The U.S. will close 2021 with a friendly outside the FIFA calendar, although some abroad-based players will be taking part.
A frenetic, challenging and historic year for the U.S. men’s national team will conclude with a bit of an anticlimax—a relatively low-key friendly against Bosnia-Herzegovina. The game on Dec. 18 at the LA Galaxy’s Dignity Health Sports Park falls outside a FIFA window and therefore will feature mostly domestic league players.
There will be some familiar American faces however, because the stakes surrounding the team remain high even if the Bosnia match matters little. The next group of World Cup qualifiers is coming quickly—the second-place U.S. will play El Salvador, Canada and Honduras Jan. 27-Feb. 2—and MLS players who may be involved need to stay sharp. This ad hoc December camp affords them that opportunity, while allowing coach Gregg Berhalter to get a look at a new crop of up-and-comers.
“It’s been a great year for the group and our objective is to finish the year with a strong performance against Bosnia-Herzegovina,” Berhalter said in a Friday statement. “As we look towards 2022, this camp gives us the opportunity to see some new faces and allows our core domestic players to maintain their fitness levels.”
The 26-member squad unveiled Friday will gather this weekend in Southern California and begin preparing for Bosnia. It features several men who were involved in qualifying this fall or in the successful Concacaf Gold Cup run over the summer, as well as 12 uncapped players. Included in that dozen are seven who will be taking part in their first senior U.S. camp.
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Among the veterans headed to L.A. are forward Jordan Morris and center back Aaron Long, who were key figures in Berhalter’s set-up before suffering long-term injuries. Morris (ACL) finally returned to action with the Seattle Sounders toward the end of the MLS campaign and Long (Achilles) will be available for light training.
MLS Goalkeeper of the Year Matt Turner and Defender of the Year Walker Zimmerman are on board, as are qualifying regulars like Kellyn Acosta, Ricardo Pepi and Cristian Roldan. Those taking part in this weekend’s MLS conference finals were omitted.
Three players based in foreign leagues will make the trip. Defender Bryan Reynolds has been playing sparingly at AS Roma. Midfielder Johnny Cardoso was released by Brazil’s SC Internacional, whose season is nearly over, and forward Taylor Booth, 20, has been starting regularly for Bayern Munich’s reserve team.
There are also two campers from the second-tier USL Championship, including Jonathan Gómez, the 18-year-old Louisville City fullback who was named the league’s Young Player of the Year. He’s already sealed a move to Real Sociedad.
The camp finishes off a year in which the U.S. tied a program-record for wins (16) and claimed two titles, the Gold Cup and the inaugural Concacaf Nations League. The Americans are currently ranked 12th in the world by FIFA. It’s the first time the U.S. will finish a year as Concacaf’s top team since 2013.
Here’s this month’s roster:
Goalkeepers: John Pulskamp (Sporting Kansas City), Gabriel Slonina (Chicago Fire), Matt Turner (New England Revolution)
Defenders: George Bello (Atlanta United), Justin Che (FC Dallas), Jonathan Gómez (Louisville City), Kobi Henry (Orange County SC), Henry Kessler (New England Revolution), Brooks Lennon (Atlanta United), Aaron Long (New York Red Bulls), Kevin Paredes (D.C. United), Bryan Reynolds (AS Roma), Auston Trusty (Colorado Rapids), Walker Zimmerman (Nashville SC)
Midfielders: Kellyn Acosta (Colorado Rapids), Cole Bassett (Colorado Rapids), Johnny Cardoso (Internacional), Cristian Roldan (Seattle Sounders), Jackson Yueill (San Jose Earthquakes)
Forwards: Taylor Booth (Bayern Munich II), Caden Clark (New York Red Bulls), Cade Cowell (San Jose Earthquakes), Jesús Ferreira (FC Dallas), Jordan Morris (Seattle Sounders), Ricardo Pepi (FC Dallas), Gyasi Zardes (Columbus Crew)
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