Harkes’ son set for US debut
DC United midfielder Ian Harkes, a son of former US captain John Harkes, is among 15 players who could make their national team debuts in an exhibition against Bosnia and Herzegovina on January 28 at Carson, California.
Acting US coach Dave Sarachan announced a 30-man roster to report tomorrow to training camp. This is the second match for the Americans since they failed to qualify for this year’s World Cup.
The most experienced player is LA Galaxy midfielder Gyasi Zardes with 37 international appearances. The only other players with extensive national team experience are midfielder Paul Arriola, and forwards Juan Agudelo and Jordan Morris. The average age of the roster is 24 years, 93 days, and 21 of the players are 24 and younger.
Ian Harkes, who turns 23 in March, won the 2016 Hermann Trophy as the top college player after captaining Wake Forest. He signed with Major League Soccer last January. His father was a midfielder for DC United who appeared in 90 games for the US.
NOT WITH MLS
The only players on the roster not with MLS are goalkeeper Bill Hamid, who left DC United to join Denmark’s Midtjylland last week, and forward Rubio Rubin, whose contract with Norway’s Stabaek expired at the end of the 2017 season.
Other possible players making debuts include goalkeepers Alex Bono, Cody Cropper and Zack Steffen; defenders Danny Acosta, Justen Glad, Nick Lima, Ike Opara, Tim Parker and Matt Polster; midfielders Russell Canouse, Marky Delgado, Marlon Hairston and Brooks Lennon; and forward Christian Ramirez.
The US likely will not play a competitive match until the June or July of 2019. Following the resignation of Bruce Arena, Sarachan coached the US for a 1-1 tie at Portugal on November 14.
Acosta, Glad and Lennon and defender Tyler Adams, who made his national team debut in November, helped the US reach the quarter-finals of last year’s Under-20 World Cup.
Europe-based players other than Hamid were not included because the game is not on a FIFA date.