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CHICAGO (January 24, 2007) — With the 52nd all-time meeting between the national soccer teams of the USA and Mexico on the horizon, U.S. Men’s National Team head coach Bob Bradley has called in 26 players to a training camp that will begin on Thursday (Jan. 25) at U.S. Soccer's National Training Center at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif. The group of players is preparing for the United States’ showdown with regional rival Mexico on Feb. 7 at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz.

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In addition to the 26 players arriving in California on Thursday, Bradley has also submitted releases for eight U.S. players based in Europe. Per FIFA rules, requests for the release of players must be sent no later than 15 days prior to match day. The final decision on which European-based players will travel to Phoenix will be made the week prior to the Mexico game.

The match will be part of a two-and-half-hour broadcast window on both ESPN2 and Univision beginning at 7 p.m. MT (9 p.m. ET), with kickoff slated for 7:25 p.m. MT (9:25 p.m. ET). Fans can also follow the match live on ussoccer.com’s MatchTracker. Bradley made his announcement at a press conference in Arizona broadcast live on ussoccer.com.

"We are excited to get back to work and continue the progress we have made since the beginning of January," said Bradley, who collected a 3-1 victory against Denmark on Jan. 20 in his first match at the helm of the U.S. National Team. "All the little things that surround a USA-Mexico game – whether it is great crowds, intense competition, or media attention – can only benefit our players as they continue to gain experience at this level. We are also looking forward to adding more of our European-based players into the mix for the first time this year."

The 26-man group assembling in Carson on Jan. 25 largely resembles the roster that began training three weeks ago, with the exception of five changes. Pat Noonan (knee) and Brian Mullan (ankle) will not return, and Denmark-based defenders Dan Califf and Heath Pearce are heading back to their clubs to begin preseason. Taylor Twellman, an alternate on the USA’s 2006 FIFA World Cup squad, has been added to the camp after missing the first part of the year recovering from a hernia injury.

Four players coming back to Carson are fresh off their first caps with the senior team, with Jonathan Bornstein the lone neophyte in the starting lineup against Denmark. Bornstein became the 42nd player in MNT history to score a goal in his first appearance when he netted the game-winning goal in the 57th minute, while second-half starter Kenny Cooper became No. 43 with his insurance goal on a breakaway just 10 minutes from time. Justin Mapp recorded his first points for the USA on a highlight-reel assist on Bornstein’s goal.

Landon Donovan remains the leading cap winner on the roster, having celebrated his 85th international appearance by scoring the tying goal through a 44th minute penalty kick against Denmark. The goal for Donovan was the 26th of his international career, and ended his longest-ever goalless drought for the United States at 18 games (a streak that dated all the way back to a 2-0 win vs. Canada on July 9, 2005). Pablo Mastroeni, a native of Phoenix, Ariz., and a veteran of two World Cups, moved past his silver anniversary with the senior team when he earned his 51st cap for the United States.

The roster lays claim to several players with success at the youth national team level. Kyle Beckerman, an inaugural member of the U-17 Residency Program in Bradenton, Fla., played in all six games of the USA’s fourth-place finish at the 1999 FIFA U-17 World Championship in New Zealand and competed in qualifying for the 2004 Olympics. Mapp, another Residency graduate and veteran of two youth world championships, started and played in all five matches with the U.S. U-20’s at the 2003 FIFA World Youth Championship in Dubai (United Arab Emirates), scoring the game-winning goal against the Ivory Coast to help the squad advance to the quarterfinals of the tournament. Current MLS Cup champion Ricardo Clark has been a member of the U-20 and U-23 National Teams, appearing on the USA’s 2003 World Youth Championship roster alongside Mapp. Sacha Kljestan was a member of the U-20 side that advanced to the knockout phase of the 2005 World Youth Championship in Holland after defeating Argentina in their opening game. Altogether, 12 players on the training camp roster have been a part of a FIFA World Championship roster with the United States at either the World Cup, Olympics, U-20 or U-17 level.

The match on Feb. 7 will mark the 52nd meeting between the USA and Mexico. The U.S. has dominated the series of late, collecting a 6-0-1 home record against Mexico since 2000. During that span, the USA has netted 11 goals, while the Mexicans have failed to score a single goal on American soil in this decade. In the team’s last meeting, the U.S. used a 2-0 victory on Sept. 3, 2005, in Columbus, Ohio to become the first team in CONCACAF to qualify for the 2006 FIFA World Cup.

The U.S. has a lifetime record of 12-29-10 against Mexico in a series that dates to 1934, but the U.S. has a 10-6-8 advantage in home matches since 1957. Since the rivalry between these two teams began in earnest in 1990, the sides have played 24 times, with the U.S. holding a 10-7-7 advantage. In the teams’ most significant matchup, the United States defeated Mexico, 2-0, in the Round of 16 of the 2002 FIFA World Cup, advancing the U.S. to the quarterfinals of the tournament for the first time in 72 years.

The U.S. will be making its first appearance at the University of Phoenix Stadium and only their third overall in Arizona. The U.S. last played in the Grand Canyon State over 12 years ago, pulling off a 2-1 win against Norway at Sun Devil Stadium on January 15, 1994, in Tempe. In their only other match, the U.S. drew 2-2 with Denmark on Jan. 20, 1993.

