Arena Names 29-Player Training Camp Roster in Preparation for World Cup Qualifier in Kansas City
CHICAGO (Monday, April 16, 2001) - In preparation for the team's World Cup qualifying showdown with Costa Rica on April 25 in Kansas City, U.S. Men's National Team head coach Bruce Arena has called in 29 players for the team's training camp beginning today in St. Louis.
April 16, 2001
The 29-player roster, which includes 20 players from Major League Soccer and nine players currently playing professionally in Europe, will be pared down to approximately 20 players prior to the team's arrival in Kansas City on April 22 for their final days of preparation before the important qualifier.
The U.S. roster includes MLS stars Josh Wolff (Chicago Fire) and Clint Mathis (NY/NJ MetroStars), as well as Earnie Stewart (NAC Breda - Holland), the USA's three goal scorers from the team's back-to-back victories to open qualifying. Stewart has actually scored goals in three straight qualifiers going back to last November, and has a chance to break the U.S. Soccer record for goals scored in consecutive World Cup qualifiers (currently three games held by William Looby [1954], Willy Roy [1974], and Stewart) when the U.S. takes the field against Costa Rica.
In addition to Wolff, the Fire placed an MLS high six players on the 29-player roster, including veteran defensive midfielder Chris Armas, rising star DaMarcus Beasley, defenders Carlos Bocanegra and C.J. Brown, and goalkeeper Zach Thornton. Bocanegra is one of five players in the camp without a cap.
"This our first qualifier of the final round with Major League Soccer in season, which makes things easier for us in terms of player selection," said Arena. "Having all of our players playing league games, both in Europe and MLS, is very beneficial. We are in a good position right now with six points from two games, but we know we still have a lot of work to do in our remaining eight games."
Another notable selection for Arena is defender Steve Cherundolo (Hannover 96 - Germany), who played well at right back in his World Cup qualifying debut in Honduras, helping the U.S. to an important 2-1 victory on March 28. The heralded Cherundolo has two caps for the U.S., but has yet to represent the U.S. on home soil (earning his first cap in Jamaica in 1999).
Goalkeeper Kasey Keller (Rayo Vallecano - Spain) will be joined in camp by 2000 MLS Most Valuable Player Tony Meola (Kansas City Wizards), Adin Brown of the Colorado Rapids and Thornton.
Veteran midfielder and all-time U.S. MNT cap leader Cobi Jones (139 caps, 14 goals) will miss the camp after receiving a red card late in the USA's victory in Honduras.
The U.S. is off to their best start ever in World Cup qualifying final round play, winning their first two matches and taking a maximum six points. The U.S. leads second-place Costa Rica (1-0-1, 4 points) by two points, having defeated Mexico 2-0 in their opener on Feb. 28 at Columbus Crew Stadium in Ohio and taking down the high-scoring Hondurans with just the USA's third-ever World Cup qualifying victory in Central America. The top three teams from the six-team, 30-game CONCACAF final round, which concludes on Nov. 11, will advance to 2002 FIFA World Cup in Korea/Japan.
Tickets for the game in Kansas City can be purchased by calling 816-931-3330 or going online at www.ticketmaster.com. For more ticket information, please visit www.us-soccer.com.
