualification Schedule
The next list of qualifying tests for the United States World Cup will feature two massive home games: against El Salvador in Columbus (January 27) and against Honduras in St. Paul, Minnesota (February 2). Sandwiched between those key bouts is a showdown against rising power and qualifying leader Canada (January 30).
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The United States is second in the CONCACAF World Cup qualifier, one point behind Canada and one point above Mexico and Panama.
Six games remain in the qualifying cycle, with the top three teams automatically winning World Cup tickets in Qatar, and the fourth-ranked team securing a spot for an intercontinental playoff against the winner from the Oceania region.
Highlights of the US list
With Major League Soccer currently in its offseason, a total of 19 players were brought to camp, all hailing from MLS.
The player with the most appearances on the field is Columbus Crew forward Gyasi Zardes, who has 66 national team appearances, while Colorado Rapids midfielder Kellyn Acosta with 45 and DC United winger Paul Arriola with 42 caps also make up. part of the leadership group.
Established starting defender Miles Robinson has been included to maintain his fitness, while Jordan Morris looks to continue his quest to reach the top after returning from a torn ACL.
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Players who have yet to make a senior team appearance who have a chance to impress are Chicago Fire goalkeeper Gabriel Slonina and New England Revolution defender DeJuan Jones.
☀️ 19 Players Head to Phoenix for January Prep Camp 🌵
– American Soccer MNT (@USMNT) January 6, 2022
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Eddie is an Australian news reporter with over 9 years in the industry and has published on Forbes and tech crunch.