The U.S. Soccer Federation on Saturday named 23 players to the under-23 men’s training camp ahead of a two-game Olympic qualifying playoff against Colombia.
The squad will begin gathering Sunday in Miami. U-23 Coach Andi Herzog, Jurgen Klinsmann’s top assistant on the senior national team, will cut the list to 20 before the first match Friday in Barranquilla, Colombia (6 p.m. ET, FS1, Univision Deportes). He can make changes before the return leg March 29 at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Tex. (9 p.m., ESPN2, UniMas).
Because the Olympic playoffs fall on the same days as World Cup qualifiers, Klinsmann and Herzog had to decide with which team senior players eligible for the U-23 matches would report. The three overlapping figures are defenders DeAndre Yedlin and John Brooks and forward Jordan Morris.
Morris was invited to the U-23 camp. Yedlin and Brooks were not, suggesting they will serve the senior team for the first of two qualifiers against Guatemala — the more difficult away match is Friday — and then perhaps join the younger team for the critical second leg. Klinsmann has said all along that, while reaching the Olympics is important, the World Cup qualifying campaign takes priority.
The World Cup qualifiers are Friday in Guatemala City (9 p.m. ET, beIN Sports, NBC Universo) and March 29 at Mapfre Stadium in Columbus, Ohio (7 p.m., ESPN2, UniMas).
After each team has played their respective first matches, Klinsmann and Herzog will decide what roster adjustments are necessary. If any changes are made, the new roster lists would be announced sometime next weekend.
Klinsmann is expected to name the senior training camp roster this Sunday.
Although FIFA does not require clubs to release U-23 players, Herzog said he did not encounter any resistance.
“Everything was fine,” he said. “The clubs, especially in MLS, did a good job supporting us because everyone knows that we have two very important games ahead of us.”
Tottenham Hotspur defender Cameron Carter-Vickers was a late scratch because of injury. Arsenal midfielder Gedion Zelalem, on loan to Rangers, has also been hampered by injuries and was not selected. Christian Pulisic, a 17-year-old midfielder making first-team game-day appearances for German power Borussia Dortmund, was not chosen. Utrecht forward Rubio Rubin just returned to active duty in the Dutch Eredivisie after a long injury layoff.
Goalkeepers: Cody Cropper (MK Dons, England), Ethan Horvath (Molde, Norway), Zach Steffen (Freiburg, Germany).
Defenders: Kellyn Acosta (FC Dallas), Matt Miazga (Chelsea, England), Eric Miller (Colorado Rapids), Tim Parker (Vancouver Whitecaps), Desevio Payne (Groningen, Netherlands), Shane O’Neill (Cambridge United, England), Brandon Vincent (Chicago Fire), Walker Zimmerman (FC Dallas).
Midfielders: Fatai Alashe (San Jose Earthquakes), Paul Arriola (Tijuana, Mexico), Luis Gil (Queretaro, Mexico), Julian Green (Bayern Munich II, Germany), Emerson Hyndman (Fulham, England), Jerome Kiesewetter (Stuttgart II, Germany), Matt Polster (Chicago Fire), Dillon Serna (Colorado Rapids), Wil Trapp (Columbus Crew).
Forwards: Jordan Morris (Seattle Sounders), Mario Rodriguez (Moenchengladbach II, Germany), Khiry Shelton (New York City FC).
