Gregg Berhalter has officially started the 2020 campaign this week by releasing his annual January camp roster. The 25 players will train in Qatar throughout the month, but reconvene in California to take on Costa Rica in a friendly on February 1st. Many USMNT fans have been critical of the January camp philosophy, as it is normally comprised of MLS-based players who wouldn’t make the first-choice roster. This camp scheduling is due to the fact that MLS has a break in season while most of the other leagues around the world are still playing. In addition, 2019 wasn’t necessarily the greatest audition for Berhalter, as many people feel like the national team has taken steps back instead of forward. However, the truth of the matter is that Berhalter takes the January camp seriously and uses it to identify players who will potentially feature in his system. Among the 25 players, 14 are eligible to participate in Olympic qualifying in March as well. That being said, there are several fascinating and unexpected names that have shown up on this year’s roster.
Goalkeepers
There is little doubt that Zack Steffen is the first-choice keeper for Gregg Berhalter, and rightly so. However, the spots behind him have been mostly undecided. Johnson and Brad Guzan have been favorites as the back-ups this past year, but with Guzan not called into camp for January, Berhalter seems to be giving a look at others as well. Marcinkowski has been good for the U-23 side, and deserves a look before he starts the season with San Jose. His inclusion is probably to help increase his confidence heading into Olympic qualifying. Matt Turner was likely the biggest winner of the 2019 season from a goalkeeping perspective, as he emerged to win the starting spot in New England with stellar performances. In a pool of MLS keepers, it is no surprise that he has earned a place in this roster. Hamid is the most polarizing figure of the bunch. While he has been involved with the national team for several years, he has been outspoken about his lack of inclusion in Berhalter’s camps since the coach took over. It will be interesting to see who eventually wins the spot for Costa Rica, but I imagine that it will likely go a long way in who backs up Steffen down the road.
Defenders
The contingent of defenders has a mixed bag of Berhalter favorites like Long, Zimmerman, and Cannon, but also relatively new faces like Araujo and Vines. There is no surprise that the experienced MLS star Long is included, after a year of establishing himself as Berhalter’s go-to center-back. It will be interesting to see, however, if Long get his much-anticipated move away from Major League Soccer in this transfer window. The same speculation could be made about Cannon, who has been linked to a move to Mexico and England. The 21 year-old right-back has established himself as a regular among the national team, regardless of who is available. Zimmerman has feature multiple times for Berhalter, and will look to fend off younger players who are fighting to take his spot in the future. Gasper had a breakout year for Minnesota in 2019, and will attempt to build on his one previous call into camp under Berhalter. The same is true for central defenders McKenzie and Glad, both of whom who have been seen by Berhalter in person before and are eager to supplant other veterans who are ahead of them on the depth chart. Vines is a dynamic outside defender who, like Gasper, enjoyed a great 2019 campaign with Colorado and is eligible for the Olympics. Due to a lack of quality at the left-back position, a good performance here from Vines or Gasper could mean more minutes down the line. Araujo is a much more interesting case. The 18-year-old fullback from L.A. Galaxy is also eligible to play for Mexico, and has been outspoken about his openness to play for either national team, despite playing in the U-20 World Cup this past summer for the United States. While playing against Costa Rica wouldn’t cap-tie him, it would certainly go a long way in helping him make his decision easier.
Midfielders
This group of players is probably where most of the overall excitement stems from. Five of the seven are under the age of 23, with Bryang Kayo only 17 years old. The D.C. United academy product is currently without a team, but is rumored to be heading overseas when he turns 18. He has been called in for a Berhalter camp before, so clearly the coach sees potential here. Attacking midfielders like Brenden Aaronson and Paxton Pomykal will both aim to build on their previous senior national team cameos, and hopefully provide much-needed depth at the No. 10 position. Both players had solid campaigns last season, and provide excitement in the attack for years to come. While still just 22 years old, Jackson Yueill has seemingly moved his way up the list at the No. 6 position, even to the point of taking Wil Trapp’s spot on this roster. Berhalter has an affinity for the San Jose player, but we will see how it transpires when Michael Bradley and Tyler Adams are available. USMNT regulars Lletget and Roldan are included again, as both were utilized frequently in Berhalter’s first year at the helm. When fully fit, Lletget can provide explosiveness and creativity in the middle of the park that is different than many other players in the USMNT pool. The big wild card here though, is Christian Cappis. The tall, physical 20 year-old plays for Hobro IK in Denmark after coming through the FC Dallas Academy. He has been a bright spot in a gloomy season for his club, and could make a name for himself on the international stage if given the chance against Costa Rica.