After games against Ecuador on March 25 in Tampa and Guatemala on March 28 in Frisco, Texas, the United States will compete in two major championships this summer. The three-time champions will first try to defend their title against 11 other teams at the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup, scheduled from June 6-24 in several cities across the United States. Just a few days later, the U.S. will participate in the 2007 Copa America, the regional championship of South America. The 12-team tournament will run from June 26 to July 15 in nine cities across Venezuela. For the United States, the appearance will mark their third entrance into CONMEBOL’s signature event.

U.S. Men's National Team Training Camp Roster Jan. 25 - Feb. 8, 2007 – Carson, Calif.
Name	Pos.	Ht.	Wt.	Birthdate	Caps/G	Hometown	Club
Albright, Chris	D	6'1"	185	01/14/79	20/1	Philadelphia, Pa.	Los Angeles Galaxy (MLS)
Beckerman, Kyle	M	5'10"	165	04/23/82	1/0	Crofton, Md.	Colorado Rapids (MLS)
Bornstein, Jonathan	D	5'9"	145	11/07/84	1/1	Los Alamitos, Calif.	Chivas USA (MLS)
Boswell, Bobby	D	6'2"	185	03/15/83	2/0	Tampa, Fla.	D.C. United (MLS)
Cannon, Joe	GK	6'2"	190	01/01/75	2/0	Los Altos Hills, Calif.	Los Angeles Galaxy (MLS)
Carroll, Brian	M	5'10"	150	07/20/81	4/0	Springfield, Va.	D.C. United (MLS)
Clark, Ricardo	M	5'10"	150	05/10/83	2/0	Jonesboro, Ga.	Houston Dynamo (MLS)
Cooper, Kenny	F	6'3"	210	10/21/84	1/1	Dallas, Texas	FC Dallas (MLS)
Conrad, Jimmy	D	6'2"	185	02/12/77	18/0	Temple City, Calif.	Kansas City Wizards (MLS)
Donovan, Landon	F	5'8"	148	03/04/82	85/26	Redlands, Calif.	Los Angeles Galaxy (MLS)
Dunivant, Todd	D	6'0''	174	12/26/80	2/0	Wheat Ridge, Colo.	New York Red Bulls (MLS)
Gros, Joshua	M	6'0"	165	06/25/82	0/0	Mechanicsburg, Pa.	D.C. United (MLS)
Jaqua, Nate	F	6'3"	180	10/28/81	2/0	Eugene, Ore.	Los Angeles Galaxy (MLS)
Johnson, Eddie	F	6'0''	180	03/31/84	21/9	Palm Coast, Fla.	Kansas City Wizards (MLS)
Kljestan, Sacha	M	6'1"	150	09/09/85	0/0	Huntington Beach, Calif.	Chivas USA (MLS)
Mapp, Justin	M	5'10"	140	10/18/84	2/0	Brandon, Miss.	Chicago Fire (MLS)
Mastroeni, Pablo	M	5'10"	170	08/26/76	51/0	Phoenix, Ariz.	Colorado Rapids (MLS)
Namoff, Bryan	D	5'10"	168	05/28/79	1/0	Rockford, Ill.	D.C. United (MLS)
Parkhurst, Michael	D	5'11"	155	01/24/84	0/0	Providence, R.I.	New England Revolution (MLS)
Perkins, Troy	GK	6'2"	190	07/29/81	0/0	Worthington, Ohio	D.C. United (MLS)
Pickens, Matt	GK	6'3''	200	04/05/82	0/0	Washington, Mo.	Chicago Fire (MLS)
Reis, Matt	GK	6'1"	196	03/28/75	2/0	Atlanta, Ga.	New England Revolution (MLS)
Robinson, Dasan	D	5'10"	160	06/06/84	0/0	Elyria, Ohio	Chicago Fire (MLS)
Robinson, Eddie	D	6'1"	195	06/19/78	0/0	Greensboro, N.C.	Houston Dynamo (MLS)
Rolfe, Chris	F	5'8"	145	01/17/83	5/0	Kettering, Ohio	Chicago Fire (MLS)
Twellman, Taylor	F	5'11"	170	02/29/80	19/5	St. Louis, Mo.	New England Revolution (MLS)

ROSTER BY POSITION
Goalkeepers (4) – Joe Cannon (Los Angeles Galaxy), Matt Pickens (Chicago Fire), Troy Perkins (D.C. United), Matt Reis (New England Revolution)
Defenders (9) – Chris Albright (Los Angeles Galaxy), Bobby Boswell (D.C. United), Jonathan Bornstein (Chivas USA), Jimmy Conrad (Kansas City Wizards), Todd Dunivant (New York Red Bulls), Bryan Namoff (D.C. United), Michael Parkhurst (New England Revolution), Dasan Robinson (Chicago Fire) Eddie Robinson (Houston Dynamo)
Midfielders (7) –Kyle Beckerman (Colorado Rapids), Brian Carroll (D.C. United), Ricardo Clark (Houston Dynamo), Joshua Gros (D.C. United), Sacha Kljestan (Chivas USA), Justin Mapp (Chicago Fire), Pablo Mastroeni (Colorado Rapids)
Forwards (6) –Kenny Cooper (FC Dallas), Landon Donovan (Los Angeles Galaxy), Eddie Johnson (Kansas Cit y Wizards), Nate Jaqua (Los
Angeles Galaxy), Chris Rolfe (Chicago Fire), Taylor Twellman (New England Revolution)
Head Coach: Bob Bradley