| United States Men's National Team Roster World Cup Qualifying Training Camp April 16-22, 2001 (St. Louis) April 23-25, 2001 (Kansas City) | |||||||
| Name | Pos. | Ht. | Wt. | Birthdate | Caps/G | Hometown | Club |
| Agoos, Jeff | D | 5'10" | 175 | 05/02/68 | 108/3 | Dallas | S.J. Earthquakes (MLS) |
| Armas, Chris | M | 5'7" | 150 | 08/27/72 | 27/2 | Brentwood, N.Y. | Chicago Fire (MLS) |
| Beasley, DaMarcus | F | 5'7" | 126 | 05/24/82 | 2/0 | Ft. Wayne, Ind. | Chicago Fire (MLS) |
| Berhalter, Gregg | D | 6'1" | 175 | 08/01/73 | 19/0 | Tenafly, N.J. | Crystal Palace (England) |
| Bocanegra, Carlos | D | 6'0" | 170 | 05/25/79 | 0/0 | Alto Loma, Calif. | Chicago Fire (MLS) |
| Brown, Adin | GK | 6'4" | 200 | 05/27/78 | 0/0 | Pleasant Hill, Calif. | Colorado Rapids (MLS) |
| Brown, C.J. | D | 6'0" | 185 | 06/15/75 | 14/0 | Hayward, Calif. | Chicago Fire (MLS) |
| Califf, Dan | D | 6'1" | 175 | 03/17/80 | 0/0 | Orange, Calif. | Los Angeles Galaxy (MLS) |
| Cherundolo, Steve | D | 5'6" | 145 | 02/19/79 | 2/0 | San Diego, Calif. | Hannover 96 (Germany) |
| Convey, Bobby | M | 5'8" | 150 | 05/27/83 | 2/0 | Philadelphia, Pa. | D.C. United (MLS) |
| Donovan, Landon | F | 5'8" | 148 | 03/04/82 | 4/1 | Redlands, Calif. | San Jose Earthquakes (MLS) |
| Keller, Kasey | GK | 6'2" | 190 | 11/29/69 | 46/0 | Lacey, Wash. | Rayo Vallecano (Spain) |
| Lewis, Eddie | M | 5'10" | 155 | 05/17/74 | 27/2 | Cerritos, Calif. | Fulham FC (England) |
| Llamosa, Carlos | D | 5'11" | 166 | 06/30/69 | 19/0 | Maspeth, N.Y. | Miami Fusion (MLS) |
| Mathis, Clint | M/F | 5'10" | 170 | 11/25/76 | 10/3 | Conyers, Ga. | NY/NJ MetroStars (MLS) |
| Meola, Tony | GK | 6'1" | 205 | 02/21/69 | 97/0 | Kearny, N.J. | Kansas City Wizards (MLS) |
| Petke, Mike | D | 6'2" | 185 | 01/30/76 | 0/0 | Bohemia, N.Y. | NY/NJ MetroStars (MLS) |
| Radosavljevic, Preki | M | 5'9" | 165 | 06/24/63 | 26/4 | Overland Park, Kan. | Miami Fusion (MLS) |
| Ralston, Steve | M | 5'9" | 150 | 06/14/74 | 7/0 | St. Louis, Mo. | Tampa Bay Mutiny (MLS) |
| Razov, Ante | F | 6'1" | 175 | 03/02/74 | 14/4 | Whittier, Calif. | Racing de Ferrol (Spain) |
| Regis, David | D | 5'11" | 160 | 12/02/68 | 17/0 | Valenciennes, France | FC Metz (France) |
| Reyna, Claudio | M | 5'9" | 160 | 07/20/73 | 79/8 | Springfield, N.J. | Glasgow Rangers (Scotland) |
| Sanneh, Tony | D/M | 6'2" | 190 | 06/01/71 | 18/1 | St. Paul, Minn. | Hertha Berlin (Germany) |
| Stewart, Earnie | M/F | 5'9" | 145 | 03/28/69 | 66/12 | Point Arena, Calif. | NAC Breda (Holland) |
| Talley, Carey | D | 6'2" | 180 | 08/08/76 | 0/0 | Cordova, Tenn. | D.C. United (MLS) |
| Thornton, Zach | GK | 6'3" | 210 | 10/10/73 | 6/0 | Edgewood, Md. | Chicago Fire (MLS) |
| Vanney, Greg | D | 5'11" | 169 | 06/11/74 | 13/0 | Tempe, Ariz. | Los Angeles Galaxy (MLS) |
| Williams, Richie | M | 5'5" | 145 | 06/03/70 | 15/0 | Middletown, N.J. | NY/NJ MetroStars (MLS) |
| Wolff, Josh | F | 5'8" | 160 | 02/25/77 | 7/2 | Stone Mountain, Ga. | Chicago Fire (MLS) |
| Team Staff | ||
| Head Coach | Bruce Arena | Fairfax, Va. |
| Assistant Coach | Dave Sarachan | Ashburn, Va. |
| Assistant Coach | George Gelnovatch | Charlottesville, Va. |
| Goalkeeper Coach | Milutin Soskic | Bakersfield, Calif. |
| General Manager | Pam Perkins | Evanston, Ill. |
| Athletic Trainer | Jim Hashimoto | Wilmington, Del. |
| Athletic Trainer | Bruce Snell | Tacoma, Wash. |
| Equipment Manager | Aaron Barrett | Chicago |
