While the spotlight may be turning to the Men’s National Team, the Under-23 men’s team announced its roster for the upcoming training. There are many familiar faces from the December camp as they eye the 2012 CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying Tournament. Coach Caleb Porter leads his third camp beginning on January 8 in Carson, CA.
18 players return from the recent December session held in Florida. Coach Porter seems to have developed a rapport with players and is growing comfortable in his role despite being less than three months in.
"“I’ve really enjoyed getting to know the guys, being out there on the field with them. Even though these guys are pros and they’ve played at a high level, they still are very eager to learn and grow, and I was pleasantly surprised with the fact that they were so coachable, so bought in.”"
The overall focus will be on success in the March 2012 CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying Tournament with attention on controlled possession and smart, aggressive attacking. The U-23 team will scrimmage the National Team twice in the next month. There are two other scheduled scrimmages that will give all these players a chance to showcase their talent for the Olympics and to show they can excel in the new U.S. system.
Here is the 22-man roster:
Goalkeepers
David Bingham – The Generation Adidas prospect and MLS keeper in San Jose may be best known for his 90-yard goal in a friendly. He also had a training stint with Fulham in England.
Zac MacMath – MacMath has come through IMG Academy, the U-17, and U-20 teams. He helped the U-20 team win the Milk Cup. MacMath and Bingham could very well split time.
Defenders
Gale Agbossoumonde – Check out our recent player profile.
Sebastien Ibeagha – He was born in Nigeria and is a part of the Houston Dynamo academy. Ibeagha has four caps with the U-20 team.
Kofi Sarkodie – After attending the University of Akron, Sarkodie was selected 7th overall by Houston in 2011. He is one of three brothers in the family playing soccer at a high level.
Zarek Valentin – Valentin is also a veteran of the U-20 team and the University of Akron. He played last year in Major League Soccer with Chivas USA but was taken by the Montreal Impact in the latest expansion draft.
Jorge Villafaña – Villafaña has been with Chivas USA since 2007 after receiving a tryout through a reality show. He has been nicknamed The Dream after scoring three goals in three games in 2008. He has one goal as a member of the U-20 team.
Andrew Wenger – After three years at Duke, Wenger signed on with Generation Adidas and will be in the 2012 MLS draft. He also claimed the Hermann Award last night. His position may still change, but it does seem his defensive skills will be valuable.
Sheanon Williams – For 21 years old Williams has an array of experience having had a tryout in Germany, completing the IMG Soccer Academy, being on all the U.S. youth teams, and already registering 40 caps in the MLS. This past season may have been his best.
Midfielders
Isaac Acuña – The Mexican-American player has been with Club America since April 2010 although the majority of his matches have come out on loan. He also played seven matches for the Mexican U-22 team.
Joe Corona – Corona has played in over 50 matches for Club Tijuana and, like Acuña, was called up to the U-22 team for Mexico. That team does not play in official FIFA competition allowing Corona to now play for the U.S. He also has eligibility in El Salvador.
Mikkel Diskerud – “Mix” has been in the starting lineup for Stabæk since 2010 and played for Norway and U.S. youth teams. He also made two appearances with the national team and assisted on a game winning goal. This could really be a stepping stone moment for Diskerud.
Dilly Duka – Duka was drafted eighth overall in the 2010 MLS SuperDraft and has been a staple of the Columbus Crew since then. He has 13 appearances with the U-20 team dating back to 2009.
Jared Jeffrey – The former Parade Magazine high school player of the year started in the IMG Academy at the age of 15. He was captain of the U-17 team and now plays for Mainz in Germany.
Sebastian Lletget – After having muscle issues, Lletget returned to West Ham United, but has had his eye on making the Olympic team. Rumors say Klinsmann’s assistants have reached out to Lletget.
Amobi Okugo – He has been playing on the youth teams since 2007 and has been a part of both U-23 Olympic camps. He is more defensive minded on the pitch.
Kelyn Rowe – Rowe is a Generation Adidas player that played two years at UCLA. Prior to his sophomore year, he went to Germany on trial with Cologne. He was also a member of the December camp.
Michael Stephens – Stephens is a member of the MLS champion Los Angeles Galaxy and played with the U-20 team. He is a graduate of the U-17 residency program as well.
Forwards
Freddy Adu – It is hard to believe that Fredua Koranteng Adu is only 22 years old. He has plenty of experience and helped the team qualify for the 2008 Olympics.
Josh Gatt – Gatt skipped a chance to play for Indiana University by going pro in Austria and currently plays for Molde in Norway. His production has been promising including three goals in four appearances for the U-20 team.
Jack McInerney – A Bradenton prep graduate, he has been on the U.S. youth teams beginning with the U-15 team. He has scored four times for his current team, Philadelphia Union.
Tony Taylor – Taylor played three matches for the U-20 team but has played for two colleges and five senior teams. He has a loan deal with Atletico in Portugal until July of this year.