Forwards
The group of attackers features three players who have seen significant minutes for Berhalter this past year (Morris, Zardes, Arriola), and three players who are relatively unbroken on the international stage (Llanez, Lewis, Ferreira). Morris is coming off the best year of his career, as he finished second in the US Soccer Male Player of the Year award. His explosiveness and speed was matched with skill and finishing in 2019, and I envision very little will remove him from Berhalter’s plans, aside from injury. Zardes is quite possibly the most polarizing player in the entire US Men’s pool. Regardless of the critics, there isn’t a whole lot of depth at the striker position, and he is extremely familiar with Berhalter, dating back to his days coaching in Columbus. The same case could be made for the wing positions at the moment, as nobody has really supplanted Arriola yet. Regardless, the D.C. United forward has been consistent and diligent during his spell with the national team, providing limitless energy and tenacity. Lewis featured last January camp, and assisted twice in two appearances. As one of the standouts from that camp, he made his way onto the Gold Cup roster as an injury replacement. However, he has featured for the U-23 most recently, and he will certainly look to move from a fringe player into full national team regular. Jesus Ferreira presents an intriguing storyline for USMNT fans. After a long and drawn-out process, the FC Dallas forward has only recently secured his citizenship for the United States and therefore became eligible to play. As the son of former MLS MVP David Ferreira, Jesus has moved his way up through the Dallas academy and into a spot in their starting XI. The most fascinating player, however, is Wolfsburg winger Ulysses Llanez. The dynamic 18 year-old has been on a tear for the Wolfsburg U-19 side, and is likely to feature for the first-team before the end of the season. Those who watched him at the U-20 World Cup last summer know how much of a difference maker he can be. Like Araujo, he too is eligible to play for Mexico, which could also have something to do with Berhalter calling him into camp this time around.
Biggest Surprises
For many USMNT fans, this roster may be comprised of players that they are unfamiliar with. This year’s edition has a very U-23 touch to it, as 14 players are eligible for the Olympics next summer. With this in mind, it is no surprise that many of these players are unestablished in the full national team setting. Much like last January camp, Berhalter sees this as an opportunity to analyze players that he might not have seen in person. With such a young squad, it is natural to be surprised by the players that are included. The three biggest surprises to see on the roster were Bill Hamid, Bryang Kayo, and Uly Llanez.
Hamid has certainly deserved a call-up to the national team for his performances in MLS, but after making questionable comments about Berhalter and his fellow keepers, it is a little curious to see his name appear. Kayo is surprising simply because of his age. The young midfielder doesn’t turn 18 until July, and likely won’t be with a professional team until then. Not only that, but at the U-17 World Cup a few months back, Kayo only played in one match. It is slightly puzzling to see him included here, especially with other 17-year-olds playing so well around the globe (i.e. Gio Reyna, Gianluca Busio). Lastly, Llanez is a surprise to see included on the roster because the Bundesliga will be back in competition when this camp takes place. While he has yet to feature for the Wolfsburg first team, it is still interesting to see that they have released him. While many fans would love to see him play against Costa Rica, it wouldn’t be a shock to see him sent back to his club before that game occurs. If that does happen, he would at least gain some valuable experience training under Gregg Berhalter, and amongst his peers and possible teammates.
Notable Absences
Whenever the roster for a new camp is announced, there are bound to be players who standout as absentees. It has been reported that Frank De Boer and Atlanta United refused to release Brad Guzan, Miles Robinson, and Brooks Lennon due to their upcoming CONCACAF Champions League matches. Likewise, there are several reasons why Berhalter may have left a player off of the unique January camp, but let’s take a look at some of the most notable omissions.
