Arena Invites 24 Players to Camp for International Match Against Mexico in Los Angeles
CHICAGO (Tuesday, October 17, 2000) - United States Men's National Team head coach Bruce Arena has selected 24 players for training camp leading up to the international friendly match against Mexico at the Los Angeles Coliseum on Wednesday, October 25 at 8 p.m. PT. Arena has drawn heavily fr
Oct. 17, 2000
The squad also features seven players who helped the USA to an unprecedented fourth place finish in the recent Sydney Olympic Games, including all five players who scored in the tournament. Olympic forwards Chris Albright, and Josh Wolff, who each scored a pair of goals in Sydney, will be joined by midfielders Peter Vagenas (three goals) and Sasha Victorine, and defenders Jeff Agoos and Dan Califf. Forward Landon Donovan, the only European-based player, rounds out the Olympians.
Thirteen of the players invited to training have yet to appear in a full international match for the United States, and 11 will make their first appearance in an Arena-led camp. Players seeking their first cap include: Bobby Convey, Joe Franchino, Nick Garcia, Matt Jordan, Chris Klein, Richard Mulrooney, Mike Petke, Brandon Prideaux, and Kerry Zavagnin. Olympians Califf, Donovan, Vagenas, and Victorine will also look to make their first full international appearance.
The Kansas City Wizards, who won their first league championship Sunday, lead all MLS teams with six players on the roster, followed by the Los Angeles Galaxy and D.C. United, who each placed five players on the squad.
"Clearly the Kansas City Wizards had a great year, and the time has come to give some of their players a look in an international game situation," Arena said of his selections. "The Olympic team had a great showing in Sydney, and this game will provide yet another tough test for some promising young players."
Counterbalancing the relative youth of the squad, Arena has named a pair of veterans to lead the defense against Mexico. Goalkeeper Tony Meola (92 caps), who took home a host of post-season awards this year including MLS Goalkeeper of the Year, Most Valuable Player, and MVP of MLS Cup 2000, will play behind defender Agoos, who became the fifth player in U.S. history to reach the 100 cap plateau this year.
Players and staff will arrive at the Arco U.S. Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, California on Wednesday, October 18 for six days of preparation before relocating to Los Angeles on the day before the match.
Tickets for the USA's match against Mexico, which will be presented by Tropicana, can be purchased at all Los Angeles area Ticketmaster outlets, or by calling 213-480-3232.
The Mexico match will be televised live on select pay-per-view outlets and on DirecTV and the Dish Network for $19.95. The live broadcast will kick off at 8 p.m. PT, and will be available on the following cable systems: Time Warner Cable in New York City, Cablevision Systems in the NY/NJ Metropolitan area and Boston, Charter Communications in Long Beach, California, and Cox Communications in Northern Virginia. For more information, contact Innovative Sports Marketing, who have been providing fans with live soccer action for the last 10 years, at 201-610-0200, or visit ppvsports.com.
| United States Men's National Team
October 25, 2000 vs. Mexico Los Angeles, Calif. | |||||||
| Name | Pos. | Ht. | Wt. | Birthdate | Caps/G | Hometown | Club |
| Agoos, Jeff | D | 5'10" | 175 | 5/2/68 | 102/3 | Dallas | D.C. United (MLS) |
| Albright, Chris | M/F | 6'1" | 165 | 1/14/79 | 3/1 | Philadelphia, Pa. | D.C. United (MLS) |
| Armas, Chris | M | 5'7" | 150 | 8/27/72 | 21/2 | Brentwood, N.Y. | Chicago Fire (MLS) |
| Califf, Dan | D | 6'1" | 175 | 3/17/80 | 0/0 | Orange, Calif. | Los Angeles Galaxy (MLS) |
| Convey, Bobby | M | 5'8" | 150 | 5/27/83 | 0/0 | Philadelphia, Pa. | D.C. United (MLS) |
| Donovan, Landon | F | 5'8" | 148 | 3/4/82 | 0/0 | Redlands, Calif. | Bayer Leverkusen (Germany) |
| Franchino, Joe | M | 5'7" | 140 | 8/8/76 | 0/0 | Alto Loma, Calif. | New England Revolution (MLS) |
| Garcia, Nick | D | 5'10" | 160 | 4/9/79 | 0/0 | Plano, Texas | Kansas City Wizards (MLS) |
| Hartman, Kevin | GK | 6'1" | 174 | 5/25/74 | 1/0 | Palos Verdes, Calif. | Los Angeles Galaxy (MLS) |
| Henderson, Chris | M | 6'1" | 150 | 12/11/70 | 77/3 | Everett, Wash. | Kansas City Wizards (MLS) |
| Jordan, Matt | GK | 6'2" | 185 | 10/13/75 | 0/0 | Aurora, Colo. | Dallas Burn (MLS) |
| Klein, Chris | M | 6'1" | 180 | 1/4/76 | 0/0 | St. Louis, Mo. | Kansas City Wizards (MLS) |
| Llamosa, Carlos | D | 5'11" | 166 | 6/30/69 | 12/0 | Maspeth, N.Y. | D.C. United (MLS) |
| Mathis, Clint | M | 5'10" | 170 | 11/25/76 | 3/0 | Conyers, Ga. | NY/NJ MetroStars (MLS) |
| Meola, Tony | GK | 6'1" | 205 | 2/21/69 | 92/0 | Kearny, N.J. | Kansas City Wizards (MLS) |
| Mulrooney, Rich | M | 5'9" | 160 | 11/3/76 | 0/0 | Memphis, Tenn. | San Jose Earthquakes (MLS) |
| Petke, Mike | D | 6'2" | 185 | 1/30/76 | 0/0 | Bohemia, N.Y. | NY/NJ MetroStars (MLS) |
| Prideaux, Brandon | D | 6'1" | 180 | 8/16/76 | 0/0 | Renton, Wash. | Kansas City Wizards (MLS) |
| Vagenas, Peter | M | 5'8" | 150 | 2/6/78 | 0/0 | Cerritos, Calif. | Los Angeles Galaxy (MLS) |
| Vanney, Greg | D | 5'11" | 170 | 6/11/74 | 9/0 | Tempe, Ariz. | Los Angeles Galaxy (MLS) |
| Victorine, Sasha | F | 6'2" | 165 | 2/3/78 | 0/0 | Corona, Calif. | Los Angeles Galaxy (MLS) |
| Williams, Richie | M | 5'5" | 145 | 6/3/70 | 11/0 | Middletown, N.J. | D.C. United (MLS) |
| Wolff, Josh | F | 5'8" | 160 | 2/25/77 | 2/0 | Stone Mountain, Ga. | Chicago Fire (MLS) |
| Zavagnin, Kerry | M | 5'10" | 170 | 7/2/74 | 0/0 | Plymouth, Mich. | Kansas City Wizards (MLS) |
| U.S. Men's National Team Staff | ||
| Head Coach | Bruce Arena | Fairfax, Va. |
| Assistant Coach | Dave Sarachan | Herndon, Va. |
| Goalkeeper Coach | Milutin Soskic | Aliso Viejo, Calif. |
| General Manager | Pam Perkins | Evanston, Ill. |
| Team Administrator | Maria Hernandez | Chicago, Ill. |
| Equipment Manager | Aaron Barrett | Chicago, Ill. |
| Press Officer | Rich Schneider | Chicago, Ill. |