- Mason Toye
After enjoying a breakout campaign in Minnesota last season where he scored six goals and assisted twice in only 820 minutes, the 21-year-old striker was certainly deserving of a shot in the January camp. The lack of depth at the center-forward position is well documented, so excluding Toye from the roster in favor of Gyasi Zardes is rather puzzling. Berhalter certainly knows what he can get out of Zardes, so why not give a chance to the younger Toye.
- Michael Bradley/Jozy Altidore
The Toronto FC tandem was more than likely omitted for the sake of giving others a look. In 2019, Berhalter had both players in his lineup when they were healthy, and it doesn’t appear that much is going to change that. There are several young players who will be looking to force Bradley out of the national team picture, but for Altidore, there isn’t necessarily a strong contingent who can overthrow him at the No. 9 position. Expect to see both veterans included in future camps.
- Wil Trapp
An interesting absence to say the least. Could Berhalter finally be phasing his former player out of the national team conversation, or is he giving a chance to younger players? It’s hard to say really, as Trapp was eventually surpassed on the depth chart last year by the younger, more energetic Jackson Yueill. When Tyler Adams is eventually inserted back into the national team (not to mention Michael Bradley), a spot for the No. 6 position will be even harder to come by. Considering that Zardes, Trapp’s teammate in Columbus, has been included means that there isn’t an issue with the club either.
- Daniel Lovitz
The newly-cemented Nashville FC defender has mysteriously been left off of this year’s January camp. In last year’s edition, Lovitz was arguably one of the bigger winners. Coming out of nowhere he took the left-back position for his own. However, he has been the furthest thing from dynamic, and Berhalter is probably giving a real opportunity to the younger Vines and Gasper. We have seen Tim Ream fill in at the position, as well as Sergiño Dest. Both players are out of their normal respective positions, so finding a consistent, natural, left fullback should be a top priority for Berhalter.
- Emmanuel Sabbi
The quick and physical forward is teammates with the debutant Cappis in Denmark. Many believe that the 22-year-old Sabbi has had a better campaign thus far for Hobro, and is deserving of a promotion from the US U-23 side. Through just 17 games, Sabbi has 6 goals for his club in the Superligaen. With little variation at the wing positions, Berhalter could use a fresh and young face for the January camp. Unless hampered by injury, this would be the ideal opportunity to check out the dynamic forward.
USA DETAILED ROSTER BY POSITION (CLUB; CAPS/GOALS):
GOALKEEPERS (4): Bill Hamid (D.C. United; 6/0), Sean Johnson (New York City FC; 8/0), JT Marcinkowski (San Jose Earthquakes; 0/0), Matt Turner (New England Revolution; 0/0)
DEFENDERS (8): Julian Araujo (LA Galaxy; 0/0), Reggie Cannon (FC Dallas; 10/0), Chase Gasper (Minnesota United FC; 0/0), Justen Glad (Real Salt Lake; 0/0), Aaron Long (New York Red Bulls; 16/3), Mark McKenzie (Philadelphia Union; 0/0), Sam Vines (Colorado Rapids; 0/0), Walker Zimmerman (LAFC; 11/2)
MIDFIELDERS (7): Brenden Aaronson (Philadelphia Union; 0/0), Christian Cappis (Hobro/DEN; 0/0), Bryang Kayo (Unattached; 0/0), Sebastian Lletget (LA Galaxy; 13/2), Paxton Pomykal (FC Dallas; 1/0), Cristian Roldan (Seattle Sounders FC; 19/0), Jackson Yueill (San Jose Earthquakes; 6/0)
FORWARDS (6): Paul Arriola (D.C. United; 32/5), Jesus Ferreira (FC Dallas; 0/0), Jonathan Lewis (Colorado Rapids; 5/0), Ulysses Llanez (Wolfsburg/GER; 0/0), Jordan Morris (Seattle Sounders FC; 39/10), Gyasi Zardes (Columbus Crew SC; 55/12)